*EDIT* ALTERNATE 100th POST! It's odd, Blogger lists this as the 100th post, yet it listed 99 posts a while back. Really, the Capt. Falcon post should have been 100. Anyway, I'm making this the alternate just in case.
Well, I played Brawl. Then I played it some more. And more. And more. And more. And I've been thinking. I've thought some things and come to some conclusions. I've come to what you'd call "afterthoughts". There are things to be said about characters, stages, and options. Here we go.
Characters
Brawl has plenty of new fighters. A lot of them are pretty good. After playing the game for three weeks straight, I've come to some conclusions about new and altered fighters. I can't speak for everyone because I don't use everyone, but I will discuss those characters that I have played to death.
Scale:
Good- Great fighter, one of my favorites.
Average- Not my favorite, but I'll use them.
Difficult- Hard to use. Don't like them.
Diddy Kong: Average
Diddy is an average character for me. I can use him, but he's not my first choice. He's quick on his feet and has decent attacks. The peanut popgun is a pretty good long range attack that can be charged. Make sure it doesn't blow up in your face though. If the peanuts break they'll drop health items. The monkey flip is also good at long range because Diddy jumps onto opponents. Use this at long range so your opponent won't see it coming. It's also useful if your in a bind as a quick escape. The rocketbarrel is an ok recovery. It's something you really have to get used to. It does damage to opponents as well, but must be charged to be a useful recovery. Keep in mind that when you're charging it in midair Diddy does not freeze and will continue to fall. His banana peel throw is not an attack per se but is useful for tripping up foes. You can have two banana peels out at a time. Make sure that you try and have them out at all times. His smash attacks are of decent strength and cartwheel is very useful at long range. If an enemy is close try using Diddy's tail whip combo attack to rack up damage.
Ganondorf: Average to Difficult
Ganondorf is not easy to use in Brawl. He is one of the strongest characters in the game, but also the slowest. Yes, he's even slower now if you can imagine that. The warlock punch has a different animation but with the same effect. It deals massive damage, but is extremely slow to execute. Use only with the right timing or if the opponent is stunned. The flame choke is Gannon's most useful attack. He lunges forward similar to his uppercut in the last game, grabs the foe by the head and explodes them with dark energy. It's one of Gannon's weaker attacks, but is also one of his fastest. Use it to rack up damage. It's also a good horizontal recovery. It should be noted that Ganondorf no longer stumbles if the attack doesn't connect, making it useful to quickly dash around stages. The dark dive acts similarly to the last game, but Gannon will follow up with a punch if the attack follows through completely. If you don't quite grab your opponent, Gannon will blast him with dark energy from afar. His wizard's foot kick attack works exactly the same, but with a different animation. Gannon's smash attacks are deadly, but very slow to pull off. use similar strategy with his punch to execute these. Rely on his dark dive, flame choke, and wizard's foot attacks in the heat of battle, as they are quick to pull off.
Ike: Good
Ike is strong, yet surprisingly quick. For a power character, Ike is not that slow. He runs at a decent speed and has an average jump. Overall, Ike is probably one of my very favorite characters. Eruption deals a massive amount of damage and is effective even when not fully charged. It can also be charged in the air, so use this when your above enemies to deal plenty of damage when you land. Quick draw is extremely useful for attacking, recovery, and quickly dashing across stage. The longer quick draw is charged, the further Ike will sprint and the more damage he'll deal. Use it when far from opponents to confuse them. Don't worry about falling over the edge. Ike will automatically stop at the edge of whatever platform he is on. Aether is a decent recovery move and attack. It's not that strong, but like all of Ike's attacks, it can hit multiple opponents. Be careful not to fall off the stage when using it. Ike's counter is slightly slower than Marth's but is slightly stronger. Get used to countering often. Ike is unique in that you can dominate using only his standard attacks. Most of them are strong enough on their own that you can easily take care of enemies by using them. His smash attacks have a quicker execution time then Gannon and they're plenty strong.
King Dedede: Difficult
Kink Dedede is usable, but just barely. He's only slightly faster than Gannondorf, and his attacks aren't that strong. His inhale simply spits foes out while dealing minimal damage. Waddle Dee throw is also a weak attack. You can have two of the guys out at one time. After they're thrown, they simply waddle around the stage. Occasionally, a waddle doo will appear and will walk around and shock people from time to time. Your lucky if he throws a gordo which will deal more damage. Do not rely on the super jump as a recovery move! It is not one. Dedede will jump and pound the ground causing damage to both sides of him. It's one of his better attacks but make sure you don't accidentally kill yourself. The jet hammer is almost totally useless. Dedede won't attack with it if it's not charged, though you can walk while it's charging. It's slow and barely ever connects. Easily avoidable. Don't try it. His standard attacks are alright. They're a little slow to execute, but deal a good amount of damage. His only real plus is that he's a heavy character that can float like Kirby. His jump works just like Kirby's and is very useful.
Link: Average
Something is just not right about Link this time around. His bow, and bombs work the same, but his boomerang can now pull in enemies and items and his spin attack can be charged. What I think is wrong has something to do with standard attacks, but I can't quite put my finger on it. His quick stab attack is noticeably absent, though.
Lucario: Average
To me, Lucario plays like a not quite as awesome Mewtwo. The Aura Sphere works like Mewtwo's shadow ball. Force palm is kind of like force push. It can be used from afar as a blast attack, or from up close as a physical attack. Extremespeed deals no damage but is a good recovery, though not at all like Mewtwo's teleport and not quite as useful. Double team is an extremely powerful counter attack, but it's slow and hard to pull off. His standard and smash attacks are pretty good, especially the smash attacks. He uses aura power for his smash attack which is actually really powerful. Overall, I'd say that Lucario is a really decent character, at least for me, and about average as you can get. The cool thing about Lucario is that the more damage he takes, the more damage he deals. Basically, his attacks become stronger, the more damage he takes.
Lucas: Average- Good
Lucas is a much better, easier to use version of Ness. His PK Freeze attack is very useful and freezes opponents. Try to use it when your foe is trying to recover to send them falling to their doom. His PK fire is different than Ness' because it does not remain stationary. It moves forward and burns opponents at a 20 degree angle. His PK Thunder is slower and easier to navigate than Ness'. It also does not stop when it hits and opponent. It passes through them allowing you to hit multiple targets which is extremely useful. Hitting yourself with the attack will cause you to spiral forward at the angle of impact is is actually an effective attack in addition to a recovery. His PSI magnet absorbs energy attacks in front of him and restores his health. This is a great tactic to use against an opponent with a gun. Unlike Ness, the attack also deals damage at close range. Lucas' strength really lies within his excellent smash attacks. His up and down smashes unleash might blasts of energy, while his side smash bashes opponents with a stick. He also has excellent aerial attacks that revolve around his use of energy blasts. Some of them take longer to pull off, but they're all pretty deadly.
Meta Knight- Average
I don't like Meta Knight. He's a decent character, I just don't like him. Thus, I have raked him as average. On a whole, MK's attacks deal minimal damage, but are so fast that large amounts of damage can easily be racked up. His standard attack consist of a flurry of sword swipes. If you hold the attack, MK is nearly invulnerable from all sides. His tornado attack actually sucks in opponents and deals a moderate damage. It can be used to lift MK into the air as well if the attack button is tapped consecutively. MK's drill attack is a rather useful horizontal recovery and can be steered up and down mid-flight. Try drilling opponents down and off stage. The shuttle loop sends MK up into the air before he glides back down. This is a good recovery both horizontally and physically as it will propel you upward and you can steer the glide afterward. Finally, the dimensional cape can be used as yet another useful recovery because MK will teleport in any direction. It can also be used to evade attacks or to counterattack.
Olimar- Good
Olimar is a good character for me, but may not be for everyone. He's got a unique and strategic play style unlike anyone else. The only other character that might come close is Snake. The majority of Olimar's attacks revolve around his pikmin. You start with three and can pluck up to six from the ground. Olimar's six pikmin will follow him where ever he goes and can be called back at any time. Once you have plucked your six pikmin from the earth (any solid platform), you can throw them at opponents. The pikmin are deceptively powerful and can do up to 48% damage each but can be destroyed rather easily. Make sure to always have at least one pikmin with Olimar at all times to defend yourself. Olimar is not completely defenseless without his pikmin however. He can still hold his own with a beam sword or a baseball bat and his up areal is especially useful. His recovery move is completely tether based and its effectiveness depends on how many pikmin you have with you. He'll throw his pikmin out as a chain and grab on to ledges. It can also be used as an attack. The pikmin order will also change the order of the pikmin if you want to throw a particular on first. The pikmin all have different effects with damage enemies when thrown or used in a smash attack.
- Red pikmin
- High attack power.
- Attacks imbued with incendiary properties.
- Immune to fire.
- Has the most damaging aerial attacks.
- Blue pikmin
- Extremely strong when used in throws.
- Slightly more durable than average.
- Immune to water.
- Yellow pikmin
- Range of attack slightly larger than usual; easy to hit enemies with.
- Travel in slight arcs when thrown.
- Attacks imbued with electrical properties.
- Immune to electricity.
- When used to throw enemies, enemies fly in an arc as well.
- White pikmin
- Flies very far when thrown.
- Quick and light.
- Low health.
- Normal attacks do little damage and knockback.
- When latched onto opponent, poison does additional damage.
- Purple pikmin
- Doesn’t fly far when thrown.
- Slow.
- High attack power.
- Slams into enemies instead of latching on when thrown. This can be used to knock an enemy off the ledge if they are grabbing it at the time.
The pikmin you pluck depends on the terrain, though I don't actually know which pikmin appear on what type of flooring. The pikmin are basically used for smash attacks, recoveries, and grabs. Olimar is very dependent on them, which will turn most players off. Those of you looking for a different, strategic character, Olimar is your man.
Pit- Good
Pit is pretty awesome. I won't go in depth because I've already done that. If you'd like to know more about him, see the swordsman post below.
Zero Suit Samus- Avearge
ZSS is actually unique because she has a whip. Most of her attacks consist of her whipping people and almost all of them can be used as a tether recovery. Her up special will also grab areal opponents and pull them down to earth or slam them down if they're on the ground. When whipping foes, keep in mind that the tip of the whip delivers the most damage and will stun opponents. ZSS' one non-whip attack is the paralyzer- a chargeable gun shot that will stun opponents the longer it's charged. Other than that, ZSS is much faster and nimbler than Samus is. Use this speed to catch opponents off guard and use he down special, the flip jump, to get her out of sticky situations while dealing moderate damage.
Toon Link- Average
Toon Link is like link only much, much faster. I actually like him better than both Link and Young Link from Melee. While his attacks are faster, they also deal less damage. Oddly enough, I noticed that his projectile attacks (the boomerang and the bow) are actually slower than Links. This means that they are slower and deal less damage. Do not rely on these unless you have to. The bombs are the most useful attack from long range and the spin attack is good for close range. Charge the spin attack whenever possible to deal more damage. Unlike Link's spin move, Toon Link's has a faster recharge time and will not knock opponents back, but pull them in. His smash attacks are also weaker and slightly different. Overall, Toon Link is a Faster, weaker Link with shorter range. His extra speed, however, will give you the edge in battle.
Snake- Good
Snake is one of my favorites. He has a unique plays tyle that relies on his heavy use of explosives and projectiles. Not surprisingly, he has the best variety projectiles in the game. He also has one of the best recoveries because it lifts Snake up, can be steered left or right and Snake can drop off at any time. Snake's standard attack is the hand grenade that can come in handy when thrown into a crowd. The grenade will not explode right away, but can be thrown lightly, normally, or hard. Scan your surroundings to determine which strength to throw the grenade. The remote controlled missile is very useful for knocking out recovering foes or, once again in a crowd. Snake is completely vulnerable when using it, however, so make sure he's isolated. If you find yourself under attack, simply hit the shield button to take control of Snake. His missile will then drop and explode where it stopped. The C4 is a great weapon because it can be remote detonated when your opponents least expect it. If Snake is close enough, he can place the C4 directly on his foe. His smash attacks also rely on explosives. With his down smash, Snake plants a trip mine in the ground. Have one of these out at all times to catch foes off guard. His side smash is good at close range, and his up smash is one of my all time favorites. Snake will lob a rocket into the air. It's very effective if the opponent is above or even directly next to you, in which case it'll hit multiple times. Surprisingly, his standard attacks are quite strong and can KO an opponent at high damage. His down grab is also useful for stunning an opponent briefly so you can follow up with a smash attack or a C4.
Sonic- Good
Sonic is a pretty straightforward character. Most of his attacks consist of spinning around at blazing speed. He's the fastest character in the game, yet easier to control than I thought he would be. His spin dash can be charged and combined with combos, while the spin charge is faster, and does more damage but cannot be chained with other attacks. While using either attack, as long as Sonic is spinning along the ground, his spindash will reflect projectiles and weaker physical attacks. The homing attack is slow and often inaccurate, but it's a decent attack. Besides spinning around, Sonic can use his spring for recovery, which shoots him straight up in the air. If done on a platform, the spring can be used by others. If done in the air, the spring can fall and inflict minimal damage. Sonic's smash attacks consist of him spinning in the air and on the ground. His down smash in particular has very good range and can hit on both sides to damage multiple opponents. His charged punch side smash is also deceptively strong. Using these attacks, plus his aerials and grabs combined with his speed is the key to using Sonic effectively. His down grab and down aerial are especially effective.
Wolf- Good
Wolf plays completely different than both Fox and Falco. He's slightly slower, and has slightly stronger attacks. His blaster is the perfect example of this. Wolf's dash attack is a good horizontal recovery and attack. It propels Wolf forward at a 20 degree angle. Wolf becomes unable to move when the attack finished however, so be very careful not to fall of a ledge or you won't be able to recover. If you connect with the very end of the attack it will do more damage and stun opponents. The dash is also a great escape tactic. His recovery does not charge, but sends Wolf hurdling up into the air. It will carry opponents with him and knock them back, making it more useful than Fox's and Falco's up specials. His reflector looks different, but works like Fox's. It surrounds his body and reflects projectiles. Wolf's real strength lies in his standard combos and his smash attacks. His side smash is especially useful because it causes Wolf to dash forward unexpectedly and will catch opponents off guard. His aerial kicks and up smash are also useful for sending opponents flying into the sky and his down smash will attack in both directions (like Sonic and Olimar's). Finally, Wolf's down aerial is a great meteor smash and can be used to effectively send opponents spirling to their doom if no platform is underneath them. In all, Wolf is a fairly quick and powerful character with good smash attacks. His dash can be his downfall, however if you're not careful.
I may do more characters next time. Either that or stages. Stay tuned.
