Elma vs Rex, fight!

[Jotari]

Okay i say fight in the title, but please let's try keep things civil here people and just focus on the characters themselves instead of whomever putting forth the argument. I'll sum up what I think are the good and bad points for both.

Elma - Good

-Has cool sword/guns things

-Brings diversity

-She got into Xenoblade 2 DLC, so she's at least mildly popular

-Her design is better (!subjective!)

Elma - Bad

-Her game is old

-Her game underperformed

 

 

Rex - Good

-His game performed very well

-His game is new and still commercially available

-His moveset would be more interesting (!subjective!)

Rex-Bad

-His design is generic (!subjective!)

 

 

I think those are the key points we're discussing.

 

Irrelevant Points

-Who's better written, it has no bearing on Smash

-Rex's Mii costume. Chrom has one too and we know the DLC characters were only picked after this was made.

-Which game is better in terms of character design, gameplay etc. Which game sold more is relevant, but the actual respective quality isn't (especially for the secondary characters' designs).

Edited November 12, 2018 by Jotari

[Anomalocaris]

I know it's subjective, but I don't see how Rex's design is more generic than Elma's.

Elma just wears a loose red top and generic sci-fi pants. Rex's outfit might be strange, but you can't deny it's a unique steampunk-deep-sea-diver aesthetic.

[DisobeyedCargo]

I’m just gonna pop in and say I think either would work well in smash at least IMO with Rex having a slightly better shot at getting in 

[Jotari]

16 minutes ago, Anomalocaris said:

I know it's subjective, but I don't see how Rex's design is more generic than Elma's.

Elma just wears a loose red top and generic sci-fi pants. Rex's outfit might be strange, but you can't deny it's a unique steampunk-deep-sea-diver aesthetic.

I don't really find either of them all that engaging tbh.

[Zapp Branniglenn]

28 minutes ago, Jotari said:

-Who's better written, it has no bearing on Smash

I have to tell myself this repeatedly in order to justify my vote for Rex. The only character that comes up shorter is his girlfriend. But damn if his smash bros design doesn't open up to a lot of depth. Rex can be fast and aggressive, but too much burst movement breaks affinity. You have to make on the spot decisions on how to move and attack, similar to how a Shulk player constantly needs to evaluate his Art options for the situation. And getting launched offstage breaks affinity so he really needs to play it cool at high%. That's good fighter design.

[Jotari]

3 hours ago, Jotari said:

I don't really find either of them all that engaging tbh.

To add to this, crazy as it sounds, if actually rather a Malos Echo over either Elma or Rex, purely based on his design. It won't happen of course, that's just where my personal preference lies 

Edited November 8, 2018 by Jotari

[NSSKG151]

Neither, because I actually prefer KOS-MOS to be the next Xeno rep over Elma and Rex. If I had to pick one though then I guess Elma if only to see her summon a skell for her final smash and have a stage based on Chronicles X. Imo Rex just looks like another generic, boring anime protagonist that I am tired of seeing these days plus I disliked the design choices for their female character, especially Pyra who I hate seeing because every time I see her I'm reminded of Celica's Awakening art.

[Jotari]

1 hour ago, NSSKG151 said:

Neither, because I actually prefer KOS-MOS to be the next Xeno rep over Elma and Rex. If I had to pick one though then I guess Elma if only to see her summon a skell for her final smash and have a stage based on Chronicles X. Imo Rex just looks like another generic, boring anime protagonist that I am tired of seeing these days plus I disliked the design choices for their female character, especially Pyra who I hate seeing because every time I see her I'm reminded of Celica's Awakening art.

We could potentially see a Xenoblade 2 character but a Xenoblade X stage. Cant see any reason why they wouldn't be able to do that.

[vanguard333]

(Xenoblade Chronicles 1 Spoilers):

Spoiler

Why not Mumkhar? That way there's more of the heroes' archenemies? Oh wait, he's already a stage hazard, never mind. 

In all seriousness, Elma. She has a better design, she's fairly popular, the fact that her game's older means they would've had more time to at least consider her and what she'd be able to do in Smash, and she brings more to the table than Rex does by being dual swords and dual guns. 

Also, in all seriousness:

Spoiler

Why not Mumkhar? That way, we have a Xenoblade antagonist, I don't think anyone else in Smash uses claw weapons, he can have two looks: Homs and Mechon, and Metal Face's massive laser attack would be the final smash. 

 

[TheGoodHoms]

Considering the roster was finalized years before Xenoblade 2 was even released I'm pretty much convinced Elma has a higher chance of making it into smash as a DLC fighter than Rex. Of course I wouldn't be surprised if neither of them got in to make space for arguably bigger franchises.

[Jotari]

4 hours ago, TheGoodHoms said:

Considering the roster was finalized years before Xenoblade 2 was even released I'm pretty much convinced Elma has a higher chance of making it into smash as a DLC fighter than Rex. Of course I wouldn't be surprised if neither of them got in to make space for arguably bigger franchises.

The base roster was finalized years before Xenoblade 2, but the DLC selections were only finalized like last week according to the tweets.

[a bear]

On 11/7/2018 at 10:43 PM, Anomalocaris said:

I know it's subjective, but I don't see how Rex's design is more generic than Elma's.

Elma just wears a loose red top and generic sci-fi pants. Rex's outfit might be strange, but you can't deny it's a unique steampunk-deep-sea-diver aesthetic.

If we’re focusing on their clothing specifically, then yeah Rex is more unique. Super gaudy, but unique. For every other aspect of their designs, Rex hits all the most common design tropes and Elma avoids them.

It’s kinda funny to me that we actually have more characters based on teamwork in Smash than we have characters with dual swords, dual guns, dark skin, white hair, giant vehicles, etc. Even Elma’s generic iron blades are less similar to other Smash swords than the Aegis.

[The DanMan]

9 hours ago, Jotari said:

The base roster was finalized years before Xenoblade 2, but the DLC selections were only finalized like last week according to the tweets.

I mean, development began in April 2016-- that's a year and a half before launch, and two months before the main party members had their designs finalized. "Years" seems like... quite the stretch if you ask me.

15 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

he fact that her game's older means they would've had more time to at least consider her and what she'd be able to do in Smash,

But why would Nintendo want to add her? She's from the worse selling game on a system they want everyone to forget that likely isn't getting ported or a sequel anytime soon. From a marketing standpoint, she makes little sense. Of course, Rex and Xenoblade 2 are getting on already-- which is why I highly doubt we'll get anything from the series at all in DLC.

[Jotari]

12 minutes ago, The DanMan said:

I mean, development began in April 2016-- that's a year and a half before launch, and two months before the main party members had their designs finalized. "Years" seems like... quite the stretch if you ask me.

But why would Nintendo want to add her? She's from the worse selling game on a system they want everyone to forget that likely isn't getting ported or a sequel anytime soon. From a marketing standpoint, she makes little sense. Of course, Rex and Xenoblade 2 are getting on already-- which is why I highly doubt we'll get anything from the series at all in DLC.

(I wasn't being literal about years, I was just quoting the same sentence format as the previous user)

[Fabulously Olivier]

Neither. Bring in the Zekenator!

[Armagon]

2 hours ago, Etheus said:

Neither. Bring in the Zekenator!

That is the correct anwser. But there is an even better anwser:

Comes with a special arrangement of the Xenoblade 2 battle theme

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ok so i actually don't care who we get as long as it's a new Xeno rep but let me analyse both Rex and Elma

Elma

• Unique dual gun and sword style would bring something unique to Smash
• Likely would implement Overdrive her into moveset. It'd work like a passive version of Limit Break where instead of powering up one move, it powers up all moves (but it doesn't get anything insane like killing at 50%). If you're able to fill up the Overdrive meter while in Overdrive, you can activate it again and keep it going. In the right hands, you could theoretically keep Overdrive going the whole match.
• Alts would likely include her true alien form (mild spoiler in the grand scheme of things)
• Spoiler

  

  Resembles KOS-MOS doesn't she?

   

  less likely due to belonging to the worse selling Xenoblade game

Rex

• Blade switch mechanic would bring something new to Smash, kinda. He'd be like a reverse Pokemon Trainer where Rex stays but his moveset changes depending on whether Pyra or Mythra is active
• Anchor Short gives him a tether, and the only swordsmen in Smash that have tethers are Young and Toon Link
• Alts would include his upgraded suit (mild spoiler)
• Spoiler

  

  Three different options for a Final Smash, depending on whether or not they want to spoil the game or not?

1. Chain Attack. Basically just a reskined Shulk Final Smash.

2.  Mythra calls Siren to shoot lasers from the sky. Lasers can be aimed similar to ZSS's new Final Smash only they come from above instead of from the background.

3.  (Ch.7 spoilers)

   Spoiler

   Pyra/Mythra transform into Pneuma and together with Rex, unleash Infinity Blade (Pneuma) 

   ,

So who would i prefer? Rex honestly. Don't get me wrong, in the perfect world, we get them both (in a true perfect world, every Xeno protag is playable), but since it comes down to character for me, i'd say Rex. He's tied with Lora (TTGC protag) for 3rd best Xeno protag in my opinion while Elma is in 5th place. So yeah, it's bias.

On 11/8/2018 at 12:15 AM, NSSKG151 said:

Neither, because I actually prefer KOS-MOS to be the next Xeno rep over Elma and Rex.

As obvious as KOS-MOS would be, i think i may actually prefer Shion. KOS-MOS is way more popular but putting Shion in Smash would make people remember the other main protagonist of Xenosaga. Though admittedly, Shion's moveset potential isn't as great.

 

[Lightchao42]

Pyra's actress is in this Smash commercial, so I'd say Pyra has Rex and Elma beat already.

Ideally we would get them both but at this point I have trouble imagining a scenario where Elma gets in before Rex. The Fighters Pass characters were decided by Nintendo this time, so it would be kind of like Nintendo seeing how popular FE Awakening is and suggesting that Sakurai include Micaiah. Not that Micaiah would be a bad inclusion, but that's aside the point. Sakurai also had the opportunity to include Elma in the base game yet he didn't, not even as an Assist Trophy. Chances are she'll be a Spirit but it's still unusual. Some think Xenoblade X lacks content because Sakurai was saving it for DLC, but I find that unlikely.

Elma would be interesting with swords, guns, and Overdrive, but I'd also be interested to see how Pyra and Mythra would be implemented in Rex's moveset, so I think both of them would make for good inclusions.

[Zangetsu]

Elma's chances are looking solid if we're the Ballot is no longer a factor. That being said, I haven't heard her being request for Ultimate until the whole XenoBlade craze

15 hours ago, Armagon said:

As obvious as KOS-MOS would be, i think i may actually prefer Shion. KOS-MOS is way more popular but putting Shion in Smash would make people remember the other main protagonist of Xenosaga. Though admittedly, Shion's moveset potential isn't as great.

So what's exactly makes Shion more enticing than KOS-MOS & why couldn't she just her moveset from Namco X Capcom? Or was that Project X Zone, I forgot

[NoirCore]

@ZangetsuNxC. Shion was paired up with MOMO while KOS-MOS was by herself.

@ArmagonIsn't Shion sorta controversial due to her portrayal in episode III because spoilers? Also, it seems more like KOS-MOS is Namco's less-cartoony main crossover star with her appearances in the whole PxZ series, the Robot Wars games(? Hope I didn't get the name wrong), and of course, Xenoblade. Hell, T-elos gets more traction than Shion, and she's an antagonist.

[Armagon]

41 minutes ago, NoirCore said:

Isn't Shion sorta controversial due to her portrayal in episode III because spoilers?

Is she? I just started Ch.6 in Epsiode III and i haven't seen anything that would warrant controversy. The biggest thing would maybe be her design as she's more revealing in Episode III compared to the previous two Episodes due to wearing casual clothes, which makes sense considering she quits her job in between Episodes II and III.

[Zangetsu]

11 hours ago, NoirCore said:

@ZangetsuNxC. Shion was paired up with MOMO while KOS-MOS was by herself.

Well that's answers that. Did all she do is just MOMO powers up?

 

11 hours ago, NoirCore said:

Isn't Shion sorta controversial due to her portrayal in episode III because spoilers? Also, it seems more like KOS-MOS is Namco's less-cartoony main crossover star with her appearances in the whole PxZ series, the Robot Wars games(? Hope I didn't get the name wrong), and of course, Xenoblade. Hell, T-elos gets more traction than Shion, and she's an antagonist.

That makes T-elos more viable because she's an antagonist. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's why she's in Xenoblade 2. Unless I'm grossly underestimating KOS-MOS & T-elos's character programming designs.

[Book Bro]

I want both, and also Malos as an echo. I expect Rex and Pyra will be DLC. And that's good enough for me. 

[Etrurian emperor]

I'd vastly prefer Rex. I neither played nor had much of an interest in X so Elma doesn't really hold any appeal to me. I think Rex being able to switch blades would also allow him to be more mechanically interesting. 

Whoever of the two is more likely is anyone's guess. Rex came from a game that has outsold X by quite a bit and seemed less controversial and more relevant for both story and financial reasons. But I think Elma has a very good case as well. Rex would represent the Xenoblade Chronicles series that is already represented by Shulk, but Elma would represent the Xenoblade X series which doesn't have any Smash representatives yet. If both halves of the series are supposed to be equal than representing them both makes sense. Elma might also be less divisive than Rex who isn't particularly beloved for a main character. Rex got a lot of criticism for his weird rubber underwear outfit, his ''bad'' voice acting and him being the typical Shonen anime boy.

[Armagon]

On 11/10/2018 at 9:19 PM, Zangetsu said:

That makes T-elos more viable because she's an antagonist. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's why she's in Xenoblade 2.

I mean, it helps that T-elos is literally the anti-KOS-MOS and she's the most recognizable Xenosaga villain. Despite only being in Episode III, she's somehow more well known than Albedo, the main villain in Xenosaga Episodes I and II and a major villain in Episode III. Heck, T-elos isn't even the main villain of Episode III, she's just a major villain.