Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 27

The Prince Goes on Vacation! An Original Idea!

  I'm still a little behind so why not toss out another post today, hm?

The Fabulous Veteran - 

Marth!

  Marth's not my favorite character. I still have no attachment to him or the Fire Emblem series, so he doesn't mean much to me. That said, I know he's got his fans, and he's a unique fighter so I have no issues with him. The real question is, what do we do for an alternate costume? Well I may be boring but I think we could use his Brawl attire for the alt costume, and make the above his default costume. Or vice-versa.

Newcomer - A Brand New Character...

  My original idea went bust, so now I'm going to drag up an old topic I had in mind and eventually shelved. I think it's time that the Smash Bros. series have it's own playable character. Masahiro Sakurai has a knack for creating truly original characters, and yet he has never created anything truly original for Smash. That's not to say he hasn't been immensely creative, and yes he did create the Subspace Army and Tabuu, all of whom were original, but none of them were actually Smash Bros. characters who played by Smash Bros. rules. In this idea, it would be a totally original fighter that would be playable in multiplayer, carrying the banner of the window-frame circle Smash emblem.

  This character could be any number of things. It could be something a little more generic, but totally appropriate for a fighting game, where it's some amorphous blue human who can form their arms and legs into different weapons or sprout wings in order to mimic the main Nintendo characters. It's a little boiler-plate, but still kind of cool. What I would prefer to see, however, is some generic hero whose world is being affected by the events that brings the Smash realm together. Something akin to a Sora character from Kingdom Hearts, but without being from Final Fantasy and without being obnoxious. In the vain of the original Smash concept, it could be an original, handmade toy the player has that he starts playing with the rest of his Nintendo toys. It could be inspired off of a toy Sakurai had or just a general toy like a Teddy bear. Now, keep in mind, this wouldn't just be some lame stuffed bear, but represented as a powerful bear warrior or adorable bear creature, whichever direction he wanted to go.

The Stage - Sunset Shore

  This stage is probably the most evocative visual image in Donkey Kong Country: Returns. It's striking beauty hits you immediately, and it's impossible to stop looking at it. What would be incredibly awesome is if each character had a special model that silhouetted them in the level (that could maybe come into play on a couple of other stages just for the sake of getting something out of the work for this.) Each character would have a few brightly colored features that would cause them to stand out, like Samus' glowing green parts in her armor or Mario's hat. Mr. Game and Watch would be, hilariously, the same.

Music for Sunset Shore

Donkey Kong Country Returns - Sunset Shore

  Potentially the best version of this song ever constructed, this jazzed up version of "Jungle Hijinx" just has it going on. Perhaps they could use the version that was performed at the Nintendo World 2011 event.

Donkey Kong Country Returns - Fear Factory

  Even though it's designed for a factory stage and is more electronic, I still find the beat and ambient background fit the smooth visuals of Sunset Shore.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong - Donkey Kong Plus Battle

  A little more battle-heavy, which is why it's a good fit for Smash Bros.


Donkey Kong '94 - Final Battle

  I especially love this song for it's revisit of the original Donkey Kong music.

Donkey Kong '94 - Jungle Level

  An awesome, catchy theme that could be spruced up with the right remix to be a perfect tune for this stage.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Bramble Blast

  A superb arrangement, this song is easily one of the best in Brawl. I've never even played Donkey Kong Country 2 to have the nostalgia here... it's just a damn fine song.

  What all jungle beats would you like to hear in a new Smash? Any cool ideas for an original character? What in the world is Marth wearing? Discuss in the comments downwards.


-Make it a nice day.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 26

The Angel and the Temptress! Sin and Punishment!

  I just wanted to give a shout out to one of my fellow Giant Bombers, RockmanBionics, for showing me this awesome collection of Game and Watch (and Russian rip offs) in fully playable form: http://pica-pic.com/#/zelda/ Check it out if you've got a few minutes to kill, it's awesome.

The Newcomer Turned Veteran - Pit

  The hero of Kid Icarus: Uprising is in an interesting position. For starters, his most recent title was made by Smash creator Mashahiro Sakurai, putting him in a sort of "Founder's Favorite" category. More interestingly, however, is the sheer vast array of abilities he had in that game, giving him the most literal arsenal to bring to Smash I've ever seen.

  If you're unfamiliar with Kid Icarus: Uprising, the player has the ability to customize Pit with a series of "perks," as well as a bevy of weapons of varying qualities and stats ranging over 7 types. Claws, cannons, bows, and Orbitars make up just a few of the weapons he could bring to Smash. So the  question is: what does he bring? I think for starters, we kill off the Forward+B spinning blades. I've always thought that move to be extraordinarily cheap, especially since it can deflect (which his Down+B Mirror Shield is for). So instead, replace it with one or many of his weapons.

  Which brings me to a sort of broader idea for a new Smash Bros.: perks and weapons. Customizing your characters with a bevy of perks like better jumping, or stat boosting items. Similar to the sticker system in Brawl's single player, but designed for the full multi-player experience. Now, as Capcom X Tekken might show, that kind of deal can get game-breaky really fast, so I don't know how much we can look into it. But the idea of at least starting off with weapons could be fun.

  In either case, I expect that we'll see at least a couple of Pit's weapons, like the Tiger Claw or Eyetrack Orbitars as pick-up weapons, and a large cannon attack as a Final Smash for Pit. I'd say an alternate costume should be Dark Pit, but that's just a palette swap (and was in Smash Bros. Brawl), so instead I move to an original costume being in store. Perhaps something more casual, like a celebrational Japanese robe, or something more heavily armored?

The Newcomer I Don't Want - Krystal

  I've been dreading this. It was inevitable that I would have to type it, but I had hoped that perhaps I would be struck dead before I did. I'm going to level with you, dear reader: I don't like Krystal. I think she's a dull-as-nails character riding on a sex appeal to be popular. Now mind you, I don't mind that she's a sexy fox lady. I mean, I've got my own... types, shall we say. But there's something that borders on exploitative here; it's -all- she is. I don't really have anything against Krystal herself, it's just the way she's portrayed, and worst, the way she's been... accepted into the fanbase.

  But then, the entire StarFox team has this problem. I'm trying -really- hard not to share the dark recesses of the internet with you.

  I will say, if there is anything kid to the implementation of Krystal into the Star Fox cast, it's that we don't yet have a staff fighter, and she would be a tremendous speed character. Pack her with a laser pistol at her hip and you do have the makings of a great fighter. Her alternate costume could be the more tasteful (by a margin) space suit she wears in newer games. And her Final Smash could be a triceratops that stampedes around the stage for a while. Or we could just have a fourth Landmaster because fuck you.

The Stage - Sin and Punishment

  Simple enough, there needs to be a stage for Sin and Punishment: Star Successor. It's a great game with some amazing locals ranging from the scene above, to floating temples, to awesome dreary future locals. Any one of these would make for a great stage. In most cases, the platforms of the stage itself could be floating through the course, similar to Captain Falcon's Mute City and Port Town: Aero Dive.

Music from a Sin and Punishment Level

Sin and Punishment - Within Earshot

  Swanky music for a distopian future, but that's the Treasure way.

Sin and Punishment - Blood Infactor

  They don't make awesome music like this anymore. Makes me want to go fire up some Darius Twin on the SNES.

Sin and Punishment: Star Successor - Menu

  Best menu theme or BEST menu theme?

Sin and Punishment: Star Successor - Fukuoka

  It gets the blood ready for a fight, I think.

Kirby: Return to Dreamland - Another Dimension

  A song dedicated to the exact same kind of game that Sin and Punishment is (a scrolling shooter), it's a great fit for this kind of level. Yes, it's not something I would expect in this kind of stage, but it fits, and it's a great little "teehee" moment.

  So did I miss any of your favorite Sin and Punishment tracks? Have I offended you, the delicate Krystal lover? Which of Pit's weapons would you like to see most in Smash and why? So many topics to speak on, I'm sure I"ll get all sorts of comics.

-Make it a nice day.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 25

The Monk and the Tower! What's Old is New Again!

  I had to peel myself away from The Mutant Mudds to write this. Seriously, if you haven't checked that game out, I highly recommend it. It's brilliant.

The Most Veteranist - Mr. Game and Watch

  When he debuted in Smash Bros. Melee, I had no idea what a Game and Watch was. As it turns out, I was missing something, because if anything else, Mr. Game and Watch is one of the most well-done characters in the Smash series. Drawing every one of his moves, not just his specials but every single attack, from a different one of the old Game and Watch handheld titles is simply ingenious. The team at Hal Laboratories really hit on the head when they made G-n-Dub'.

  In Brawl, I found him even more fun to play. They fixed up some of his moves, like his Parachute, which now gives him drifting physics. He was just more fun to play. And turning him into a giant octopus for his Final Smash is a big, squidy delight. There's nothing I can think of that he can bring to a new game without some knowledge of new mechanics.

The Most Awkwardly Named Newcomer - Poo

  The Martial Arts master hailing from Dalaam, Poo is the person who actually learned PK StarStorm... Supposedly he taught it to Ness to wield in Smash. Well now it's time for this PSi weilding, kick-flipping monk to make his appearance in the floating arenas.

  I have not had a shot at Mother 3 yet, so I don't know if perhaps somebody from that series is more deserving. Do you guys have any favorite characters that you'd like to see as members of Smash? I'd think somebody out there knows a bit more about the Earthbound series than I do.

  I do know that I badly want to see Buzz Buzz as an assist trophy. He emerges from a crater only to attack somebody for high damage, unless he gets attacked first.

The Most Curious Stage - St. Mystere Tower

  The Professor Layton series is one of my favorites. I want to go back to the start of it all and build a stage that takes place at the highest points of the tower that looms over St. Mystere. Atop that tower, duels take place that can cause it to slant left or right, sloping the battlefield in awkward directions. Perhaps Don Paulo could even fly by and attack the stage during the fight, making for a terribly boulderous hazard.

  The more I think about this, the more I want to go back to add to my Professor Layton article. His victory pose would be the three clips of the puzzle solution ending with him pointing outward victoriously. If he lost, he would stand in the background with his hat down in the "you failed me" position. Also, he needs to throw a hand full of Hint Coins as an attack... Man. I really want Layton in the next Smash.

The Music of The Curious Village

Professor Layton and the Curious Village - Theme

  And you thought it was good in the game. Check out this live version of one of my all-time favorite gaming themes. And if you think this theme doesn't make great action music, go back and watch the scenes where Don Paulo attacks the tower and this kicks in. Tell me then that this isn't brilliant.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future - Puzzle Battle

  In the right hands, a really sick remix could come from this.

Professor Layton and The Last Spectre - The Last Battle

  A triumphant and sad piece all at once. The song of a desperate fight. I love it so.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future - Huge Weapon

  It still works set against the gloomy tower that overshadows St. Mystere.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village - Rising Tower

  A more slow-paced, suspenseful tune. Not everything has to be high-energy battle themes, you know. That's one of the things that makes Smash so awesome! And speaking of not high-energy themes...

  It's practically the song for Professor Layton. Now, we don't have to leave it as is. They gave Animal Crossing tunes some pep and spunk to otherwise slow and pleasant tracks, so they can do the same for this tune. A little beat in the back, a smooth Spanish guitar solo, and you've got yourself a damn fine track.

  Alright. That's anther one down. Comments go down beneath this, so leave some there instead of just leaving them in your head.

-Make it a nice day.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 24

The Monk and the Prince! Battle Atop a High Mountain!

  I just finished watching one of the most balls out awesome trailers for Anarchy Reigns. Stay to the end for a special Newcomer announcement to this insane title.

The Veteran - Lucario

  If I were a betting man, I would bet that we lose Lucario to a Generation 5 Pokemon, rather than cutting out Pikachu, Jigglypuff, or the Pokemon Trainer. I can't say I'd necessarily disagree with the decision to do so, but I would be bummed. I already lost Mewtwo, and I rather like Lucario's gameplay. Still, let's focus on what the blue fox thing that is mysteriously also part metal would do in a new Smash.

  Well, honestly, aside from a slightly less terrible recovery-dash, I'd say Lucario is pretty much fine the way he is. Project M disagrees with me, having completely redesigned the character, but I'm rather happy with his monk style of combat the way it is. It makes more sense given his characteristics. Oh but I do need a costume swap. Uhm. How about Blaziken, another fighting type, whose "aura" could be red fire instead. Works for me! Actually.. I quite like that... Hm...

The (Fabulous) Newcomer - Ghirahim

  Does anybody else feel like this guy has a Labyrinth to run?

  Ghirahim was actually an incredibly enjoyable character just to watch in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. He animated gorgeously, but then so did everybody else in that game. His true nature revealed at the end was also an awesome twist, which makes for a great Costume Swap.

  Obviously Ghirahim is going to be a finesseful sword fighter, wielding a rapier, maybe even two. One of his specials can involve summoning his little magic darts. His Down+B can be the "sword catch" as a counter. His Up+B can be that sweet looking diamond teleport of his. For a big finish, Ghirahim can summon The Imprisoned to stomp around the stage until enough damage is dealt to his little column on his forehead, turning this Final Smash into more of a mini-boss.

The Stage - King DeDeDe's Castle

  Inside DeDeDe's castle is a stage for combat; a giant wrestling ring. In Kirby: Super Star Ultra, when you do the Return of the King scenario, the ring becomes electrified and far more dangerous. Either way, this stage would make a hazard-filled, bouncy-walled place for a great Smash stage.

Music Fit for a King

Kirby's Epic Yarn - King DeDeDe's Theme

  (Sorry for the low quality) Obviously we're going to use King DeDeDe's theme, and this is probably the best version that exists.

Kirby's Adventure - Forest Theme

  Sure, it's a slower tune, but it's still a more mysterious, shadier tone, perfect for DeDeDe.

Kirby 64 - Dark Matter's Castle

  Don't tell the King I said this, but Dark Matter's castle has a way sweeter soundtrack.

Kirby 64 - Battle with Miracle Matter

  This theme is begging for a good remix. Maybe something with a Drum and Bass fix, or (dare I say it) a little dubstep?

Kirby's Epic Yarn - Lava Landing

  Featuring one of the best piano solo's I've ever heard, it's Lava Landing! I will put this song everywhere I have to for it to be in a new Smash Bros. title.

Kirby's Adventure - Nightmare

  To this day, this remains one of my alll-time favorite chip tunes. I can't decide if it needs to be left this way or spruced up for a stage. Maybe both.

And so ends my work today. I'll be back with another stack of blogs tomorrow as I continue catching up! Thanks for your patience.


-Make it a nice day.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 23

Flying Through Space! Bound to Earth!

  More speculative thought and wishful thinking ahead.

Captain Olimar

  The unlikely Olimar was a surprise, and welcome addition to the Brawl roster. Although he did highlight the problem with Nintendo's lack of new IP's in recent history. The fact that Pikmin was Nintendo's most recent IP, and as of Brawl's release was already 7 years old, was a disheartening scratch at the back of my mind. Sure, Lucario was a newer character, but we just need new IP's. Hopefully through some of these articles you've seen my attempts to pull at newer content, even if it doesn't all necessary earn a place at the front of the roster.

  Olimar is somewhat underwhelming in my opinion. For the most part he does exactly what I expected, but nothing more. I found managing my Pikmin to try and maximize their effectiveness in combat to be difficult, which lead to my attacks being more of a random chance than I wanted. His Special attacks were particularly underwhelming, I thought. I think next time, the Pikmin need to be better about returning to Olimar on their own rather than having to recollect them with the Whistle, freeing up a special slot for something else like a Pikmin Scramble attack where you sick all 5 of them on an opponent at once.

  His alternate costume should be his brother Louie, and the End of Day should remain his final smash.. although it always felt kind of overpowered the way the camera loses focus on the stage. Perhaps pulling back in a better angle would alleviate that?

Saki Amamiya

  I was originally planning on Isa Jo from Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, but I just like Saki's design so much more. So Isa can be an Assist Trophy that does what Saki did in Brawl, and Saki can become a fully playable character.

  Saki's roll in Smash Bros. would be a great mixture of close range laser sword slashes and long range beam shots. His Up+B could be a booster-propelled vertical slice, while his Forward+B could be a charging series of rapid strikes. Holding B would charge up a small shot that could be held for as long as B is, and fired when released, allowing Saki to still move around the platform he's on (or jump if you're really handy).

  His Final Smash might entail turning him into a quick round of Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, where he moves to the foreground and can hover around while shooting energy bullets into the background. This special might focus on racking up large damage, allowing Saki to finish off opponents when he comes back rather than just blowing them up at once. And if you didn't like the Isa Jo assist trophy, perhaps Saki's son could be the Costume Swap.

The Stage - Dalaam

  A floating island over Eagleland sounds just right for a Smash Bros. stage in my mind, but what do you think? Do you have any favored Earthbound stages that you'd like to see show up? Personally, I'd love to see Fourside return from Melee, but that's just one of my personal favorite stages.

The Music of Dalaam

Earthbound - The Floating City of Dalaam

  Earthbound has an incredibly varied soundtrack, yet it always seems to be the same few songs you hear. I say we mix it up just a bit with this theme.

Earthbound - Hippie Battle

  As I understand it, a large problem we'll have with Earthbound music is the potential law suit for using it because it sounds like other music. I get the initial fear, but I don't think that's the case for Hippie Battle. AAt least, not enough of a case. Regardless, I think it's a sweet ditty.

OC Remix (Earthbound) - Dreaming on Distant Shores

  Just a gorgeous piece of electronica here. Don't mind me.

OC Remix (Earthbound) - Bus!

  High-energy guitars come together to form an awesome track, fit for a Smash.

OC Remix (Earthbound) - Twoson Hits the Road!

  DJ Pretzel said when he created this that it was based on the sorts of music he would hear when travelling cross country with his parents. Imagine this song playing while crossing the Rocky Mountains or across America's Heartland during the summer with it's vibrant fields. You can feel the emotion that went into this remix, which is exactly what Earthbound music specifically deserves.

  What sayeth the Internet? Do we have other Earthbound tracks or stages we would like to see? Please, use this as an open forum to let your heart speaketh true and your heart soar like an Eagle upon yonder skies!

-Make it a nice day.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 22

The Plumber Journeys West! OF Mice and Wolfmen!

  Plenty more to come right after this, so stay tuned!

The Veteran - Mario

  The most malleable character in video games, Mario's done it all. He's been a doctor, saved the galaxy, been an environmentalist, been a sports icon, and this one time he was a plumber. In the most recent Smash they tried mixing him up by granting him the F.L.U.D.D. as a power, and while I respect them trying to switch up Mario and bring in some new mechanics, I just wasn't a fan of it. With that in mind I'm thinking of Down+B charging up a hammer that he brings down on his foes, reminiscent of his Paper Mario and Mario and Luigi series abilities. I'm also on the fence about replacing his cape with the Galaxy Spin (shown above) which still has the ability to direct projectiles, but also catches people up for damage. What do you think?

  His alternate costume needs to be a return to his Dr. Mario clone from Smash Bros. Melee.

The Newcomer - Volug

  My entire reason for picking this fellow is because he looks cool, and he might be able to bring a different fighting style then another sword user. Honestly, I don't think he's a strong enough 'main character' to be worthy of a roster spot. Maybe an assist trophy, at best. I just wanted to push somebody different for the roster.

The Stage - Dillon's Rolling Western

  I think Dillon's Rolling Western is one of Nintendo's better new IP's, and it would be a shame if it didn't make it into Brawl in some degree or another. As a stage, we could either fight atop the village wall (shown above) while it's under siege from some giant rock monsters, or we could just do a western-styled set of floating platforms that overlooks the field below as the monsters march on.

  Because we don't have a lot of music to go on for Dillon's alone, I'm going to be mixing it up again, this time with western themed music from other games.

Music of the West

Dillon's Rolling Western - Main Theme

  This, with a little sprucing up, could be a -great- battle theme for a new Smash.

F-Zero Arranged - Sand Ocean

  Sure, I could have just linked you the F-Zero GX version, or the original SNES version, but what fun is that? Besides, this is clearly the superior version, so why bother with that other stuff?

Zelda: Skyward Sword - Lanayru Desert (Past)

  Rather perfect, and a bit more spruced up then the regular Lanayru Desert theme. I was also thinking about Gerudo Desert, but this was more recent and Gerudo Desert was in Brawl, so this won out, but only barely.

Kirby's Epic Yarn - Dusk Dunes

  One of the best tracks in Epic Yarn, Dusk Dunes has a perfect style that I think would go along swimmingly in a Rolling Western stage. 

Animal Crossing - K.K. Western

  Give this the "Go K.K. Rider!" treatment with a live person doing the whistling and guitar, and you've got a deal. It would be hard for this to NOT be the only tune I have on the stage.

Super Paper Mario - Mount Lineland and Yold Desert

  A little different, but still has a very ragtimey, old west feel. I think we're good with it.

  What's your rootin' tootinist favorite Old West style theme? Leave a comment below, and then come on back now, y'hear? I got plentya more where this came from, pardner.

-Ya'll make it a nice day, now.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 21

Blazing Fast! It's Always Darkest Before Dawn!

  I don't know about you, but I still love my stupid, Anime-themed titles.

The Super Veteran - Sonic

  Captain Falcon finally got overshadowed with The Fastest Hedgehog Alive showed up. Probably for the best, that guy really needed to be brought down a peg. You blow up a galactic arm ONE TIME and suddenly you think you're the world's mightiest champion. Anyhow, Sonic was the sort of "needed to happen" guest star once it was revealed that Solid Snake had broken the 3rd party barrier. And since Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games had already happened, it was pretty much a given thing that it was going to. And then it did! And he was pretty alright. They did his stage well, great music selection, and he wasn't half bad. He wasn't half great either, though. Really, for me, what it came down to was his signature moves. I loved his fighting style, and I loved his Up+B spring-jump. But the homing attack felt off, and the Jigglypuff style rolling dash felt weak.. and it was two moves? But not really? I dunno, just wasn't a fan. However, one Wii/DS exclusive title could change that: Sonic Colors.

  Suddenly you have a whole arsenal of wicked special moves to pull out. A short-range laser dash, a crazy drilling move, turning into a rolling spike trap, and just all sorts of neon-colored powers to make him a bit more versatile and impressive on the field. And for an alternate costume, we have options. I know Shadow's popular but.. well I don't much care for him, and he's just a palette swap. no, I think the right idea is to go with Metal Sonic or Classic Sonic. Give him a bit of paunch, or robotisize him. Gives a bit more of a nostalgia spread, I think.

The Newcomer - Dark Samus

  The knee-jerk reaction to Dark Samus is to make a Samus clone, and in some areas, that probably wouldn't be inaccurate to do. She could even have a (kind of creepy) Zero Suit Samus form. But I think there's a lot more that you could do. Sure we might have to make a few things up, but Dark Samus hardly acts like her (it's?) counterpart in any conventional ways. Sure they both have an arm cannon, but that's just for shooting. Samus isn't the only person who gets a charged-up power blast, anyhow. If anything I see Dark Samus being more of a Mewtwo clone, at least animation wise. It would always be hovering around the stage, rarely actually touching down, and it would be a much more floaty counterpart to our favorite bounty huntress. And fire on the Grapple Beam, our menacing duplicate would extend it's ethereal Phazon tentacles for grappling and recovery.

  An alternate costume is kind of hard, since Dark Samus is kind of already an alternate costume. The only thing I can think to do is an SA-X costume that consists of us putting Dark Samus' moves and animations over regular Samus' model. Which I think is kind of neat, but aside from the scary all-white eyes, wouldn't be terribly differentiating. Maybe keep the mask visor that more Y-shaped to help tell them apart? Oh, and the Final Smash is an easy one. In fact, there's a lot of options. Basically we can go full Metroid Prime (the titular monster) and become a rampaging tank or an energy-draining tentacle monster. Alternatively, we can go the Corruption route and summon a giant Aurora Unit to wreak havoc.

Stage - Passaj

  Golden Sun is, unfortunately, another one of my weak areas, so I don't terribly know much about the series. Please feel free to illuminate me on some great stage ideas, but just looking around, this place really caught my eye. I love the mountainous location, the old architecture, and the breathtaking background. That allow is reason enough for me to want Passaj made into a stage, but it's mountainous structure with numerous peaks makes it a pretty Smash styled local with places to fall off each side.

  Don't get me wrong, I know enough about the series to know that Mt. Aleph is the most important local, but I can't really see much of a stage there. It's just kind of a mountain peak. Unless there's something about it I don't know from way later in the games, I'm just going to have to write that one off.

The Music of Passaj

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn - Theme of Golden Sun

  I'm not going to pretend like I know these songs or have any real significant meaning behind them. I just think they sound neat.

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn - Boss Battle

  Those folks at Camelot sure know how to make a wicked soundtrack.

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn - Saturos Theme

  It occurs to me that the kind folks of YouTube who put up these videos might not have the right themes, so if I listed something incorrectly, I apologize and please let me know so I can fix it.

Golden Sun - Colosso Battle Theme

  I don't know what a Colosso is; I just wanted to make sure I wasn't leaving out awesome music from the original game.

Golden Sun - Isaac Battle Theme

  So that's pretty much one of the best RPG themes ever.

Golden Sun: The Dark Ages - The Golden Sun Rises

  This song just sounded... important, so I went with it.

  So that's it for today. Be prepared for this weekend - I'm going to be catching up on a -lot- of articles. By my math I'm roughly 7 or 8 behind, so I"m going to be posting over-time. Yay content! Let me know if I hit anything with this Golden Sun stuff, or if I missed anything dramatically obvious. One of these days I might have the time to catch up on the series.

-Make it a nice day.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 20

A Boy and His Ape! The Hunt for Treasure!

Writing, writing; so exciting, 'citing.

The Old Ape - Donkey Kong

  Another of the original Smash gang, Donkey Kong has been a great heavy-hitter. He's always had a decent range to help back up his muscle, which has kept him fairly effective, but I think a little more brute force and un-flinchable resolve might help make him a much more fearsome opponent.

  His alternate costume should be a hammer-less Bonkers from the Kirby series. That might be a bit too self-referential for Sakurai-san, but that's alright with me.

The New Kid - Animal Crossing Kid

  When you first look at the Animal Crossing Kid (shown above), you don't really think of anything for a fighting game. Look at him. He's just a kid, what can he do? To be fair to him, he wouldn't be the first kid to enter the Smash, nor the least assuming. I mean, if this guy can make it, AC Kid is golden. He's packing an arsenal of weapons disguised as harmless tools. That unassuming fishing hook is now his Up+B recovery/grapple. His Down+B throws a spherical hunk of dirt towards his enemies, much like the Diggin' Chargin' Chucks of Super Mario World. His held B can power up a sling shot that scatters and pings damage in a wide range in front of him. With Forward+B the Animal Crossing Kid will AX you a question, while chopping your soul in twain. Needless to say, there's stuff to work with, here.

  His Final Smash is a bit tricky to figure out. Mr. Resetti is already an Assist Trophy, so how about we light things up instead with a Fireworks Show! It keeps the fun, festive nature that is evocative of the cover of Animal Crossing: Wild World, but can also set your opponents ablaze! Now that sounds like fun, doesn't it? Oh, and if you haven't noticed a running theme here, Animal Crossing Kid's alternate costume should be a female, and both of them should have an army of different shirts for their alternate colors (or maybe even HATS?!)

Stage - The Shake Dimension

  WarioWare may definitely be the place for Wario these days, but we've already had a stage for that. Plus, this game has come out since the last Smash, so it's chronologically efficient. Plus, it's another excuse to put the puzzle-platforming geniuses of Good Feel back in the spotlight, so I'm all for that as well.

  There's a lot of breathtaking locals in The Shake Dimension, the setting for Wario Land: Shake It. I think the vibrant jungle up above would be more than suitable enough; a Latin American flavor that hasn't yet been seen in the mascot fighter. Traps like falling blocks, rolling rocks, or even the entire stage shaking out of control could make this jungle trek far from relaxing.

Shake Your Groove Thang - The Music of The Shake Dimension

Wario Land: Shake It - Stonecarving City

  This fancy little ditty is sort of 'The Wario Land" song to me.

Wario Land: Shake It - Gurgle Gulch

  That "Good Feel" piano makes me feel oh-so good. Listening to the soundtrack to this game makes me want to play Kirby's Epic Yarn, and vice-versa.

WarioWare: DIY - Jimmy's Aerobics

 

  We can't forget to include a WarioWare track, and honestly this is probably the best one they've ever made. Hands down, this is the one track that needs to be in whatever's next for Smash and given the "Ashley's Theme" treatment.

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix - Starring Wario

  A delightful remix of the first stage of the otherwise doldrum Wario World for Gamecube, this tune is a must have for any Wario level.

Wario Land 4 - Hall of Hieroglyphics

  For as much as Sakurai-san tried to capture games at every point in the franchise with the music, Wario was pretty much overlooked on everything that wasn't WarioWare. Hopefully this time around we get a bit more celebration into all things Wario.

  And I'm going to bed.


-Make it a good one.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 19

Cartoons! Foreign Blades! A New City lies ahead!

  The more I see of it, the more I want to buy a device to hook up SD cards to my computer solely for the purpose of checking out "Project M." (Now with Skyward Sword! It's actually a neat level idea that isn't terribly different than my own.)

Should Have Been Called Kid Link - Toon Link

  If I had to give myself a main, a favorite, a go-to-guy, it would be Toon Link. He was designed to represent The Legend of Zelda's more colorful line of games, starting with Wind Waker and moving to the handheld with Minish Cap through Spirit Tracks.  who was represented in Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time. Toon Link was more floaty, and his fighting style differentiated in a few key ways to his adult counterpart, but in the end, they were mostly the same. Aside from my idea of transforming adult Link into a wolf and partnering him with Midna, I think changing up Toon Link to better reflect his own branch of the series is the best way to differentiate the two.

  For starters, Toon Link has a wholly different series of weapons in his games that he could draw from. Sure, his adult counter part has come into contact with some of these, namely the snake whip from Spirit Tracks, but his brighter self had it first. Plus there's that gusty leaf thing. Okay so yes, some of these have some cross over with regular ol' Link, but the fact is there are tools that could be use to differentiate him. Or, we could just keep him the main Link and change make that Wolf Link change up. There's an interesting debate here, and I'd love to know what others think.

  On a side note, I think we can agree that Toon Link needs a better Final Smash than the Triforce Slash. Calling in and directing Phantom Zelda or adorning the Fierce Diety mask from Majora's Mask would be better alternatives, I should think. Especially since his costume swap should be the more realistic Kid Link from said Majora's Mask.

The Unfortunately Named Newcomer - Shulk

  This goes back into that weird second party category. Nintendo was the sole producer of Xenoblade Chronicles, but Monolith Studios made it. That said, Monolith has had a great working relationship with Nintendo, even being one of the main side-studios helping to make Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In my opinion, the studio has a good chance at having a representative in the newest Smash, and this guy right here is a good contender.

  He fights similar to a rogue in World of Warcraft. All of his best moves are performed from behind or from the side while larger characters like Reyn are distracting monsters. With that in mind, this sword fighter could be a more lightweight rogue like character. Not quite the finesseful Marth, but not quite the basic Link either. It would be interesting, albeit potentially broken/worthless to have him do more power attacking enemies from behind. Perhaps a sort of teleport-slash that gives him something reminiscent of that ability without actually breaking him.

  His Final Smash would likely be one of his 'limit break' type moves. You've played the game, you've already thought of some great ideas. For an alternate costume, I'm going to suggest his cohort Reyn's outfit, but I will neither confirm nor deny that I have ulterior motives behind such an outfit. Either that or an end-game tier of armor from Xenoblade.

Neo Bowser City

  It's odd to me that Bowser has yet to receive a stage all to his own. Mario seems to get all of the stage designs; I mean, even Luigi got a stage before Bowser. With that in mind, I sought out to give the big bad his own place to call home. Now it took some thinking. The standard gray castle with flowing lava is indeed evocative of the Demon King, Koopa, but perhaps that's a little 'to easy.' We could just as easily have a Zebes style stage of floating magma and gray bricks with Dry Bones running about and be done. But I thought it would be interesting if we could also include the most recent Mario Kart 7 into the mix, thus bringing me to New Bowser City. Wait, wait, that was the wrong link. Try this one.

  So rather than giving Bowser his own castle, we give him his own city. In some distopian future world where it's always raining, and where our fire-breathing foe is the lord of some serious tech. It's an interesting mix, and with a little artistic representation, I think it could really be a more ominous stage featuring Clown Copters shooting wind streams up (pictured above) and random slicks of oil spilling and causing pratfall effects that everybody hated so much in Brawl.

The Tracks of Neo-Bowser City

DDR: Mario Mix - Bowser's Castle

  So I'll admit, I'm sort of cheating here. The actual theme to New-Bowser City is kind of really lame. So instead, I went with the amazing Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix rendition of his Mario Kart: Double Dash "Bowser's Castle" track. I find it much more suiting.

Super Mario World - King Bowser's Theme

  A high-energy track just begging for a good cover.

Yoshi's Island - Bowser Jr. Battle

  I love how ominous the tune starts out, and then kicks into some thrashing synth-rock. Just like his Super Mairo World theme, there is some great potential for a good cover here.

Super Mario RPG - Bowser Battle

  Alright, so we have yet another Bowser battle theme, but they're just so good. This one is a remix of the Super Mario Bros. 3 battle that was brought to us in Super Mario RPG, a game which I and many like me are quite partial to.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Final Battle

  I would almost prefer this song be saved for some battle with Bowser on Final Destination, because it's just so amazing. It's almost too amazing for a regular stage like Neo-Bowser City.

Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door - Rawk Hawk's theme

  While keeping in the theme of Mario games, but taking a small diversion, I thought Rawk Hawk (a personal favorite character) had a great battle theme. It lends itself well to a stage where Bowser reigns. By putting this here I pretty much acknowledge the fate that my favorite character in Paper Mario will not be joining me in a new Smash Bros.

  What characters have you come to terms with not being in a new Smash? Fill out the comments section below with your shining words!

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 18

Short circuited by the Scamp! Panic at the Holo-deck!

  Another fresh batch of speculation and wishful thinking for your enjoyment.

The Vete-rodent - Pikachu

  Ol' Cheap-a-chu. Favored by newcomers for his surprisingly devastating Thunder attack, and pinchable cheeks, this yellowed vermin makes everybody's lives just a little more difficult. I say it's time to nerf his cute little tail off. Bring him down a few pegs. And also give him more outfits for costumes, like his World Championship costumes.

The Newcomer - Bowser Jr.

  More than just a simple Bowser clone, Bowser Jr. would be a devilishly delinquint addition to a roster of goody-two-shoes. Armed with a paintbrush and a temper the size of an air-ship, this little scamp could be an interestingly floaty-yet-heavy character. The paintbrush could act like a spear for most combat, but also serve to paint traps on the floors, or even open up a black hole as a Final Smash. Perhaps he could even have an ability that turns him into Shadow Mario, giving him a change-up in his move list and making him fight more like Mario. That kind of flexibility in his fighting style might help give him an edge, while never really being 'two characters in one' like Sheik/Zelda. Plus, it's canonical, so it makes sense.

  For alternate costumes, I'm enjoying the idea of him being decked out in his Super Mario Strikers: Charged gear, which makes him look significantly more brutish.

Metroid Other M - The Bottle Ship

  Few times, she's been around that deck. But she ain't no holo-deck girl. Metroid - Other M is the only Metroid game that's come out since the last Smash Bros., although Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was ignored pretty much entirely. With that in mind, I still felt that the hologram deck of the Bottle Ship could make for a unique stage. The stage could fluxuate from high-tech filled Jungle, to a desert landscape, or a snowy terrain. With this shift, similar to Pokemon Stadium, comes new platforms and hazards. While shifting it could look something like this. The idea is more about how this stage can be visually entertaining while remaining structured nearly identical. Besides, it's either this or we go for the easy answer of "the scene where you fight Ridley, adding in a couple of pass-through platforms, and making the space-dragon himself a stage hazard." It's not a bad idea, it's just the easy one.

Music for the Holodeck

Metroid Other M - Debriefing

  Metroid fans of old will appreciate this callback to Super Metroid.

Metroid Other M - Ridley Batttle

  People can say what they will about Metroid Other M, but if that game did one thing better than all the other games it was the Ridley theme.

Super Metroid - Upper Brinstar

  A personal favorite from Super Metroid, I'm surprised it hasn't been used for Smash yet.

Metroid Fusion - Ishtar, Gedo Battle

  A little love to my favorite 2D Metroid, Fusion's soundtrack didn't really strike as memorable in a lot of places, but when it did, it did well.

Metroid Prime 3 - Battle with Rundas

  Excellent, excellent use of music for a battle. This song stands as one of the best battle themes in a video game, period.

  Any Metroid tracks you feel I missed? What's your preference for a Metroid stage. I've got one more in my hat, so keep an eye out for it!


-Make it a good one.