More individual customization systems for different fighters in SSB6

[Lord_Brand]

In SSB4 and SSBU, Fighter customization is largely symmetric; all fighters have the same number of custom specials and equipment slots in SSB4 and everyone is able to use the same Spirits in SSBU. The Mii Fighters stand out in SSBU for retaining the ability to customize their specials in a game where no other fighter currently has that option.

I've been concepting a team customization feature for Dr. Wily & Robot Masters that would allow you to choose different combinations of Robot Masters from which to build you team of four (or eight, if feasible). This makes me wonder: Could different fighters in SSB have different, personalized customization systems rather than using a single universal customization system?

Examples:

Link can assign different items to his special slots, using an interface akin to the inventory in his games. Each special slot has its own selection of items, like different Arrows for his N Special, or the Boomerang, Pegasus Boots, and Hammer for his S Special. Rather than Bombs, Link could assign Power Glove, Mirror Shield, or Bombchu to his D Special. The Hookshot/Clawshot could return as an item option for the S Special. Item options for the U Special include Roc's Cape and Tornado Rod.

Mega Man can equip up to eight Special Weapons to his N Special, now called Special Weapon, at a time. You can switch which weapon is active by holding Shield + Special and using a quick select like in Mega Man 11. Crash Bomber and Leaf Shield are now among the many weapons he can access via Special Weapon. Special Weapons now have Weapon Energy that depletes as Mega Man uses them. If he should run out, or wishes to conserve weapon energy, Special Weapon has a ninth default option, Mega Buster, which functions similarly to his neutral attack but allows you to charge it by holding the special button down. As Mega Buster is the one constant option in the Special Weapon selection, Kirby now copies Mega Buster rather than Metal Blade. Proto Man and Bass could get similar Special Weapon selections.

Dr. Wily & Robot Masters would let you assemble different teams of Robot Masters, mirroring Mega Man's Special Weapons.

Pokemon Trainer could choose different Pokemon to have on their team, rather than be locked to Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard. Furthermore, the Pokemon Change ability is moved to Shield + Special, allowing each Pokemon to have a fourth special.

RPG fighters like Marth, Cloud, and Hero could be equipped with different weapons and armor, altering how they fight. For example, a sword with an elemental property could apply that property to elemental attacks ("elemental" in this case designating an attack certain fighters use that apply their weapon's innate element if it has one).

Class or job changing like in FF3 and FF5 could also be handled this way. Using Bartz as an example, you could choose Knight, Thief, Black Mage, and White Mage as his four job options. Bartz's melee attacks are decided by which kinds of weapons his active job can use, while his specials reflect their respective skills and abilities. As a Knight, he wields a sword with which he can deliver a fierce Two-Handed attack or Guard against an attack. As a Black Mage, he can cast Black Magic spells of varying levels. The original FF5 had 22 different jobs, so Bartz has a lot to choose from.

Of course some fighters would probably not as customization-friendly; Little Mac and Duck Hunt don't exactly have a ton of material to draw from. Indeed, if fighter customization is a focus of SSB6, its roster may be decided in large part by who does have enough material for some manner of customization system. A lot of fighters may be cut in favor of more versatility for the fighters that remain. But I could be wrong!

What are your thoughts on more unique customization systems for different fighters?

[Lightcosmo]

Obviously from a for fun PoV that's a great idea. On the flip side, competitively, that would be a disaster. 

Giving the player more options, never hurts so I dont see why not.

Maybe making them another "character" that shares their slot, so you know right away what specials are in use?

Edited December 21, 2020 by lightcosmo

[Lord_Brand]

For competitions, they could always restrict the options to the defaults.

In some cases, it would be a matter of "what fighters are in use", like with Pokemon Trainer and Dr. Wily, who rather than have custom moves have custom teams. And yeah, a visual representation of what the fighter/team has and can do would be good. Like in the case of Link; if he's using Pegasus Boots, his boots have wings on them. If he's using Bombs, he has a Bomb Bag on his belt. If he has a Hammer, it'll be slung on his back. And so forth. Modularity!

[Lightcosmo]

4 hours ago, Lord_Brand said:

For competitions, they could always restrict the options to the defaults.

In some cases, it would be a matter of "what fighters are in use", like with Pokemon Trainer and Dr. Wily, who rather than have custom moves have custom teams. And yeah, a visual representation of what the fighter/team has and can do would be good. Like in the case of Link; if he's using Pegasus Boots, his boots have wings on them. If he's using Bombs, he has a Bomb Bag on his belt. If he has a Hammer, it'll be slung on his back. And so forth. Modularity!

Yeah, that's a fair point.

I still want to see Link do some stuff with the Rod of Seasons and Harp of Ages. Seasons would be super fun, and the Harp could be just as awesome if implemented right. 

[Lord_Brand]

Seasons, definitely. Ages would be kinda tricky, since part of the shtick is traveling back and forth in time. I'd kinda want Zelda to be the one to use the Rod and Harp though, especially if she could use the Magic Rod as her main weapon. Link could use weapons and tools while Zelda could use magical items such as the Rods. But I'd be cool with Link using that stuff too, so long as Zelda gets some customization options.

[Lightcosmo]

3 hours ago, Lord_Brand said:

Seasons, definitely. Ages would be kinda tricky, since part of the shtick is traveling back and forth in time. I'd kinda want Zelda to be the one to use the Rod and Harp though, especially if she could use the Magic Rod as her main weapon. Link could use weapons and tools while Zelda could use magical items such as the Rods. But I'd be cool with Link using that stuff too, so long as Zelda gets some customization options.

I dont mind who gets them, as long as they get rep somewhere! 

I would like to see the seed shooter/slingshot/hyper slingshot + seeds somewhere, too. That's alot of options in one, which gives alot of customization as well.

[Lord_Brand]

Considering the Seeds were arguably the true primary items of the Oracles, moreso than the Rod and Harp themselves, I'd be down with that. Perhaps they could be options for "Classic" Link?

Although, they could always make "Item Inventory" Link's Shield Special gimmick, allowing him to change which item is assigned to his N Special on the fly similar to my suggestion for Mega Man to have Special Weapon switching. In which case, they could allow the player to customize Link's inventory.

Edited December 22, 2020 by Lord_Brand

[Lightcosmo]

The seeds just had alot of fun ideas and options.

Why not have fire/ice/electric/bomb arrows as well?

[Lord_Brand]

Yeah, that'd work well, for Champion Link in particular.

Depending on how much we want to focus on individual games, I'd consider including as many as seven different Links, each of whom could have his own set of items to pick from.

• Classic Link, or just plain Link
• Ocarina Link, the adult version specifically
• Young Link, from OoT and MM
• Toon Link
• Twilight Link, with the gimmick of transforming into Wolf Link & Midna
• Skyward Link
• Champion Link

That would cover all the classic and toon games as well as the major console entries. However, that would reduce the amount of customization options per Link. Ocarina, Twilight, and Skyward could be combined together, but Champion Link has enough material to stand on his own.