LogFAQs > #967400789

Zelda - Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Okay, the way theyve remixed Zelda in this game is super cute. After three games of the very prim and proper chosen-by-the-goddess princess, we get a much spunkier one with elements of Skyward Sword tossed in with her LttP base, and its a fun change of pace! I no longer think the moveset fits the character, and I didnt think it was very good to begin with, but neat that shes got some flair! Ive never really liked the idea of representing wisdom through giving Zelda really precise hitboxes; surely a trapping moveset would work better than literal lightning legs for the same purpose, yes? And while giving her all of the goddess powers is a cute touch, theyre shown off in such a dull and uninteresting way. Like, Hero has better versions of all three of these spells in his Command Menu that more closely resemble their OoT inspirations! The only thing that really ends up fitting Zelda is Phantom, which is a great move, helps her make a lot of set-ups, fits in with her character as a neat reference, everything about it works. But this is a character Id really like to see taken back to the drawing board and evaluated on how the Hell to make her kit work together and what, exactly, shes supposed to DO as a fighting game character besides rely on some good specials. Cause it took us until Ultimate to even have this discussion of theres SOMETHING here rather than just dismissing her outright! D-

Best Non-Smash Appearance: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - Still have never really had a Zelda appearance Im totally satisfied with! Theres always some kind of supporting role shes shunted in, and while some of them are great (I have a good fondness for the Wind Waker and Skyward Sword variations of the character), I always find that when Zelda has to take up her duty as the voice of the goddess, she loses the agency that made her character fun and quirky. Spirit Tracks is the only real exception to this, and I find hulking Darknut Zelda only a cute distraction rather than any sort of solid foundation. Breath of the Wild tries to be a bit more interesting with the character by having her be really bad at the communicating with the holy bit and overcompensating with the tech side, buuut ultimately she gets there and ends up in the same place as the other Zeldas. I suppose Age of Calamity shows off what this Zelda can do in a sort of set-up, get off me kind of way. Usopp tends to be my favorite of the Straw Hats in the Pirate Warriors games, so the weird, awkward, disjointed way Zelda fights with her tech in AoC speaks to be. Its just not my favorite. Thinking on it now, I actually never went back to try Tetra in Hyrule Warriors 1. Might go back to it, she might give me a fun bit of kinetic enjoyment! Considering how mundane regular HW Zelda and awkward AoC Zelda feel, that might be the best one, I dunno, well see eventually Im sure.

Snake - Metal Gear Solid 2

This is specifically considering Solid; if you wanna count Naked, MGS3 might be in the conversation, but I was always bad at CQC so I dunno how that pans out in full. With that said, Snake controls like an absolute dream in MGS2, perfectly fluid, first person aiming feels great, everything just works fantastic. And then you have the Tanker, which is maybe one of the best levels to marry a characters controls to, and its absolutely blissful. Everything about the tanker is meant to get the most out of Snakes tools - tight corridors to try and snipe down that scale in difficulty with the guards vision ranges expanding, constant escape routes if you end up getting caught, easter eggs everywhere, the whole INTRUDER TO THE LEFT INTRUDER TO THE RIGHT sequence screwing with you as you sneak around Marinefest 2007, the doors all taking an eternity to open - its one of the best opening levels out there. And it even contrasts with how dull and rote a lot of the Big Shell is, to prop up how cool Snake was. MGS4 might control a bit better, but level design is far less dynamic than MGS2s, often taking place on a single level of elevation or go up this tight building corridor; that house from Act 2 and the single room in Act 5 when you land on Outer Haven are the only real times that system gets to flex. But man, Tanker is such an immaculate level.

Best Smash Appearance: Brawl - I see a lot of criticism of Snake being too loud for a stealth character, that he should be focused around sneak attacks and never getting caught and not constant explosions. These are criticisms from people who think Metal Gear is Hitman; Snake gets caught, like, at LEAST three times per game, without fail! INCLUDING in Smash Bros cutscenes! What Snake is, then, is a master of improvisation, thinking on his feet and making the most out of a hopeless situation. That is Snake in Smash to me; he feels bad jumping around and boxing with other characters, and though his tools are strong, he will lose most straight-up fights. Thus, his kit is designed around getting him out of those fights, always having a chance to make a comeback, and setting up traps to bait his much stronger opponents into as he dances in and out of their range. Snake handles every fight in Smash Bros like he would Vulcan Raven or Metal Gear REX, and only ever wins if he gets in his opponents head and makes them unable to execute their plans. And that is absolutely brilliant; I LOVE fighting Snakes, as it makes me confront the weaknesses of whatever character Im playing head-on and try to overcome them. Snake is one of the most brilliant Smash characters out there in both of his appearances, and I only put Brawl above Ultimate because I miss the landmine and the DACUS a lot, zooming around with Snake and having that ridiculous a level of stage control was way too much fun. Legitimately my only complaint is that his taunt selection is limited, and when THATS as far as Im willing to go, weve got a winner. A+