So, we know we have a new Smash Bros. in the works for two systems, the Wii U and 3DS. I adore this series and its Nintendo mash-ups! Despite a little hesitation at the announcement Namco Bandai is handling its development (nothing personal against Namco as a developer, but honestly they are not my favorite third party in the wide world of gaming), I am giddy at the thought of being able to experience the next entry, in two different formats. Now, I don’t know exactly what Sakurai has cooking up for the first handheld version of the game. Is it going to be essentially the same game as the Wii U but for the less-powerful 3DS, or will he come up with some alternate version that does things quite differently? Will there be a character roster that is identical for both, or will there be some mixing up of the fighters for the two games? All questions I cannot answer at the present time, but that doesn’t mean I can’t speculate about new fighters! So, to kick off my Smash Bros. guesswork, I want to lay out some of the hopeful additions to the game’s cast. Most of these will be Nintendo-made characters, but I’ll throw in a few third party possibilities, too. I’ve decided to come up with tentative move lists on top of just naming fighters, because that’s more fun. Note that this was completely done for kicks, so I’m not some insider at Nintendo or anything. :p Let’s-a go!

Black Hole Army’s brash scientist could bring a cavalcade of gizmos into the Smash Bros. arena. Her normals are not super powerful, as she is not the most physical character in the game, but her smash and special attacks hit much harder. She is surprisingly mobile on the ground, a reflection of her CO powers. Terrain does not affect her in any way, so she is impervious to slipping on ice or taking damage from poisoned or burning floors, for example. She is not the best jumper in the world, though. Her forward smash is a punch attack that causes an explosion upon impact. Her upward smash is a high kick with a poisoned knifed boot, and her downward smash is a slew of napalm that lasts for a second or two following her attack.

B = Spy Drone: Lash’s drone will fly straight forward, and will scan the nearest opponent. It will then fall apart. On its second use, it will radiate the element from that particular character (Mario is fire, for example) as a shield for Lash, doing adequate damage and eating projectile attacks. To reset its perimeters, taunt.

Forward + B = Call for Back-Up: A Black Hole Army soldier will run out from behind Lash, firing its rifle at opponents for a couple of seconds or until struck. The soldier will also pack rocks, car parts or nettles into the rifle at times to boost that particular shot’s power. This move allows Lash a chance to escape a dangerous situation, as the soldier acts on its own.

Up + B = Transporter: Lash’s third jump is a little different than most. Lash has to first set a target on the stage by using Up + B on the ground. She can reset it at any time when she’s grounded. When in the air, Lash will beam to her target spot, but will be delayed slightly by the transfer, leaving her open to further attack. Her device will then break, forcing her to redo the target point.

Down + B = Oozium Prototype: Lash will drop a vial of fluid onto the ground, and a small blob of Oozium will grow to the height of Pikachu running. It will then make a beeline for any foe on the same platform, and will encase that opponent inside it, doing solid damage and stunning them briefly. It will dissolve after a second or two, depending on the opponent’s ability to wiggle the joystick. If no one is on the same platform, it will bide its time and wait, but it only has a lifespan of five seconds before it breaks apart. It will hover under a jumping opponent, making it a little trickier to escape by leaping.

Final Smash = Black Cannon: Hawke will ride in on the Black Cannon, unleashing a massive laser blast that will do intense damage to anyone in its path.

The hero of the StarTropics series combines his ample elective weaponry from the first game with the psychic bolts and blades of Zoda’s Revenge for his movelist. His smash attacks would utilize Tink’s Ax (forward), Cleopatra’s Dagger (down) and Leonardo’s Katana (up). His Yo-Yo (whoops, I mean Star) would be utilized for his normal A attacks. As for his specials:

B = Psychic Shockwave: Mike’s Psychic Shockwave is at its most effective when Mike is at 0% damage. It’s of a decent size, travels fast and hits 4 – 8% per bolt. Mike can fire three of them at a time, after which he’ll need to pause for a few seconds before he can continue using them. As Mike takes damage, it loses its potency, becoming smaller, slower and weaker. At 100% damage it is as minimized as it can get.

Forward + B = Bola: Mike slings out this capturing item, which will incapacitate an opponent for 2 – 3 seconds. It doesn’t do a lot of damage, but it can lead to bigger and better things! On occasion Mike will throw his Wonder Horsehide instead of a Bola, which does three times the damage and can K.O. an opponent if they are weak.

Up + B = Shooting Star: Mike’s mace from StarTropics allows him to fly upwards as a solid third jump. The mace ball does damage, and can also lodge itself onto edges.

Down + B = Mirror: Mike can deflect normal projectile attacks with this special mirror. It can only take so much abuse before it shatters, though! Mike can utilize a special trick with this move. If he can perfectly time the mirror, he will strike the projectile with his Home Run Bat and double its damage!

Final Smash = Snowman: Mike unleashes this frozen attack and completely freezes the entire stage, opponents and all. This does about 10% damage to all of them. The Snowman effect lasts for 3 seconds. If he can reach one of his foes before it ends, he will unleash a barrage of attacks! He’ll use the Supernova to deliver a slur of strikes, blast them up with the Ray Gun, throw the Asterisk to hit all three opponents, and then use the Spikes to strike everyone at once! The initial foe he attacked will be a guaranteed K.O., and if the other opponents are weak enough, they will be knocked out, too. Can be devastating if well-timed.

Lyn is promoted from a mere Assist Trophy to a full-fledged fighter! The first Lord of Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken would take a different approach to combat than Marth, Roy and Ike. She is graceful like Marth, but her attacks and overall speed are much faster, and she can deliver damage in a hurry through combos. She also has a projectile option and a trap in her arsenal. She is designed to be far more tricky than Marth, with moves that allow her to bait opponents. Her forward smash is her standard attack from Fire Emblem, stepping forward with a quick sword slash from her sheath. If you press B again, she’ll attack with the sheath as well. Upward smashes have her doing a flip kick with both of her legs. Her downward smash is a quick spin attack with her sheath.

B = Brave Bow: Lyn’s bow is different from Link’s and Pit’s in that she can fire four arrows in quick succession, with a probable critical strike from the fourth. The longer Lyn holds B, the more arrows she’ll fire. She cannot aim her bow like Pit, nor charge an arrow like Link. Each arrow travels a fair distance and does 3 – 4% each. If the fourth arrow is a critical, she’ll do three times the damage and can send the struck opponent reeling. It takes a moment to ready the bow to start firing.

Forward + B = Mana Katti: Lyn will perform a forward dash attack, like her critical attack from Fire Emblem. However, there’s two catches to this move. You can hold B when you start the move to have her hold still for a moment. This may throw off an opponent’s counter attack. Secondly, she can feint as she runs forward by pressing B again, which has her bob and weave as long as the button is held. This too is designed to throw off counters. Once let go, Lyn will cancel the attack, allowing you to use the move again or some other attack. When Lyn is close enough to an opponent she’ll slash her sword for decent damage. She can dash off of a stage if you’re not careful. The attack will do the same amount of damage no matter if you use her pause options or not. In the air, she loses the ability to feint, but she can delay its use by holding B after starting it.

Up + B = Sol Katti: Her third jump is a somersault strike with her blade, juggling opponents in a similar fashion to Samus’ Screw Attack. She spins counter-clockwise. Lyn is very mobile in the air, and this is a great recovery tool. Does not do a lot of damage.

Down + B = Light Rune: The Light Rune is a mine-like item that Lyn can plant into the ground. She cannot set it off herself, but if an opponent steps on it, it will collapse an opponent and deliver a good chunk of damage. She can drop them in the air, as well.

Final Smash = Class Change: Unlike Marth or Ike, Lyn does not unleash a super-powerful attack as her Final Smash. Instead, she changes class, becoming a Blade Lord. Her normal attacks are now twice as powerful, her speed is increased (and her forward and back dodges let her disappear), her Brave Bow transforms into a Killer Bow, doubling its critical rate on all the arrows she fires, and her Mana Katti gains a powerful counter option during its feint phase, allowing her to shred apart an opponent if they attack her while she feints with a Critical Hit. She can stay as a Blade Lord for 20 seconds or until she lands a Critical Hit through Mana Katti.

The ferocious Wolf form of Link from Twilight Princess combines his might with the cleverness of Princess Midna to form a powerful team! Midna’s mastery of Twilight magic and the feral teeth and claws of Wolf Link give them more options than you may expect! When you dodge, Midna will cause the duo to disintegrate through the move, making them invulnerable longer than usual. There is a brief recovery most characters do not have to make up for this. Her taunts allow her to mimic other characters in the game that are fighting against you on that particular stage. Wolf Link handles normals all by himself, with Midna chipping in on the Smash attacks. Forward Smash is a quick spin attack from Wolf Link with Midna’s hair transforming into a fist, giving it a bit more range. Their Up Smash has Midna pull an Eye of Truth statue from the ground and swing it upwards. Their Down Smash is Wolf Link’s digging, with the debris causing the damage.

B = Feral Pounce: Wolf Link holds still, charging up an attack. Midna points to one of her foes, which the player can select by moving the analog stick. Once Wolf Link is ready, he’ll leap at the player Midna selected, and if they are close enough will deliver a strong attack that will send them reeling. It requires some time to utilize, though, so it’s best to charge it in the air or in an isolated space to use it effectively.

Forward + B = Midnight: Midna will toss a small ball of twilight matter into the air. The player can steer this at an opponent for minor damage, or can plummet it into the stage. If this is done, Midna will pull up a medium-sized structure out from the ground, which she can then throw. This does significant damage. It takes Midna a little time to summon the structure, though, and if the team is struck at any point during the move, it aborts.

Up + B = Twilight: A teleportation move where Midna warps both her and Wolf Link straight up. They do no damage, but they are invincible through the majority of the move.

Down + B = Void Field: Midna will cast a circle of magic out from Wolf Link’s feet. An unblocking opponent caught within this beam will be paralyzed, giving Wolf Link an opportunity to attack them. In the air, it is a much shorter attack with a very small sphere surrounding Midna. If an opponent enters that sphere, they will plummet to the ground, unable to third jump. Can be very effective if it is mastered!

Final Smash = Fused Shadows: Midna assumes her enormous, magically powered form from Twilight Princess, taking up residence in the background. She can deliver powerful strikes with her pole spear, summon up large items from the ground to throw, and grab and sling opponents in this form, which lasts for 10 seconds.

Saki may seem the logical choice to represent Sin and Punishment, but I think Kachi is a little more unique (and gives the roster more female representation!). Kachi uses her legs and feet for her normals, striking opponents with surprisingly powerful blows. She is not super-fast, but her run is boosted with her hoverboard, giving her mobility. She straps the hoverboard to her foot for her Forward Smash, giving a mighty spin kick. She also uses it for her Up Smash (she flips upside down and stomps her other foot, juggling opponents). Her Down Smash is a powerful heel strike assisted with her Hoverboard.

B = Blaster: Kachi fires off a stream of plasma fire, which she can spam for about 5 shots before the gun overheats. These blasts do adequate damage and fire quickly, but they grow weaker as Kachi continues. If the gun overheats, it will take five seconds for the gun to regain its ability to fire. She can also charge up a bigger blast by holding B, which will do more damage but will automatically force her to deal with an overheated gun. She can move while charging the blast, though.

Forward + B = Homing Missile: Kachi unleashes a missile that traces the opponent down. A strong attack, but the missiles are fairly slow and can be destroyed by other projectiles. Best used close. Only one missile can be used at a time.

Up + B = Hoverboard Salvo: Kachi jumps on her board and fires off her Blaster in a spinning attack, rising in the air as she does so. This causes her gun to overheat, but it makes it hard to counter her third jump! Covers a good amount of ground.

Down + B = Deflection: Kachi’s boots are powerful enough to return projectile attacks! She even splits them in two! This kick will turn even the most powerful standard projectile into two parts, sending them at an upward and downward angle away from her. Each half splits the damage difference. The kick itself can pummel foes handily, too!

Final Smash = Sin & Punishment: Isa joins Kachi in this tag-team Final Smash! Kachi will leap into the foreground and Isa will appear, and the two will aim at the cursor on-screen that the player can control with the analog stick. It’s like playing Sin & Punishment for 10 seconds! Hold the B button to fire Kachi’s blaster, and A will fire Isa’s. After ten seconds or so, Kachi will return to the stage. While it lacks a K.O. factor, you can dish out a ton of damage quickly, and Kachi is more than able to dish out K.O.s on her own.

Kyle is an ex-cop, so he certainly has the training to be a brawler in a Smash Bros. game. I imagine him with the same type of animation as he had in Hotel Dusk, and maybe could be a 2D sprite mixing it up with the 3D cast like Mr. Game and Watch. He hits pretty hard with a fisticuff-oriented fighting style, but he isn’t super fast or agile. Kyle carries his suitcase on him, using it to assist with a couple of his moves. His Forward Smash is a backhanded swing of the case. Kyle’s upward smash is a headbutt. The downward smash is a stomp.

B = Bowling Strike: Kyle will let loose a bowling ball, which hits low and fairly hard. It takes a bit to wind up the attack.

Forward + B = Shakedown: Kyle will grab an opponent and then ask them a question. You have to select Kyle’s approach from two options. If you pick the right choice, the opponent will be stunned and you can deliver a further attack. However, if you guess wrong, Kyle himself will be stunned. A risky move, but it can pay off. If Kyle takes too long to make a choice, it’s much like a throw tech, with both characters reeling slightly.

Up + B = Call Rachel: Kyle will lob a phone upwards, and if it hits the edge, he’ll be able to do a tether recovery. It hits opponents for 1% damage. On the ground, Kyle will talk with Rachel, who will motivate Kyle in a few different ways, including a slight health boost, making an item appear, or offer advice on one of his opponents and how to best do his Shakedown move.

Down + B = Briefcase Search: Kyle will open his briefcase, which will produce an item for him to use. The items are from the Hotel Dusk universe, not from the standard list of items Smash Bros. features. There are five possibilities, which include:

1)      Cassette Tape: Kyle can use this to throw at opponents, and if it connects, it will bind them briefly with the film that flies out.

2)      Matchbox: Kyle will light a match and light the whole box aflame, and then drop it. It will burn in place for a while, causing damage to anyone who steps on it.

3)      Summer’s Novel: Kyle can throw this item, which hits like a brick due to its massive size.

4)      Steak: Kyle will eat this delightful dish from Rosa, which will heal him 15%.

5)      Spare Shirt: A gag item, which Kyle will quickly return to his case.

Final Smash = Interrogation: A more complex Shakedown, where Kyle grills all three opponents at the same time. Kyle has to match up the items he holds to the correct character. If he can, he’ll guilt the opponent so badly they will be K.O.’ed. If you fail at any point, the Final Smash ends with no penalty to Kyle, but he will not have accomplished much.

The main character from Xenoblade brings along some different tricks to sword-wielding compared to Marth, Roy, Ike, Link, Pit, and Meta Knight. Shulk is more like Ike than the others thanks to the size of the Monado, but he has his own way of handling the large blade. Shulk’s normals hit fairly hard, but he’s not as quick on his feet as Marth or Meta Knight. He doesn’t lumber around like Ike, though. He can run fairly quickly and has better air mobility. His smash attacks are taken from some of his Arts. His forward smash is Slit Edge, the upward Air Slash, and the downward Back Slash. Note that these do not cause any attribute changes as they did in Xenoblade.

B = Shield: Shulk will defend himself with this move, which serves as a counter in Smash Bros. It’s a physical counter that will force the opponent to reel if they strike the shield, and Shulk will then launch them upwards.

Forward + B = Stream Edge: A thrusting attack that can cause trouble from blocking opponents. You see, Shulk can “break” through shields with this attack! However, it takes a moment to wind up, so Shulk will need to time his attack well to potentially shatter someone’s defense. If it strikes an unblocking opponent, it hits for moderate damage and will do damage to their shield regardless, but it will not break it.

Up + B = Purge: Shulk will briefly charge up the Monado, and then leap with an overhead slash radiating with energy. Anyone struck with this attack will find themselves briefly unable to use their special moves! However, it does not cover a lot of ground in the air.

Down + B = Shadow Eye: Shulk’s physical power will increase by 10% for a few seconds. It takes a bit of time for it to be cast, though.

Final Smash = Chain Attack: Reyn and Fiora will leap in to help Shulk deliver some punishment to an unlucky foe. If Shulk’s initial strike connects, Fiora will perform Air Fang to Break the opponent. Reyn will then perform Wild Down to Topple them. Shulk will quickly perform Shaker’s Edge to daze them, finishing them off will the Monado’s Buster attack.

Akari may seem like a weird choice. She’s only been in extreme racing games, and she doesn’t have any particular talents that would aid her in fighting. However, if you think outside the box, that jetski and snowboard can be rather intriguing potentials for a moveset, and she can use ice and snow to further bolster her abilities. Her dash would be on a jetski. The smash attacks would continue to play off her jetski. The forward smash would be her doing a Handlebar Rotation. Her Upward smash would be a Handstand. Downward would be a Submarine Dive.

B = Snowball Bash: Akari will toss a snowball in the air and smash it with her snowboard doing a stalefish. Both the ball and the board do damage.

Forward + B = Grind: Akari will ride the edge of the platform that she currently is on, plowing into anyone in her way fairly hard. She can slide off of the edge if she’s not careful. In the air, she’ll grind a very short trail of ice.

Up + B = 1080: Akari will jump and pull off a 1080 spin, which will hit opponents with the board if they try to counteract your return. Akari has great air mobility, and this is one reason why.

Down + B = Penguin Board: Akari will send this board sliding across the stage, which has the ability to freeze the platform it slides on temporarily AND make other players inadvertently ride it, which can throw off their game plan and possibly K.O. them! If she then grinds the ice the Penguin Board makes, she’ll go twice as fast.

Final Smash = Avalanche: A loud crack will happen, and then a mountainside of snow will pour onto the stage, crushing your opponents unlucky enough to be caught in its wake! This affects one half of the stage, so if Akari is on the left side, she’ll summon the downfall on that side.

There’s eight Nintendo brawling possibilities. How about four third party potentials? Two have a pretty good chance of happening, while the others are longshots that I’d be amazed if they made it in…but I wouldn’t complain!

It shouldn’t surprise you that I want a Skies of Arcadia rep in the game, right? I went with Aika because A) I wanted to have a couple of female third party reps and B) Lloyd covers the dual sword angle pretty well on his own. Aika is very agile, able to run and jump very effectively. She does damage adequately, too. She is a projectile master, throwing her boomerang for her smash attacks (forward and up will throw them in that direction, her down smash has her doing her critical animation from Skies), with two more in her special moves. She also has a curious talent to change the elemental attribute of her boomerang, which alters the damage and possible side effects it can do. I’ll explain that when I get to it.

B = Alpha Storm: Aika will stand still and twirl her boomerang, creating a stream of flame. Mid-range, does more damage the closer the foe is to Aika. Has a brief wind-up period.

Forward + B = Delta Shield: Aika will cast this spell, which absorbs a standard projectile on contact. The shield lasts until she is struck either by a projectile (which negates it) or a physical attack (which cancels it).

Up + B = Omega Psyclone: This is not as devastating as its Skies of Arcadia counterpart, but it is a solid third jump option. Aika will throw her boomerang up into the air, leap up to it, and then throw it in a downward slant, covered in flames. She’ll then fall.

Down + B = Element Change/Spell: Aika can utilize and swap the Moonstones powering her boomerang to one of the six elements in the Skies of Arcadia universe, granting her a spell on top of standard attack benefits. To change the element, merely tap Down + B. To use the spell for that element, hold B down after the initial press to charge it. They are:
Red = Aika’s default. She will do the most damage with the Red Moon’s fire-based powers, as they amp up her B and Up + B moves on top of her standard attacks. Her spell is Pyri, a fireball that will hover above her head as long as B is pressed. Once let go, she will sling it forward, doing decent damage. If an enemy hits the fireball above her head, it will disappear but cause the same amount of damage as if she threw it.
Green = Aika can poison an enemy on occasion with her attacks via Noxi with the Green moonstone. She will cast Sacri, which heals her by 10%, but she can’t constantly cast this spell in a spamming fashion, only once per “life”.
Blue = Aika’s smash attacks will send opponents further thanks to the wind-based powers of the Blue Moonstone. She will cast Slipara, which will send anyone caught in its close-range aura to sleep.
Purple = Aika may freeze an opponent with the Purple Moonstone. She is able to use the spell Panika, which can confuse a close opponent in front of her and reverse their controls!
Yellow = Aika can occasionally weaken an opponent’s defense by 25% with this Moonstone equipped. They will be shocked if this has happened, and they will take more damage for a few seconds following. Her spell is Electri, a quick lightning attack that doesn’t hit very hard but travels full screen quickly.
Silver = The Silver Moonstone’s talents don’t translate too well into a Smash Bros. environment. Instant kill spells and resurrections would be kind of cheap. So, I’ve decided to not include silver as part of Aika’s moveset.

Final Smash = Blue Rogues: Vyse and Fina come to Aika’s aid to help deliver a mighty Final Smash! Aika’s Lambda Burst kicks things off, igniting the entire stage aflame, doing 15-20% to all opponents who are grounded. Fina’s Lunar Winds has Cupil blow out the flames, but adds much more damage through crystallizing that gust into powerful blows to all enemies, about 20 – 25% each. Airborne opponents may get gusted offstage! Vyse will then throw the first part of Pirate’s Wrath, dragging one unfortunate opponent into the center of the stage. There he’ll wrap up with the dual slash attack, K.O.ing them. The three will all pose and then Vyse and Fina will leap off stage.

Okay, let’s do a character that actually has a chance of being in the next Smash Bros. game. :p

Mega Man was pushed to be in Brawl, mainly by Keiji Inafune, but if Capcom were to chip in and contribute a fighter, I think Mega Man could make a good fit. He could have a Kirby-esque power stealing option, but instead of absorbing them via a special move, Mega Man would acquire a “power” upon K.O.ing an opponent. It would alter his B attack and his smashes. So, for example, if he K.O.ed Mario, he would gain flame attacks. So, maybe he could gain moves from the Mega Man series revolving around flame. Heat Man’s Atomic Fire as a Up Smash, Flame Man’s Flame Blast for a Down Smash, and Sword Man’s Flame Sword for a Forward Smash. He’d use Fire Man’s Fire Shot as his new B move. There would be certain tiers every opponent would fall into, like Fire, Ice, Electricity, Metal, Wind, Water, Explosives, and Elective. As for his attributes, he’s got solid power and jumping strength but isn’t too fast on his feet. His normal Smash attacks would be the Mega Fist (Forward), which deploys his right fist in a short-range projectile. Upward could be Beat darting about, and Downward could be Tango as a sawblade.

B = Mega Buster: Mega Man can fire three small shots at a time in succession. I have decided to not allow him to Charge up the Mega Buster in this game. Mega Man will replace this with a Power when he K.O.’s someone.

Right + B = Slide: Mega Man will slide forward with a mighty blow. It’s quick and can strike hard. He can slide off of the stage, though!

Up + B = Rush Jet: Rush will appear under Mega Man’s feet and allow him to jet around briefly before transporting out again. Mega Man can fire two shots while on Rush with further B taps. He will need to leap off of Rush to make it a proper third jump, but he will not regain his second leap!

Down + B = Wire Adapter: Mega Man will look up and sling this Wire above his head, pulling anyone above him straight down if they get caught in it. Can be used as a tether recovery if done in the air (he’ll only be able to fire it straight up in any circumstance). Weak damage, but can setup further attacks.

Final Smash = Super Adapter: Rush beams down and transforms Mega Man into his Super form from Mega Man 7. He can fly around infinitely and land insanely strong punches while the adapter is active. Lasts for 10 seconds.

I had figured out all of Mega Man’s possibilities with his Power Gain, but wouldn’t you know it, WordPress ate it. XD I’ll try to remember what I had in mind later, as I’ve been dying to get this article up and I don’t want to spend another hour or so on it right now. Sorry!

With Namco Bandai developing the latest chapter of Smash Bros., it would be surprising to not have any of their characters pop up as cameo fighters. With that in mind, Lloyd seems like a solid choice to join the cast. He has his roots in the Gamecube Tales of Symphonia, and he was also in two Wii titles, Symphonia’s “sequel” Dawn of the New World and a hidden character in Soul Calibur Legends. Lloyd is fairly strong, with decent speed and jumping capabilities. Compared to Aika and Mega Man above, he’s more straightforward in his moveset approach. Forward Smash is Fierce Demon Fang. Up Smash is a quick upward angled Sword Rain. Down Smash is the second half of Demonic Circle.

B = Demon Fang: Lloyd will sling out one ground based wave projectile. If you press B twice, you can do a Double Demon Fang, but it keeps Lloyd stuck in one place for a while, so use it carefully. If done in the air, the move is very short range due to it having no ground to travel on.

Forward + B = Tempest: Lloyd will do a spiraling forward leap, juggling opponents with his blades. It does not go as high as it did in Tales of Symphonia. You can spin right off the edge if you’re not careful! Can be a decent horizontal return.

Up + B = Tiger Blade: Lloyd will leap into the air with a slash, and then deliver a downward slash at the arc of his jump. A good third jump option.

Down + B = Beast: Lloyd will stomp and do a powerful swing, summoning a lion’s head to stun opponents. If you are on top of the opponent, the swing and the lion will both hit, doubling the damage!

Final Smash = Falcon’s Crest: A large circle will surround Lloyd, and a wave of energy will radiate around him. These will damage and juggle opponents standing right next to him. He will then leap into the air, power up his swords, and then slash downwards, carving up anything in front of him for a K.O. You can hit opponents behind you with the energy waves, but they won’t be hit by Lloyd’s final slash.

Jade’s likelihood of being in Smash Bros. is slim, I know. Rayman has better odds if UBISoft consented to join in, but I just can’t ignore my favorite female lead in a topic like this. Jade, if need be, was a strong and able fighting force in Beyond Good & Evil. However, she preferred to use stealth over brute force to sneak by enemies in her original game, an approach that is difficult to transfer into the Smash Bros. world. To try to incorporate some of that aspect into Smash, I’ve decided to allow Jade to crouch and walk. When crouched she is shorter and harder to hit. She can still block, but she’ll take double the shield damage. If this is a benefit for Jade or not is up to the player. As for her Smash moves, she calls on her uncle Pey’j, Double-H and Segundo help her out. Her forward Smash has Pey’j use his Rocket Boots attack right in front of Jade. Upward Smashes have Double-H Shield Bash someone. Downward Smashes have Segundo drop a Boost Capsule, which will burst and cover the immediate area in boost nitro, which burns.

B = Gyrodisk Launcher: Jade will fire off one of these tiny but hard-hitting disks from her glove. She can fire two at a time, but there’s a slight delay in firing them. They travel slowly, but their small size makes them difficult to counter.

Forward + B = Digitalization: Jade can store items with Segundo. If she is holding one, pressing this will have her put it into her S-A-C. If she is not holding something, doing this will summon Segundo, who will pick up an item if Jade is standing on one (say, a Heart Container). If there is no item present, Segundo can absorb a projectile attack, although it will disable him from further use for a bit. When an item is stored, a second use of this move will allow Jade to use whatever she has stored. A handy trick, for sure! If she is K.O.’ed, the item she had stored is no longer usable.

Up + B = Super Attack: Jade will charge up the Dai-Jo staff and then leap upwards, spinning and unleashing small orbs of energy. It has great range and does decent damage.

Down + B = Camera: Jade will crouch and take a photo. If an opponent is close to her, the flash will blind them momentarily, putting them in a stun animation. When she first photographs an opponent, it gets stored in Segundo’s memory. If you can successfully photograph all three foes on one live, Jade will get a reward of 10% of her health being restored. She can only earn this once per life, but she can continue to stun her opponents with the camera.

Final Smash = Shauni: Jade will channel her deep mythical powers and unleash chaos onto the battlefield. Her DomZ heritage grants her talents similar to that of the DomZ High Priest at the end of BG&E. All of her enemies will have their controls reversed. All will take accumulated damage of 20% during the move. Jade’s standard attacks are twice as strong, and her Super Attack special can release twice the energy (and triple the damage!) it can normally. Jade has a meter of energy to pool from, and attacking drains it (with her Super Attack sucking away half of it per use, meaning it can only be used once in this phase), as well as the passage of time. If Jade doesn’t attack at all, it lasts around 15 seconds. Under normal circumstances, where Jade capitalizes on the increased offensive potential but refrains from using her Super Attack, it probably would last for 7 – 8 seconds. This is best used when Jade is surrounded!

So, there’s 12 potential fighters to join the fray of Smash Bros. 4. Will any of them sneak in? Your guess is as good as mine! I may do more of these down the road, depending on time. It took about 6 hours to do these! XD