Super Smash Bros. TNG - The Final Destination

The Princess on High! And a Pokemon!

  This is it, the end of my standard Smash Bros. blog. I have some more ideas on the back burner. You might see a 'bonus round' shortly, so keep an eye out for that. Something with 3rd party characters, I'm thinking...

Peach

   I think Super Princess Peach was a damn great platformer, and I think it's a shame that there was nothing borrowed from it for Smash Bros. Granted, Melee gave Peach a great arsenal as it is, but I think her Final Smash was incredibly weak in Brawl. It would have been the perfect chance to feature some of Peach's hilariously sexist "emotion powers." Perhaps she blasts into twin torrents of tears, forcing anyone hit by them to be pushed back by physics, making her a mobile pushing platform.

   And for alternate outfits, we could scrounge up one of those sporty outfits from Mario Tennis or Super Mario Strikers?


Zoroark

  If any of the new Pokemon has a chance at being entered in by themselves as a Smash contender, I think it's this fellow right here. Easily identifiable, and actually the first Pokemon of the fifth generation to be revealed, Zoroark has kind of a neat little design. That could translate into some very stealthy and predatory combat style. A master of illusions, there could be a lot in the way of maneuverability for this character. For example, there could be a defensive move where Zoroark clones herself to make a mirror image, both of which move in opposite directions of the same way, but only the player knows which one is the real her by way of a left or right direction when triggered. Alternatively, she could turn into another player's character (including nameplate) to try and confuse opponents.

  Zoroark also has a host of dark type moves for specials, including Night Daze, which could be her Final Smash. In Pokemon, Night Daze does damage and can cause a chance of lower accuracy. To translate this to Smash, it could be an area of effect that's dimmed out, causing it to be more difficult to see, but also does damage to foes over time who enter it.

  I think you'll see this character in whatever future Smash we have, even if it's just as an Pokeball.

Skytown

  Easily one of my absolute favorite locations in the entire Metroid series, Skytown was an absolutely breathtaking place to behold. From it's retro-future steam punk structures and robots to it's hauntingly gorgeous music, to the exciting zip-line transport system... it was just incredibly memorable. a stage set in this local could be a few floating platforms along the bottom in a downwards parabola, with two platforms towards the top joined by a zip-line. This zip-line could be triggered by hitting it with a regular attack, sending the player zipping to the other side of the stage.

Music of Skytown

Metroid Prime 3 - Skytown

  Not the traditional battle theme you're used to from a Smash game, but it's.. it's just so stunning when combined with the rolling cloud vistas. How could you want anything else?

Metroid Prime 3 - Gandreya Battle

  A great battle theme that combines the gorgeous, sweeping vocals with the chaotic beat and dissonance of the Prime series' two different music core music elements. Appropriate for Skytown.

Metroid Prime 3 - Dark Samus Battle

  The great thing about the last Smash Bros. was "My Music." If you didn't like a particular song or remix, or just REALLY liked any one song, you could adjust how often it shows up while playing. In this case, if you don't like the slower, more elegant tunes, then something more combative like the "Dark Samus Battle" might be for you.

OC Remix - Kindred (Super Metroid - Maridia)

  I don't think I've posted enough songs with lyrics, and this is a great OCRemix. The haunting tune may have been designed for underwater, but the loneliness of Skytown fits it just as well, I think.

Super Metroid - Orchestral Piece # 4

  I stumbled upon this gem and decided that I'd use it because it's pretty boss. The Brinstar part is my favorite.

Mass Effect - Uncharted Worlds

  Filed under "Because I was listening to it while I wrote this and thought 'fuck yeah,'" and not because I think it will ever actually happen, "Uncharted Worlds" is everything I love about science fiction music. Here's an 8-bit version because [flimsy excuse not found]. And here's a metal version I found while looking for the 8-bit version.

  And that's it. The official end of my Smash Bros. coverage. I want to thank everyone who stuck around and anybody who visited for letting me vent my thoughts and wishes. I hope we enjoyed, if nothing else, this hopeful celebration of all things Nintendo (and then some!)

-Make it a nice day.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 32

New Super Wario Bros! Attack on the Twilight Realm!

  Apparently I wasn't paying enough attention when I reached the end of my list, and totally stacked Wario and Waluigi together. So what the heck, I'm just going with it. On a quick side note, I'm kind of bummed that New Super Mario Bros. 2 on 3DS isn't actually "New Super Wario Bros." since it's all about gold-nabbing... but that's just how I would have done it.

Wario

  Another one of my favorite Brawl characters, Wario had a lot of uniquely bizarre moves to show off. He moved almost as frame-less as Mr. Game and Watch, and his unusual fighting style was just about everything I could have hoped for it to be. So there's not really anything more to do in the next Smash for him. One thing to note though: Wario was the only character in Brawl who got an alternate costume, so this time, because I'm a jerk, I think we should add one more. His more recent WarioWare outfits, featuring a yellow suit and top hat. Because top hats, dog. Top hats.

Waluigi

  Waluigi would be a little difficult to base anything off of. He's never been in a proper game, so anything he does would have to be based off his multitude of sports games. Even his Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl was him attacking with a tennis racket. Well for Waluigi, I would like to sample some of that and bring the unique sort of power base that he was given in Super Mario Strikers: Charged for the Wii.

  In that game, a lot of his super powers were based off these thorny, purple vines. He made a whip of them, he summoned walls of them to back off defenders. Using this thematically, I think a really cool power structure could be built for Waluigi. Per the usual, his Alternate Costume will be a unique outfit somewhat similar to Wario's WarioWare outfit, and his Final Smash could be something thorny-viney, or just dropping a bunch of bob-ombs.

The Palace of Twilight

  So I've done the bright and cheerful Skyloft and I've done the terrifically 'toony Spirit Tracks Train, so I figured I'd give Zelda fans that level with a darker edge. Taking a look at the Palace of Twilight from The Twilight Realm, it looks like it was practically built to be a stage in Smash Bros. You have a main platform in the center, with a smaller platform off to the right and a gap in between. Thrown a few hovering pass-through platforms overhead and I think you've got yourself a stew going.

Twilight Realm's Haunting Melodies

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Dungeon (Sound and Drama)

  This rendition is much more chilling, so I hope you enjoy it.

Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Face Shrine

  I'm not just in love with this song because it's good, but this moment was just a haunting realization that turned the my world view of this game around.

Pictobits - Legend of Zelda 2

  A great NES arrangement.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Boss Theme

  A high-tension theme, great for any battle.

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Zant

  I think part of what makes this theme work so well for Smash is how it evolves and grows as it time progresses, just like the battle does!

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Demon Lord Ghirahim (Final battle)

  Brilliantly flamboyant, menacing, and dramatic all at the same time, Ghirahim and his theme go together wonderfully. Dem vocals!

And tomorrow will be my last one of these Smash pieces, at least for a while. Thanks all for letting me just sort of get it out of my system. I suspect in a year or so, at next years E3, we'll finally get some new Smash details and I can compare notes. Until then, I'll be back writing about the industry at large.

-Make it a nice day.

E3: Day 2 - The Nintendoing

Solid performance makes up for the overall lack of newness.

  Word has it that Nintendo's show was a bust; a disappointment. I disagree; I'm actually quite excited for Nintendo's newest system, and I'm patient enough to know that in time I will be rewarded with bigger and better things. But for now? I'm okay with not one, nor two, but three new Mario games, one of which is a sequel to my favorite series: Paper Mario. I'm a sucker for a platformer, and even though I'm not expecting them to blow my mind away, I'm alright with a comfort zone for now.

Tiny, Tiny Yoshi's!

  Also: I really effin' love Pikmin.

  So yeah, maybe I'm more easily impressed, but virtually nothing that was mentioned wasn't something that I will be owning in my collection. That's a win in my book, as far as conferences go. Not everything's going to be "Teh Megaton"

  IGN has a write up on ZombiU (which is apparently named in such a bad way because it's a callback to Ubisoft's first game from 1986, called Zombi) that makes this game seem fantastic. I'm hoping we're not doomed to a new Red Steel, and that ZombiU really has the potential I'm looking for in a Survival Horror game. The idea of using the Wii U GamePad to rifle through corpses inventories, punching up a data pad while being attacked, and sniping.

  Nintendoland was something I'm rather interested in. Yes, it's 'just' a mini-game collection, but nobody does them better than The Big N. Throwing in some IP Flavors like Zelda and Animal Crossing help make it more interesting than just another Wii Play, but also give me a craving for a nonexistent Zelda's Epic Yarn:

So god damned cute!

  But there was more to be had! After the conference, Nintendo announced another game in one of my favorite franchises, Game and Wario. A new WarioWare is good news any day of the week.

  The third party efforts are huge with Nintendo, and while not everything was a new announcement, the fact that Nintendo fans are finally getting their hands on a Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed is a damn good thing. On top of those we have new announcements like Platinum's P-100 and 5th Cell's Scribblenauts Unlimited. I'm a huge Scribblenauts fan, so that got me excited, and Platinum makes some of the best games today.

Platinum's P-100

  Lego City: Undercover is a comedic take on the Grand Theft Auto style of open-city game. Disguises, vehicles, and a brilliant charm are all apart of this original title by Travelers Tales.

  Some other third party wins were shown off in a sizzle real, including Darksiders 2, Trine 2: Director's Cut, Rayman Legends, and Tekken Tag Gournament 2, all with unique features for Wii U.

This game looks and sounds great in motion.

  The 3DS was barely scratched; apparently that's for tomorrow's bonus press conference. What was shown however was pretty much all great. There was (finally) some footage from the new Castelvania: Mirror of Fate, as well as Disney's Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion and a 3DS version of Scribblenauts. Also, just throwing this back out there, Heroes of Ruin looks amazing. The first party efforts were slim (because of the later conference) but strong. There was another New Super Mario Bros. title (adding a 2 at the end), and featuring gameplay focused entirely on collecting coins. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon looks great. I pretty much need Paper Mario: Sticker Star inside of my mind grapes right now.

  Again, maybe it's just me, but that's a lot of games I'm going to be picking up for the Wii U, and that's not really even all of them thus far. It's a fairly solid start, as far as I'm concerned, to what will undoubtedly be a great system.

-Make it a Nice Day

E3 Day 1: Plenty to Talk About

Four press conferences in all give me plenty of material, so I beg of your pardon if I just whip through some of it.

Microsoft - Showing Vulnerability

  A picture says a thousand words. Surprisingly, a picture summary for Microsoft's conference, just says the same word a thousand times.

  I don't know if anybody else has an experience that mimics my own, but over the last year, I have fallen further and further away from my Xbox. There's fewer and fewer reasons why it I should go to it over my recently upgraded PC. Steam makes everything cheaper, almost everything is multi-platform, and everything just runs better. I know not everybody has a great computer, but it is becoming increasingly cheaper, and the more it does, the more Microsoft should worry. Go play Assassin's Creed Revelations on the 360, and then find a video of it running on a decent computer, and the difference is night and day in most situations. Same goes for Mass Effect, Kingdoms of Amalur, Skyrim, Deus Ex... it just keeps going on like this. As it stands, I plan on getting Dead Space 3, Resident Evil 6, and Borderlands 2 are just a few of the games I'll be getting on PC. It's not because of the mouse vs. controller thing; I still tend to use my controller hooked up to my PC. The games just look better, especially when trying to play co-op and not having to do split-screen. Now maybe I am alone on this, but the number of people going down this route must surely be growing, right?

  Oh, and. what the hell is this?

  Look, I love me some Dance Central, and I was sold at the name, but I did not want to see 5 minutes of Usher on stage. I'm here to watch games, not people dancing. 

  I suppose I like the idea, I mean heck, I liked it when Nintendo presented it last year. I just don't know if the SmartGlass is something I'm going to be using a whole lot. Why is data on a crashed ship in Halo 4 beamed to my Tab when it could just as easily, and far more conveniently, be a codex entry in-game? I'm just not seeing a whole lot of use for something that isn't going to be always on and always in my hand like the Wii U Gamepad, but maybe I was too stunned by the five minute presentation on searching Bing by Genres to think of anything. I thought to myself. "Oh.. okay. I didn't know you COULDN'T search by genre, but alright, that's a... I don't know why this is an announcement and not like a patch note but.. Oh... so now you're going to demonstrate it. Because I can't grasp the concept of genre? I guess? Holy fuck, are you still going? Multiple genres? We get it... It's not great. Oh and now in Multiple Languages? Really."

EA - Still doing EA things

  I don't really have anything negative to say. I'm really psyched for Dead Space 3 with co-op. SimCity looks nifty. Otherwise it's just modern shooters and sports games, which aren't terribly my bag. 

Ubisoft - More like Boobysoft, am I right?

  Aisha Tyler is amazing. Her stage presence is commanding in a few different ways, and she shifts between them seamlessly. She does off-color humor well, and then just goes straight into professional speaker mode without missing a beat. It's really unfortunate she was paired off with a sweaty palmed, know-nothing "YouTube Celebrity" named Tobiscus? Tobias? Tobascus? I don't care. He was painful on stage and ruined what would have been an otherwise stellar MCing by the Lady Tyler.

  If Ubisoft had anything to bring me, it was this:

  If there were two things, well here you go:

  Watch Dogs came out of nowhere and just snatched everybody's attention. One part Grand Theft Auto, one part Orwellian distopian future, and maybe even a dash of Deus Ex atmosphere, this game really has a lot going on for it. I want to see how well that holds up.

  And how about that FarCry footage, eh? That was... yeah...

  Finally, I'm glad to see Ubisoft backing up the Wii U, just like they did with the Wii. The mysterious (and terribly named) ZombiU and Rayman Legends seem poised to be two great early launch titles. Hopefully they fair a bit better than Red Steel did.

Sony - Tells you how great you look to distract you

  Nothing makes me feel loved like being told what a wonderful consumer I am. And you know, I was cool with the Smash Bros. rip-off that was Sony All-Stars. I mean heck, if it's still half as good as Smash, then it's gotta be worth some attention, right? That was until this happened.

  That shit is just gross. Don't put your game under searches for your direct competitors game that you totally lifted from. That's bad pool, through and through.

  Also, it would appear that Sony has just left the Vita to die a slow and painful death already. I thought that would take at least a year. There were two titles announced for it, both of which were scaled down, 'lite' versions of bigger console games. There were a couple of 'shared platforms' like the aforementioned Sony's All Stars Plus Some People That Have Nothing to Do with Sony game. Other than that? Nothing. Not only did they not announce anything else, they announced that they would have a mobile competitor to their own damn handheld in their new Playstation Mobile lineup. I'm not really sure what kind of game they're playing but it honestly doesn't look like they've got a full deck to play it with.

  Overall today wasn't bad at all. I got some really neat games to look forward too, a couple of surprises. Criterion's new Need for Speed + Burnout Paradise hybrid looks stellar. Atlus announced some crazy beat-em-up/RPG for the 3DS called Code of Princess. Given the relative obscurity of the title, and the mainstream presses general knack for ignoring the 3DS, I think this one is going to go under most peoples radars. I'm not sure if it's even that great, but it certainly looks promising enough.

  What are you excited about, Internet at Large? Tell me, for I must know. Leave a comment down below.

-Something about a good one.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 31

Life is But a Play! The Demon and the Knight!

  Sooo much E3... but first, I gotta talk Smash.

The Veteran - Meta Knight

  Meta Knight was came onto the scene, and immediately everything was "Oh, well of course that's his special. Oh, and of course he does that." Aside from some potential balance tweaking, I don't really see what else they could add to him in a new Smash. A great alternate costume would be the Galacta Knight from more recent Kirby titles.

The Newcomer - Skull Kid

  Perhaps it would be more accurate to say "Majora's Mask," but regardless, we have yet another great villain from the Zelda series. Now, conventionally, there's probably not a lot for the Kid to do to directly reference the game, but there's a lot in spirit. Skull Kid is mischievous with a side of god-like powers, so his fighting style would probably be best represented as a trickster and a trap layer. Lots of unconventional movement and dodges, laying surprises around the field, maybe even summoning AI pests for indirect assaults. All the while he floats around none to dissimilar to Mewtwo, that giant mask twitching about. Perhaps his specials could be twists on the Link abilities... throwing bombs and direction altering gusts of wind.

  His Final Smash has two great sources of potential. For starters, he could summon down the evil Moon onto the stage, nuking a portion of it. There's also going berserk and turning into Majora's Wrath , flying around the stage and whipping fools about.

The Stage (Literally) - Grassland

  Another nostalgia-laden stage, it's time to hit up Mario 3 for some classic goodness. In case time has gone by and you've forgotten how it works, Super Mario Bros 3 is essentially a stage. Hence why things have shadows on what appears to be a wall in the back, and why many things are suspended from the air by ropes. This type of level just screams with stylistic possibilities that range from leaving it retro looking to making it more stage-like. Also, there needs to be a white box that you can hold down on and drop through for no real reason other than to go "JUST LIKE IN THE GAAAAAME!"

The Grassland Music

Super Mario Bros. 3 - Athletic

  Those were the days.

Dr. Mario RX Online - Sneeze

  Now, we could just remix one of the original Dr. Mario tunes once again, and I"m totally okay with that. But I thought it would be neat to give this rather peppy tune a shot.

Super Mario 3D Land - Theme

  Catchier than a zombie plague, and certainly more pleasant, the theme to Super Mario 3D Land just never gets old.

Paper Mario - The Koopa Bros.

  A great representation of the Paper Mario series and a reference to a song that came from Super Mario Bros. 3. Sounds like a perfect fit to me.

Mario Paint - Creative Exercise

  Your childhood was hollow if you don't know this song by heart. As a fellow tip to Wario Ware: DIY fans, if you title your game "Mario Paint" at creation, you'll unlock the soundtrack to it while you're slaving away at your meticulous sprite-work.

  Here's to hoping for a Smash announcement of any sort tomorrow. I'm hopeful, but I don't find it likely that we'll see anything.

-Make it a nice day.

E3 Day -1 - Nintendo's Wii U Info.

T Minus One and Counting...

   Nintendo's giving us a head start with a look into some of the features and tech surrounding the Wii U today, and there's quite a few talking points. But first, if you haven't seen it, here's the video:

The Controller - New and Improved

  Unsurprisingly, recent rumors of the Gamepad redesign were true. The 3DS style slide-pads have been changed to proper sticks, complete with click-down buttons, there's been some comfort-enhancing adjustments to the form factor, and a few new goodies have sprung up.

  There's the "NFC Reader" in the left hand side beneath the D-Pad. According to Satoru Iwata, that's for 'reading and writing' data to and from the remote. The quickest thought here is that they're jumping into Skylanders territory, allowing for the transfer of data between figures or trading cards. My immediate thought for this? Get ready to drop a lot of bucks on Pokemon figurines.

  You'll also notice a TV button. The Wii U pad can be used as a universal remote for your TV, as well as switching your gameplay video feed directly to the gamepad's screen, in all it's HD glory. Hopefully the display has improved since last year. Either way, taking a break from the action to drop a deuce is no longer necessary; Now Assassin's Creed 3 can come with me, and ensure that nobody else ever wants to touch my Wii U controller.

The Other Controller - Going Pro

  Along with the bulky, somewhat intimidating Wii U Gamepad, Nintendo announced the Gamepad Pro, which is exactly what it sounds like. It's basically the Classic Controller Pro, with the sticks and face buttons/D-Pad inverted to match the Wii U's form.

  Yes, it may resemble a 360 controller, but I would like to point out two things on that. One, the 360 layout is exactly like the Gamecube's, only with uniform face buttons. So technically they 'copied' first. Two, there are only so many designs for a controller out there, and comfortable is comforter. And okay, a third thing? Nintendo's controllers always feel the best, and that D-Pad won't be garbage, so there's that.

  It's worth noting that this controller appears to have a USB port at the top, implying that a rechargeable battery pack is built into it. So that's good news, eh? This also seems to solve the "How are we playing Smash Bros. on this if they only allow one Wii U Gamepad?" thing that's been bothering me. You'll also notice that there's 4 lights, implying that all 4 controllers can be used at, forsaking the need for, or in addition to, the Wii U's tablet-like controller.

The Galaxy at Your Fingertips - Miiverse

  This is a totally Nintendo thing right here. Their answer to online gameplay is unique to say the least. I don't think we're looking at a final version here, but more of a prototype, but either way I'm very intrigued. There was talk of a sort of Forum like structure, allowing people to leave thoughts and tips on a game, completely accessible from the Wii U's menu while the game is on. I prefer to see it as the evolution of the notepad feature in the 3DS.

  They also talked about video conferencing, which is amazing, as well as interactivity with PC's, 3DS's, and Mobile Phones. It's very clear that Nintendo has spent some time going "alright, they want online? We'll give them online." I'm admittedly reserved... When I say this is "total Nintendo," that means there's a good chance there's going to be some freakishly jarring safety features to keep people from drawing penises and turning the video conferencing into Chat Roulette. 

  There's also a neat sort of annotation feature that's going into live games, which I think will end up being implemented similar to the way Demons' Souls uses it. People can leave notes of empathy, frustration, or useful tips along the stages, to be implemented however developers see fit. Hopefully there will be a way of keeping spoilers out of there, or at least limiting it to friends only (which I imagine will be the case for most of these features), and overall it seems like a really cool way to interact with other Nintendo fans.

Oh, Never Mind That Mario Game

  Aside from the cryptic "He's baaaack" left next to Samus' icon in the screenshot above, Nintendo showed off that annotation functionality atop a strikingly New Super Mario Bros. looking game. Somehow, they did this without even mentioning Mario, in what is one of the most painful teases I have ever seen. Look at those mountains in the back? That shit's right out of Super Mario World, and they just brushed over it. Nintendo, you sly bitches.

  What I find most interesting is that, again, while showing off the annotation feature, they seem to be hinting at New Super Mario Bros. Wii U features. Notice how one person talks about being a flying squirrel, and another mentions a cute baby Yoshi that inflates. Curious and curiouser, I am.

  Those are my thoughts and updates on the Wii U. Tomorrow's going to be a big press conference day for everybody BUT Nintendo, so there will be tons of ground to cover. I'll be posting my thoughts and another Smash blog, so keep tuned.

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 30

Green, Red, and All The Other Colors!

  This is probably going to be a quick one because I also want to post a thought piece on the WiiU announcements today.

The Veteran - Luigi

   Once a simple clone, Luigi spun off and became very much his own character in Melee. While he still has some comparable special moves, anybody who plays the game seriously knows that he and Mario couldn't be more different. When Mario got the F.L.U.D.D. in Brawl, it was suggested that perhaps Luigi get an attack that utilized the ghost-gobbling vacuum from E. Gadd. I wasn't the biggest fan of the idea, but the idea certainly warrants discussion. One other mechanically differentiating special attack could involve turning his fireballs into the iceballs from more recent Mario titles. Contact with them could provide a momentary frozen status, useful mostly only for cancelling out opponent's attacks. It might be a tad overpowered, but it's one way for the green plumber to differentiate himself without straying too far from his core.

   Final Smash? Summon in a bunch of Boo's to terrorize his foes (while he cowers in the background, completely invincible). Then maybe he triggers E. Gadd's vacuum to clear them out. If you think about it, that makes him the hero in this scenario, doesn't it? It's so nice of him to help out his opponents like that.

   Sorry if this is a spoiler, but there's no denying that The Mysterious Mr. L is where it's at for a costume swap:

The Newcomer - Captain Rainbow

  I've never been sure why this game didn't come over. I haven't looked into it too much to see if there's any localization concerns, but overall it seemed neat enough. Captain Rainbow, the titular hero of his own game, is all about a crazy adventure to save his own TV show ratings while encountering obscure Nintendo characters. It's almost entirely necessary, one would think, to put him in a game about Nintendo characters. I don't know what all he can do, or what his special powers are, I'm coming at this from a strictly conceptual angle. I know what he's about and I know that he's an original property. Those two things alone make him an absolute necessity. Along the way, Nintendo's Treehouse could get working on a localization so we're not completely blindsided by this bright battler.

The Stage - Virtual Boy

  The Virtual Boy is easily understood as a commercial failure, but with the 3DS kicking around, I think it's important to honor and recognize the earlier days of Nintendo's 3D development. The most likely idea for a stage here is Mario Clash's Clash Tower, but I think that stage being a starting point for a larger appreciation of the Virtual Boy is important. The beloved series Mario Tennis got it's start here, and Galactic Pinball was damned fun. Burned out retinas be damned, I enjoyed this crazy contraption.

  Honestly, I'm surprised we haven't seen these hit the Virtual Console yet. Perhaps a colored remake? The fact is Mario Clash was a fun game to play, and the lack of continuation of that series is a real bummer.

  What could be cool is if this was the start of a two-layered Smash Stage. A short, compact stage broken into two layers that requires taking the pipes to travel between. There's some potential for trolling and chasing, yes, but overall it'd be a neat idea. Perhaps there could just be a mechanic for hopping between the layers by hitting up and jump.

The Music of the Virtual Boy

Mario Clash - Various.

  Unsurprisingly, it's difficult to find direct OST rips of the Virtual Boy soundtracks, so here's just some footage of the game that gives you an idea of what the soundtrack is.

Red Alarm - Stage 1

  Oh, man. It's been years since I've heard this. This music is impressive given the limited tech at the time, and a good arrangement could just make this into a powerfully awesome piece.

Mario Tennis - Doubles

  This just sounds like an fun time is happening. I especially like that dramatic build up. Kind of reminds me of a Kirby tune.

Wario Land - Level Theme 2

  The one Wario Land that has eluded me to this day, I was actually unfamiliar with this song until just now. I like it! I think it would uhm... It uh... I'm sorry, right there to the left. Did they roll Jaws, Jason, and Leatherface into one horrific creature? That is a thousand times, "nope."

Teleroboxer - Prim

  Hells yeah, Teleroboxer. Robots getting their fight on; what's not to love?

  Man. My eyes hurt just thinking about all of this Virtual Boy stuff, so I think we're going to call that for the night. If you have anything to say, drop it below, I love reading that stuff.

-Make it a nice day!

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 29

Out of Their Element! The Boy Prodigy and The Red Flash!

  Hey, do you like awesome music? Of course you do. Well this has nothing to do with anything really, but I hope you enjoy. There's awesome Phoenix Wright animations to go with it.

The Veteran - Lucas

  The kid from the game we'll never see localized, Lucas is somebody you're possibly more familiar with than me. I've finally decided to jump into all of the Earthbound games here shortly, but I don't have the time right this moment. As it stands, Lucas was one of my absolute favorite characters to play in Brawl. I loved the way he animated, I loved the way his PSi powers looked, and I loved the way they operated. What little I do know of Lucas paints him as one of the most tragic video game characters out there, and I think with that I'd rather take this time to just say he's awesome and move on.

The Rollin' Newcomer - Dillon

  Hero of the eShop title Dillon's Rolling Western, this armardillo of few words may not be much in terms of noteriety, but he just looks cool. Rolling Western could very easily be the start of a big franchise for Nintendo, if they wanted to push it, and I think the titular hero is 'cool' enough to be a bit more mainstream.

  Yeah, so his primary thing is rolling around, and we have characters that do that. Well if Sonic is out for whatever 3rd party licensing agreement causes him to shoo, then Dillon can easily take his place. Even still, check them claws, son. This desert dweller is going to cut down anyone who stands in his way.

  His Final Smash could involve constructing a tower that just starts shooting at any and everyone on the field, while an alternate costume could dress him up like a Sandslash, because fuck yeah.

Balloon Fight

  Originally I had planned to do an Ice Climber stage, but you know what, no. I love those guys, but I gave Yoshi the ice stage, and poor Balloon Fighter never got to be a playable character (despite being a prototyped in Smash Bros. Melee). So here's his. Balloon Fight: The Stage. Look at that screenshot. It's a stone's throw from a Smash stage as it is. You've got the stage hazards in the clouds and psycho death fish monster living in the water. We can even keep this as a retro stage for some of that 8-bit nostalgia. So there you go: Balloon Fighter. For the music I'll be doing a selection of remixes I find on youtube for various NES era games that are otherwise unrepresented in Smash thus far.

Music to (Balloon) Fight By

Pictobits - Balloon Fighter

  How in the hell have I gone -this- long without referencing Pictobits' soundtrack? I love that game! This is also a great way to get my 'remix' on without sacrificing the fact that I just love the glorious 8-bit tune. Honestly, it's going to be hard not to just make everything for this level Pictobits. (Listen to the whole thing, it builds as it goes)

Pictobits - Excite Bike

  See, you guys, now I'm all excited for this Pictobits stuff again. Well get ready, because there's still more.

Pictobits - Devil World Part 1

  So Devil World is a Japan-only title, so you've.. Sorry, hang on. *Pushes up glasses* So you've probably never heard of it. Well the Devil from this game was in the previous Smash, as an assist trophy, so I figured I'd bring this sweet Pictobits remix in.

OC Remix - Ice Climbers "Snow Cone Heaven"

  This awesome remix comes to you compliments of the brilliant musical minds of OC Remix. It has a lot in common with some previous remixes, I'm aware, but I actually enjoy the ragtime sounds layered on top of the simply satisfying beat.

OC Remix - Mach Rider "Mach Schnell"

  Another great OC Remix of one of my favorite NES tunes.

Punch-Out! Wii - Minor Circuit

  I don't think the team at Next Level Games, who did Punch-Out! Wii and Super Mario Strikers: Charged get enough credit for the amazing work they do, especially in the musical department.

DDR: Mario Mix - Destruction Dance

  I've posted a few songs from this collection before, but "Destruction Dance" is easily my favorite. The rapid fire pianos atop a swanky dance beat just get me right in my chewy center.

  E3 is coming up soon. I'm ever so hopeful, yet completely doubtful, that we'll see any solid Smash news this year. I'm sure we'll get a "And yes, it's still happening, and maybe here's a title for it with a nameplate!" but that's about it. Hope for the most, expect the least.

-Make it a nice day!

Super Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 28

The Quick Change Princess and the Mage! Also, a Robot!

  Here's something to listen to while you read this.

Shiek/Zelda

  In general, I think Zelda and Sheik are fine. It's a unique character template to switch between the two, although I've seen some people that are interested in the idea of making them two separate characters. My trap card springs, and I reveal that they should be one character! A design that is mostly Sheik, but without the mask, clearly showing Zelda. Replace Sheik's specials, which are fairly worthless, with Zelda's, while retaining the kung-fu quickness and combat. Give it a bit of magic 'zing, but overall make it about quick moves, but relatively low impact. Light arrow Final Smash, and a costume swap that looks like Tetra but all grow'd up.

  I think I may have finally lost my damn mind.

Kamek

  I'm not going to lie to you, readers. I'm pretty much scraping up an assist trophy here just to fill in some space. I admit that I really love Kamek, and always have. He's the perfect blend of loyal lackey and menacing villain. Plus, it'd be cool to have another strictly caster type character. His Final Smash could be him dropping his Embiggen Powder to make Naval Piranha spout up and do some damage before drying up. I won't lie though, he should just burst out of an assist trophy and make the person that summons him big or toss around some magic bolts at people.

Atop the Metal Gear Rex

  Fans of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes may remember the awesome fisticuffs fight scene between Liquid and Solid snake atop the back of the Rex. Throw in some suspended catwalks for platforms and you've got yourself a... *ahem* solid stage. I'd go into the music for this stage, but honestly, Metal Gear music has always been very "take it or leave it" with me, and the music they used in the last Smash was perfect. So I invite you to present a list of songs you think would be great for a level like this, and prove to me how wrong I am.


-Make it a nice day.