Lord_Brand

Flamethrower inflicts burn, not Sp. Def reduction. It's kinda like saying Psybeam's redundant with Psychic around.

Sounds like they may in fact implementing something similar to this concept, called "Paradox Pokemon", some of which are Ancient, others of which are Future. Yep, it's official. Ancient and Future Pokemon are in SV. Good call, Perkilator!

However, Chrom and Lucina do have access to lances (via Great Lord and Cavalier), axes (via Great Knight), and bows (via Archer), so in my opinion their movesets should be changed to incorporate these as well. That at least would represent the various recurring weapon types in the Fire Emblem series. While we're at it, they could get unique costumes for their different classes as well: Lord, Great Lord, Cavalier, Paladin, Great Knight, Archer, Sniper, and Bow Knight. If we want to distinguish Lucina further, she could get costumes referencing her different possible mothers: Tactician (Robin), Pegasus Knight (Sumia), Cavalier (Sully), Troubadour (Maribelle), and Dancer (Olivia), leaving Archer as her other default class option and, let's say, Myrmidon as the second-most common class she can inherit after Pegasus Knight. Her specials could incorporate tomes and staves to reflect her expanded skillset and make her distinct from Chrom.

Here's a hot take: Mega Man 2 is not the best game in the series, not even close. Is it better than Mega Man 1? Yes. Is it a good game? For the most part. Is it a fun game? It can be. But it's far from the most fair or fun entry in the series. Major points of contention: There are times when the game's design is just plain unfair. Major examples being Quick Man's stage, Boobeam, and the final boss. Quick Man's Stage because the lasers require such precise timing that they just aren't fun to deal with. Boobeam and the final boss because they're only weak to specific weapons, one of which is very easy to run out of, and if you run out, you have no way of refilling those weapons except getting a game over. The game was made at a time when epilepsy wasn't yet well-documented, and so features some god-awful full-screen flashing, most pronounced with the intro to Wily Castle and the Mecha Dragon fight. It took until Mega Man 7 for them to finally rectify this issue, though it was at least downplayed in the later NES installments. I prefer later Mega Man games with sliding, charge shots, Rush, Eddie, Beat, the shop, and currency drops. Those were all nice additions that have since come to define the series, and their absence in MM2 makes the game feel really minimalistic and sparse. Now, as for what is the best entry, that's a tough call as there are certain games that stand out to me for one reason or another, but each one also has issues that make it so I can't say any one Mega Man game currently is the best in my view; rather, I have several favorite entries that each contain some, but not all, elements of my ideal Mega Man game. Mega Man 4 had one of the cooler RM cycles of the NES era. The weapons weren't quite Thunder Beam or Metal Blade crazy, sure, but they were overall much better balanced. Pharaoh Shot's unique charging method allows for some really clever tricks, and Flash Stopper is a vastly improved Time Stopper. MM4 also established a firm cycle of weaknesses after 2 and 3 both jacked around a great deal (what with 2's cycle being heavily lopsided and 3 actually being a weird 5-3 split, which I want to think is a product of the game's rushed development cycle, pun unintended). I also like Dr. Cossack and Kalinka, and would welcome their return in a future game (Mega Man 12, maybe?). Point of contention: The weapon cycle is just a bit too standardized; each weapon deals exactly 4 points of damage to the boss weak to it with the exception of Flash Stopper. Mega Man 7 has one of the best shop systems in the series, along with a really cool upgrade in the form of the Super Adaptor (which feels like a predecessor to MMX's Capsule armors). I'm baffled the Adapter has yet to return in a mainline entry (again, Mega Man 12 would be a good time). The fact Bass has gotten to have his equivalent show up in later games just makes the SA's absence all the more egregious. If nothing else, they could create a successor called Super Adapter II or something. Points of contention: The boss cycle is split into halves despite not being composed of existing Robot Masters, which feels a little unnecessary. The Wily Capsule is also ridiculously hard to the point of not even being fun. Mega Man 9 has perhaps my favorite weapon cycle of the series thus far, not to mention the first (and currently, only) female Robot Master boss, Splash Woman. It also features a shop more like MM7's after MM8 replaced it with a much more limited and less appealing part shop (and removed a lot of the items I've grown to like in the process). I also like how the ending features all eight Robot Masters rebuilt, returned to their benign programming, and interacting with the core characters to boot. Point of contention: The removal of the charge shot and slide was wholly unnecessary and in fact a downgrade to the gameplay as a whole as the removal of the slide meant Mega had fewer options for avoiding attacks and also reduced the stage design potential, not to mention the game offers zero story explanation for the absence of the abilities. Mega Man 11 not only brought back the slide and charge shot, it also introduced the Double Gear System which offers some interesting new wrinkles to the gameplay. Power Gear is basically the Classic version of charged Special Weapons and is available from the get-go to boot, while Speed Gear is basically Time Slow but always available. The fact the bosses all get to use one or both gears is also really cool. I hope to see Double Gear return in MM12, both as a gameplay feature and as a tactic for the bosses. I also appreciate seeing another ending scene where the Robot Masters are rebuilt and returned to benign programming; an ending that shows the Robot Masters being rebuilt and restored to their original functions or repurposed really should be a staple of the franchise, especially if goofy antics or heartwarming scenes ensue. Points of contention: Now Proto Man and Bass are absent, without so much as DLC stories to give them some kind of presence. I also find the Robot Masters a bit lacking compared to 4, 7, and 9, as much because they missed a big opportunity to add more female Robot Masters. They really should try for a 4-4 split if possible going forward, or even experiment with a mostly or all-female roster.

I've followed the games, but the only one I've played since Riders: Zero Gravity are Dash and Mania. Though honestly, I'd say the Hedgehog's games have improved over the past ten years. Yeah, I know Rise of Lyric and Forces aren't considered that great, but even they at least look better than 06 and the Rivals and Rush titles, to say nothing of the writing (Rivals' writing is horrendous even by Sonic game standards, and Rush Adventures' is scarcely better). Sonic may not be at his all-time high, but he's certainly not at his all-time low, either.

I like Star Fox Adventures and don't mind that Dinosaur Planet became SFA, I just wish they did more with the concept and DP's characters.

DLC from a Capcom IP? Well that's...unexpected. Mega Man DLC when?

I am aware. I missed that in SSBU, even, though I feel more fighters should have had Customs like Palutena and Mega Man, rather than the all-too-common variants like "this version deals more damage, but doesn't go as far" and "this version goes much farther but doesn't deal damage". Mario and Link were especially egregious examples of this, as they had plenty of power ups and items that could have served as good custom options. I have numerous IPs planned, actually, including one that is basically to Super Smash Bros. what ARNF! is to Metroid or 20XX is to Mega Man. For that matter, I also have a Mega Man-inspired IP that focuses on magical girls and fantasy rather than robots and sci-fi.

Ironic that the bot chose this topic instead of a topic actually focused on card games, like my Smash TCG topic.

By "custom deck", I was thinking something closer to Mii Fighters. The precons would have unique backs and thus couldn't be customized. Cool to see indies like ARNF! getting recognition. Maybe some of my own characters will one day enjoy that privilege.

There are some similarities to MtG, yes, but I was looking to create a top-down representation of Smash's gameplay in a card game format, so any similarities to MtG or other TCGs is largely coincidental. It comes down to the fact most TCGs have common gameplay elements with different specifics; see Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon, both of which have cards comparable to Magic's creatures, sorceries, and so on. Heck, look at Red Dragon Inn, which is basically "Magic but it's about drinking and brawling at a bar with precon decks that are mostly instants and sorceries". Speaking of RDI gives me an idea for an overhaul to the Smash CG with "Fighter Decks" where each fighter gets their own unique deck of cards representing their moveset, with attacks, specials, throws, and a Final Smash. Items, Stages, Events, Bosses, etc. are sorted into individual decks which are now shared by all players. The core gameplay - rack up damage on opponents and launch them with moves - remains intact, but the attribute system no longer determines what cards are playable in a deck, rather it serves to inform how certain cards interact with one another. The upside to this format is that the decks are easier to balance, but the downside is there's a lot less room for creativity and there would likely be far fewer fighters made than with the TCG model. Of the two, the TCG model would likely prove more profitable, thereby making it more appealing from a corporate standpoint, but the precon model would be a bit more accessible to players as there's far less deckbuilding involved. There could be custom decks in addition to the precons to allow for a degree of deckbuilding flexibility and thus for a TCG component. Iconoclash does look interesting. We'll have to pick it up sometime and try it out. Thanks for sharing!

What amazes me is how everything still looks basically like it does in the games, but more detailed. The Toads look like Toads, the Koopas look like Koopas, Bowser looks like Bowser, and Mario looks like Mario.

They need to create a variant of the line with removable pommels so they can throw them at their foes and end them rightly. :P Thinking about it, it would make sense if Fireball or Fire Ball was a Fire-type equivalent to Shadow Ball and Energy Ball. Fire-type attack with power 80 or 90, can lower Special Defense by one stage.

I always liked the digging minigame with Sandshrew. The Furret minigame with the pokeballs was also pretty fun. I liked the log-cutting minigame, but always preferred to use Pinsir for it over Scyther as it was easier to time the cuts with Pinsir.

Liking what I've seen so far! That intro scene with Bowser attacking the penguin kingdom was epic. And Jack Black as Bowser...awesome. Now I want to see a DKC film by these guys. Imagine how they'd handle King K. Rool!

Well, at least it's not Ugly Sonic bad.

Well, I guess they wouldn't dare cut corners when asked to work on Nintendo's flagship IP.

We got a screenshot of the film already, at least!

What if there were Trio Units?

No denying, the more lengthy adventure feel of Zelda lends itself well to an episodic format, hence my own idea for a Zelda anime. But they could have films set in the same world as the TV series. You could probably adapt a lot of Kirby games into films. Though I imagine we're talking original stories rather than adaptations?

A Zelda anime could be fun, though I wouldn't undersell the potential of a Zelda film either. Kirby's got potential for a new animated series or film as well.

I hope it turns out to be good, simply because I want to be able to enjoy a good Mario movie. The fact Foreman Spike will apparently be in it intrigues me, as it makes me wonder if this is going to be an origins story like I've pitched before. Jack Black as Bowser and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek are particularly curious choices, as is the fact Martinet won't be the main voice of Mario in the film.

Good suggestions! How about "Enchanted Blade" and "Livewire Lash"? I think a Dark-type whip attack could also work quite well. Can have the ability to flinch the target. A Dark-type binding move would make sense, given how much Dark loves to fight dirty. Actually, I can think of a few binding moves that would make sense: Biting Bonds - Dark; the target is tightly bound in dark ropes or tendrils that dig in to their body for 2-5 turns. Squeeze Hold - Fighting; the user grips the target in a crushing embrace that prevents either from switching out or escaping for 2-5 turns. Granite Grip - Rock; the user grips and crushes the target with its stony body for 2-5 turns, with a chance to lower the target's Defense each turn. Wire Wrap - Electric; the target is bound in electric cables or wires that administer a shock for 2-5 turns, with a chance to Paralyze the target each turn. I can also think of some trapping moves, as in moves that prevent switching out indefinitely. Heavy Chains - Steel; the target is wrapped in heavy chains that reduces the target's Speed and prevents them from switching out, escaping, or using Fly or Bounce. Similar to Anchor Shot, but not necessarily restricted to Dhelmise. Sticky Ooze - Poison; the target is stuck in place with a sticky, toxic ooze that poisons them and prevents them from escaping, switching out, or using Fly or Bounce Adoring Embrace - Fairy; the user hugs the target tightly enough to deal damage, and prevents them from escaping or switching out for three turns. The move can't actually faint the target, however. If the user is Attracted to the target, the move deals double damage, prevents escape for five turns, and won't fail due to Attract.

Pretty cool to see Pikmin 4 is coming next year. I wonder which kinds they'll introduce this time? I've noticed both 2 and 3 introduced a "heavy" species (Purple in 2, Rock in 3) and a "light" species (White in 2, Wing in 3), so I expect 4 will do the same. Also notably, White Pikmin have red eyes while Wing Pikmin have blue eyes, so I imagine the light species this time will also have differently-colored eyes, green or yellow both seeming quite likely. Got a few ideas: Heavy Snow - A cyan-colored variety with a fluffy white coat that's immune to freezing temperatures. Thorn - Pikmin with round, spike-covered bodies that allow them to stick into objects, including enemies. Enemies who eat them take heavy damage. Fittingly, they themselves are immune to piercing attacks. Light Balloon - Pikmin that can inflate their bodies like balloons, allowing them to float upward and carry other Pikmin or Captains with them. They can also stop certain monsters from eating them by inflating. They're highly susceptible to wind currents. Lasso - Pikmin with stretchy bodies that can be used to lasso or tether distant targets. It would be interesting to see more emphasis put on different Pikmin types working in tandem, like using Lasso Pikmin to tether Balloon Pikmin, or using a Lasso Pikmin to swing a Thorn Pikmin around like a ball-and-chain.

Well, of the Echo Fighters we have so far, Richter and Ken at least make sense, though Richter could probably be converted into a costume alongside other Belmonts, say Trevor and Leon (maybe giving each one a color swap referencing a different Belmont, similar to what they did with Dragon Quest's Hero). Chrom and Lucina, I'm all for getting revised movesets reflecting the other weapon types they can use in FEA, with costumes for each of their classes (Lord, Great Lord, Cavalier, Paladin, Great Knight, Archer, Sniper, and Bow Knight), though this means Chrom might end up an Echo of Lucina or vice versa. They could focus Lucina's costumes and moves on her possible mothers instead, those being Robin, Sumia, Sully, Maribelle, and Olivia. I'd also change their Final Smashes to showcase their respective generations of units attacking the enemy in tandem, or at least teaming up with another unit to attack similar to Robin's Final Smash. Daisy could be differentiated from Peach more, but she's long been presented as the Luigi to Peach's Mario, so it also makes sense that they have some similarities. Since she's primarily known through spinoffs, I'd guess her moveset would focus on those much like Waluigi's would, though the Power Ball from Super Mario Land would be a cute nod to her origins. Dark Pit I don't care too much for, he can be folded back into a costume. Dark Samus, I'm ambivalent on as she is the face of the Metroid Prime trilogy and could potentially be differentiated from Samus further in a future game. As far as Pokemon "echoes" go, what if there was an express connection between the fighters? Say, what if Ralts can evolve into Kirlia and then Gardevoir, either in the middle of a match or as a fighter in general by accumulating experience? All three are grouped into the same roster slot as different stages of the same fighter. You can think of it like transformation, only it's one-way. Evolution midbattle can be triggered with shield + special once the EXP gauge is filled. Ralts needs 100 EXP to evolve into Kirlia, while Kirlia needs 200 EXP to evolve into Gardevoir. Even if it is "roster bloat" in some sense, it's mitigated by the fact additional roster space is not taken up.