LogFAQs > #967570324

Kamekguy posted...

Yeah that's no problem! I did already do Steve for the sake of it, but if you'd like, by all means. I just know I'm not an authority to say how well Shulk reps the Monado Arts, and Corrin I am steeped in a large amount of negativity toward Fates that I'd never be able to write something readable.

Oh yeah, you did do Steve already, and it was basically the writeup I would have done but better (and with a slightly higher grade).

As far as Corrin goes, I have no problems with airing my negativity proud and free!

Corrin - Nothing
Because he has no good appearances in any game.

While Smash Bros roster speculation can be fun, I tend to get really annoyed by Smash Bros pre-release discourse. The discussions about which characters people want to join the cast can turn toxic real fast. I've seen the term 'undeserving' thrown around more times than I can count, and almost always by people who misuse it.

With that said, Corrin is the most undeserving character in the entire roster, bar none. Imagine a character announced before their game came out (before they even had an English name), when their home series already got a full new character in Smash 4, and for their character to be widely maligned once the game actually releases. That's Corrin. Roy kinda did the same thing, but Fire Emblem was new at the time for US audiences, and he was a package deal with Marth that didn't cost an extra $5.99 to play. It's totally fine for Smash to be used as a vehicle for game advertising, but this was just *so* blatant that it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

This would have ended up fine if Corrin was cool, but sadly, Corrin is not. In Fates, they're strong, but who cares? Tons of units in Fates are strong. Modern Fire Emblem is easy enough that you can use anyone. The only reasons to use units are because you're forced to, or because you like the character, and Corrin's characterization is dog water. They're annoyingly naive, dumb, and inconsistent, yet the plot puts them on a pedestal for no reason.

Their implementation in Smash Bros is 'interesting' because they have all the elements of a fun character without actually being one. Unique specials, stylish animations, they sometimes transform into a dragon...it should be cool. But it just isn't. Corrin's sound effects lack any sort of punch, and their moves have this inherent aura of boring to them. Back air and forward smash are kinda fun to hit, but that's about it. Compare them to any other A-button spamming swordy and they look less entertaining, even Lucina a.k.a. Stale Bread Marth. Their implementation isn't even that accurate, as Corrin's dragon transformation mechanic in Fates is reduced to random animation fodder in Smash.

tl;dr - Corrin is a character that shouldn't have been in the game, and isn't particularly fun or interesting. It's hard to get much worse than that. D-

Best Smash Appearance: Ultimate
By default. Smash 4 Corrin, like most DLC, was super overtuned upon release. They nerfed him into oblivion during the transition to Smash Ultimate, then buffed him up to a reasonable state. At the moment, Corrin is in a good spot, not amazing but not weak either. Strong normals, unique tricks, mediocre combo game, mediocre mobility. Honestly one of the most balanced characters in the game.

I'm sure Corrin mains from Smash 4 will disagree, but his options in that game were far more degenerate and not really indicative of good game design. Lots of over-reliance on the pin, and the less said about his Smash 4 counter, the better. Corrin in Ultimate has some special sauce to them, but they also feel like they actually have to play the game. There's some bias in my decision as I think Ultimate's engine makes basically every character more fun, but hey.