LogFAQs > #967555701

swirIdude posted...

I'm starting to think that you're actually me.

Don't worry, eventually I'll say something that'll definitely make you go "oh, thank god he's not me".

Shadow the Hedgehog - Sonic Adventure 2

Poor Shadow really gets the short end of the stick, huh? Most of the games he appears in, hes absolutely fine, but gets saddled with the most horrendously-controlling vehicles that make performing even the most basic of tasks agonizing. In both Shadow and 06, it is far more fun to figure out how to blow up your vehicle on basic level geometry than it is actually playing the game (which, to be fair, is most of Sonic 06 and how its accidentally a fun game). Sonic Adventure 2 at least gives him four good stages and one of the only challenging bosses in the game. Im not sure if Id call the Biolizard GOOD, but it actually designs around the character, so thats a nice change of pace from most of the bosses! Sky Rail and Final Chase have some growing pains actually learning how their mechanics work, but once you get there, theyre some of the most fun and fulfilling speed stages in the game. Sadly, Shadow does lack the Bounce Bracelet that makes Sonic stupidly fun to just move around with, but well hes got solid stages and the feel of his skating around is nice, and its not like any of his other appearances are exceptionally inspiring. Like, Heroes is okay? I guess? Anyway, Shadows a good Assist Trophy, kind of redundant with Skull Kid, but hes a lot more thematically appropriate with Chaos Control and is less random, thus being more fulfilling to pull out. Still weird he was never an Echo Fighter, thats a concept that was MADE for him and NOTHING was done. And its not like they care about properly repping echo fighters, Dark Samus exists, so Shadow being a non-factor is just weird.

Lucario - Pokken Tournament

Lucarios a weird Pokemon to me. Hes got a great design, a great typing that barely makes sense for that design but sure whatever, a great movepool, and is just kind of boring. He hits things good, he both ungas and bungas, and sometimes he gets outclassed by other mons who are unga bunga specialists instead of Lucarios unga bunga super generalist. I like it when my Pokemon are either flawed but fun or hilariously overpowered, and Lucario doesnt really fall into either of those niches unless he goes Mega, which man, like its a good Mega, but its a big ask to sacrifice a Mega slot that could go to Mewtwo or Kangaskhan or something even more degenerate than Lucario. Pokken, however, gives Lucario some real nice personality in his fighting style. I love the bone rush energy staff, its such a strong unifying design element that brings together a lot of the Pokemons skill and martial abilities in a very distinct way. Theres a weight to Lucarios techniques and just the right amount of force and hitlag on its kicks that sells its impact in a way the RPGs just couldnt, and THATS how you do a lithe fighting type with tremendous power! Its generalist skillset is represented really well here, makes me care for a Pokemon who was very much just there, but nice movie for me before.

Best Smash Appearance: Smash 4 - Aura stacking with Rage really was the best thing that couldve possibly happened for Lucario. I do not mind comeback mechanics on principle - I think that One Winged form and Go!! are great, for instance - but Lucarios entire kit is based off of coming back when the chips are down. And when Lucario is fresh man, Lucario sucks to play as. Im not sure what Im supposed to be feeling when I play Lucario, theyre a really floaty and high-jumping close combat character with weirdly bad air and ground speed. A lot of its moves feel oddly passive, but lack the force of a kind of one-inch punch combatant. I understand the sort of meditative martial artist vibe theyre attempting to give off with Lucario, but he lacks any sort of impact until Force Palm gets juiced by aura, and lacks the personality of honestly, most of the rest of the cast. Im never a huge fan of how the non-Pichu and Incineroar Pokemon express themselves, theyre all pretty standard and stock personalities, but Lucario dips down with Greninja as I mean hes there doing the martial arts/ninja thing I guess? Only instead of doing the speedy ninja moveset well, Lucarios here being a weirdly floaty character who doesnt get to play the game until hes already losing. I just do not like this portrayal of Lucario at all, and think it cooled him pretty substantially considering how white-hot he was at the time of Brawls release. D-

Simon Belmont - Castlevania

Castlevania is one of the NES games that holds up the absolute best. Level design is so perfectly considered for Simons abilities, the number power-ups rewarding you for getting better at a level feels so nice (as you will very likely be replaying these levels again and again), and while youre an insanely stiff character, youre never asked to do anything thats horribly out-of-cycle other than dealing with fleamen, and even those can be baited with very careful movement. Its amazing just how good a game made in 1986 can still be, with absolutely no caveats or needing to point out how good later entries in the series were. Rondo is the only game that I think even comes close to challenging the simple perfection Castlevania achieved; its an hour-long romp through Draculas Castle thats a solid thrill the entire time through with no um the Wily Castle or this level with the wind mechanic in sight. As much as I enjoy seeing other characters of the era evolve, Simon is always one that Ill prefer stick to his original incarnation.

Best Smash Appearance: Ultimate - The Belmonts are weird ducks in Smash Ultimate. They borrow a ton from each other to make one solid, composite character, by which I mean Richter is gutted and nerfed to Hell so that he wont be busted in a Smash game, and Simon benefits from it. I actually think this puts Simon in a MUCH better place than Richter - he really had nowhere to go but up, and damn, THANK you Smash for FINALLY giving Simon a good picture. I dont hate bishe redhead Simon, but the Conan-inspired original is such a breath of fresh air amongst the Castlevania cast that its great to see him properly represented. Simon doesnt entirely play like himself, but I dont think this hurts his design in the same way that it hurts Mega Man - Simon was already reinvented for Super Castlevania IV, and borrowing so much from Richter guaranteed that he wouldnt perfectly emulate his NES counterpart. And for the most part, Simon feels pretty damn good! There is a weight to his attacks that really sells the power of his tools in a way that the games themselves dont. When that axe hits, DAMN does it feel meaty, and the addition of the classic Castlevania sound effects to his whip strikes makes the hitstun from them stand out all the more. Simon does not feel like an homage so much as he feels like a modernization of the classic character, giving him the Pit treatment and giving him some BEEF and gravity to really sell him. I dont think that sort of solid strike philosophy works half as well for Richter, but for Simon? Yeah, I like this version of Simon. A-