Post by Anthony G on Oct 30, 2008 18:29:32 GMT -5
Hint #5
Many people are convinced that this character has no potential, and have barely put time into learning the character. But it seems a select few have seen this character's potential, and are taking it to the next level. Surprisingly enough, this character may even have the potential to put up a fight against characters like MK, but not many people would attest to that. With effective tilts/smashes/aerials that can be punished if missed or blocked, you should make every attack with this character count. This character also has some specials that are not only good, but are nearly essential to using this character well, and can be used for catching the opponent by surprise. Even with all of these attributes, taking this character to the next level requires skill, patience, and consistency. A single mistake can put you on the defensive for quite a while, and could even lead to your death if the opponent is good at edgeguarding.
Can you guess who this week's character is?
Winner: NA
Answer: (highlight it)
Bowser
Synopsis: (highlight it)
Bowser is a character of extremes. He basically runs hot and cold. His advantages, such as his heavy weight, excellent out of shield options, grab release options, and his multitude of KO moves, are all very prominent. Unfortunately, his weaknesses, his large size (making him easy to combo and hit), laggy attacks, lack of options in many circumstances, and poor vertical recovery are just as obvious.
Bowser will never be the powerhouse that a player can simply pick up and destroy the opposition with, but if a player dedicates himself to this character and gets around his weaknesses it is highly likely that they can make significant marks on the tournament scene. The fact that Bowser has so many obvious weaknesses may actually be a boon to him; there are few serious Bowser mains in existence, so if you happen to run up against one you are unlikely to have experience fighting them... while they will almost certainly have experience fighting your character.
Hint #4
This week's character will be a fun one to talk about. Underestimated by many, this character has a devastating aerial game that will surprise you when it takes you out at a low percent. But on the ground this character doesn't have very many options against long range or projectile spamming characters other than one of their B attacks. And this character's recovery can be fine sometimes, but against smart opponents this character can be gimped quite easily.
Can you guess who next week's character will be?
Winner:
1st Place: NA
2nd Place: NA
Answer: (highlight it)
Ganondorf
Synopsis: (highlight it)
Ganon is a beast. When Brawl was first released he was considered by most to be one of the worst characters in the game. Shortly after release, however, several people discovered that a few aerials could be auto canceled with perfect timing and some of his ground moves had IASA frames. This helped Ganon's speed, but he still shines strongest in one category: power.
Ganon hits like a freakin bus full of fat people. Nearly every move is a capable killer and it only takes a few hits to get your opponent to the point of imminent doom. If you can land an auto canceled d-air and follow with an aerial you can get your opponent up to over 40% before they even touch you. Even Ganon's dash attack is a powerful kill move, destroying lighter opponents at around 80% fresh. His power combined with his far reach can catch quicker opponents off guard and send them flying. There's nothing quite like kicking Snake in the chest with a stretched out f-tilt and quietly whispering, "this is sparta" to yourself.
Although we all harp on Ganon's quickness, he isn't as slow as you'd think. His n-air comes out very fast and can catch aerial attackers off guard. His neutral jab, d-tilt, and f-tilt are all surprisingly quick and powerful. His up smash has IASA frames and can quickly cancel into a jab or a d-tilt. His real weakness lies in his running speed and the wind down on several moves. That is why only an expert can effectively wield Ganon. If you completely whiff an f-smash, a d-smash, or you fail to auto-cancel a move - you're screwed.
All in all, I'd say Ganon rules. That may sound a bit general for a summary, but we're talking about Old Man Winter here. He's certainly not top tier, but who cares? He's a badass.
Hint #3
This newcomer is a tough one to deal with. The combination of awesome priority, quick attacks, and projectiles you can spam, playing against this character definitely requires patience. However, playing with this character also requires patience, as it is difficult to KO an opponent until they show an opening. But is that disadvantage enough to hold this character back?
Can you guess who next week's character will be?
Winner:
1st Place: Cortez
2nd Place: NA
Answer: (highlight it)
ROB
Synopsis: (highlight it)
ROB is awesome. He has practically everything you could ever want in a character. Unfortunately for ROB, what he has is rarely the BEST of what you could want with the exception of his recovery. So, ROB has to work a bit harder than other characters; but just because he isn't easy to play doesn't mean he isn't awesome! ROB has several weak spots, including beneath him, behind him, and anything at a 9 o'clock position (if ROB is the center of the clock) is totally safe from ROB. That means platforms really hurt him! ROB also has several good and bad matchups, and it seems that he is one of the few characters that is showing true one-sided matchups (for good or worse) already. Expect to see more ROB mainers out there in the next few months!
Hint #2
Do you think you know how to play against this character? Think again. It seems like this character has a playstyle unique to every user, and its difficult to get a read on how they move. This character is effective at both long range and short range, and has mindgames that will put even the best players to shame. But this character has a recovery that, although many people think is quite amazing, is easily countered.
Winner:
1st Place: Wolvy
2nd Place: NA
Answer: (highlight it)
Snake
Synopsis: (highlight it)
Snake lives forever and his most commonly used move does over 20% when it is fresh. He has an auto-jab that can activated by simply holding A, he has a remote mine that can be placed on the edge, his neutral air can do approximately a zillion damage and can be auto-canceled, his u-air can be auto-canceled, his bair can be auto-canceled, his fair helps his recovery, his c4 helps his recovery, and his up+b has super armor. He also has one of the best approaches in the game due to his dash attack to u-smash combo, and at the same time has one of the best defensive options in the game due to being able to simply drop a grenade. On top of all of this, his u-tilt could possibly be the best move in game as far as KO power to speed ratio. On top of all of that, his f-smash grants him the ability to give an almost for-sure KO against any opponent that manages to have their shield broken.
Snake is good.
That said, Snake suffers against projectile spam and his recovery, if done poorly, can be easily gimped. Not only can he be spiked, but if someone grabs him and doesn't hit or throw him, he will not get his up+b back and then is forced to use C4 to recover; at high percents this could kill him. His C4, while useful, cannot actively be used on the stage if he hopes to recover with it later. His down-smash, a proximity mine, can be actively used against him, and while all of Snake's moves are excellent, you are practically forced to save your u-tilt, his f-tilt becomes increasingly weaker as it is the most commonly used move, and his dash attack to u-smash combo is very hard to space properly. Almost all of Snake's moves are situational, meaning that if Snake is on the defense it can put him in a sticky situation. All of his aerials have a ton of lag if they are not auto-canceled, so Snake is practically forced to air dodge when he is in the air; this makes him predictable, and thus punishable.
While Snake's game seems fairly straightforward, a smart player can get around most of his weaknesses. Snake will undoubtedly stay one of the top competitiors for a long period of time; to beat Snake you have to play patiently and aggressively, and you can't miss an opportunity to hit him out of his recovery.
Hint #1
Our first discussion on a veteran! This veteran has undergone some drastic changes since Melee, although most of the attacks may look the same, the properties are much different. The combination of possibly some of the most devastating smash attacks, great mindgames, and an awesome recovery make this character tough to handle. Actually, what disadvantages does this character even have?
Winner(s):
1st Place: LittleLink
2nd Place: Wolvy
Answer: (highlight it)
Mr. Game & Watch
Synopsis: (highlight it)
G&W has very few weaknesses, most of which are minor. He can be grabbed out of his up+b and then, like snake, will fall to his doom if you do not throw him. Unfortunately, his up+b auto sweetspots and is an attack, so this will rarely, if ever, happen. His smash attacks have a delay before coming out, but due to their insane strength and excellent IASA frames, that delay isn't really easily punished. G&W is very light, but with good DI and smart play he can often survive until 160% with ease.
He has an excellent d-throw that can be used to tech chase with another grab or smash, and even crazier is that his down+b prevents people from using projectiles aggressively against him. Three projectiles hitting that bucket make G&W have a very powerful attack, so powerful that it is never worth it to shoot a projectile if he has two in his bucket already.
G&W is an excellent character when used with proper spacing; he is so powerful he doesn't even really need to "mix it up" as much as one would expect. He just needs to space himself properly and get off one of his ridiculously powerful smashes when his opponents are at high percent.
Also, his neutral air autocancels, his dair is a spike and has a landing hitbox, his forward air can be used as a KO move, his u-air can be used to stall until the opponent gets off the stage or air dodges, both of which set them up for disaster, and his backair shield pokes and has a final hitbox at the end that prevents the attack from being punishable.
Did I mention that his d-smash is both a vertical kill move AND can send an opponent out at a downward angle away from the stage? It makes it near impossible for a tether recovery to return if they are hit by that d-smash near the edge.
Many people are convinced that this character has no potential, and have barely put time into learning the character. But it seems a select few have seen this character's potential, and are taking it to the next level. Surprisingly enough, this character may even have the potential to put up a fight against characters like MK, but not many people would attest to that. With effective tilts/smashes/aerials that can be punished if missed or blocked, you should make every attack with this character count. This character also has some specials that are not only good, but are nearly essential to using this character well, and can be used for catching the opponent by surprise. Even with all of these attributes, taking this character to the next level requires skill, patience, and consistency. A single mistake can put you on the defensive for quite a while, and could even lead to your death if the opponent is good at edgeguarding.
Can you guess who this week's character is?
Winner: NA
Answer: (highlight it)
Bowser
Synopsis: (highlight it)
Bowser is a character of extremes. He basically runs hot and cold. His advantages, such as his heavy weight, excellent out of shield options, grab release options, and his multitude of KO moves, are all very prominent. Unfortunately, his weaknesses, his large size (making him easy to combo and hit), laggy attacks, lack of options in many circumstances, and poor vertical recovery are just as obvious.
Bowser will never be the powerhouse that a player can simply pick up and destroy the opposition with, but if a player dedicates himself to this character and gets around his weaknesses it is highly likely that they can make significant marks on the tournament scene. The fact that Bowser has so many obvious weaknesses may actually be a boon to him; there are few serious Bowser mains in existence, so if you happen to run up against one you are unlikely to have experience fighting them... while they will almost certainly have experience fighting your character.
Hint #4
This week's character will be a fun one to talk about. Underestimated by many, this character has a devastating aerial game that will surprise you when it takes you out at a low percent. But on the ground this character doesn't have very many options against long range or projectile spamming characters other than one of their B attacks. And this character's recovery can be fine sometimes, but against smart opponents this character can be gimped quite easily.
Can you guess who next week's character will be?
Winner:
1st Place: NA
2nd Place: NA
Answer: (highlight it)
Ganondorf
Synopsis: (highlight it)
Ganon is a beast. When Brawl was first released he was considered by most to be one of the worst characters in the game. Shortly after release, however, several people discovered that a few aerials could be auto canceled with perfect timing and some of his ground moves had IASA frames. This helped Ganon's speed, but he still shines strongest in one category: power.
Ganon hits like a freakin bus full of fat people. Nearly every move is a capable killer and it only takes a few hits to get your opponent to the point of imminent doom. If you can land an auto canceled d-air and follow with an aerial you can get your opponent up to over 40% before they even touch you. Even Ganon's dash attack is a powerful kill move, destroying lighter opponents at around 80% fresh. His power combined with his far reach can catch quicker opponents off guard and send them flying. There's nothing quite like kicking Snake in the chest with a stretched out f-tilt and quietly whispering, "this is sparta" to yourself.
Although we all harp on Ganon's quickness, he isn't as slow as you'd think. His n-air comes out very fast and can catch aerial attackers off guard. His neutral jab, d-tilt, and f-tilt are all surprisingly quick and powerful. His up smash has IASA frames and can quickly cancel into a jab or a d-tilt. His real weakness lies in his running speed and the wind down on several moves. That is why only an expert can effectively wield Ganon. If you completely whiff an f-smash, a d-smash, or you fail to auto-cancel a move - you're screwed.
All in all, I'd say Ganon rules. That may sound a bit general for a summary, but we're talking about Old Man Winter here. He's certainly not top tier, but who cares? He's a badass.
Hint #3
This newcomer is a tough one to deal with. The combination of awesome priority, quick attacks, and projectiles you can spam, playing against this character definitely requires patience. However, playing with this character also requires patience, as it is difficult to KO an opponent until they show an opening. But is that disadvantage enough to hold this character back?
Can you guess who next week's character will be?
Winner:
1st Place: Cortez
2nd Place: NA
Answer: (highlight it)
ROB
Synopsis: (highlight it)
ROB is awesome. He has practically everything you could ever want in a character. Unfortunately for ROB, what he has is rarely the BEST of what you could want with the exception of his recovery. So, ROB has to work a bit harder than other characters; but just because he isn't easy to play doesn't mean he isn't awesome! ROB has several weak spots, including beneath him, behind him, and anything at a 9 o'clock position (if ROB is the center of the clock) is totally safe from ROB. That means platforms really hurt him! ROB also has several good and bad matchups, and it seems that he is one of the few characters that is showing true one-sided matchups (for good or worse) already. Expect to see more ROB mainers out there in the next few months!
Hint #2
Do you think you know how to play against this character? Think again. It seems like this character has a playstyle unique to every user, and its difficult to get a read on how they move. This character is effective at both long range and short range, and has mindgames that will put even the best players to shame. But this character has a recovery that, although many people think is quite amazing, is easily countered.
Winner:
1st Place: Wolvy
2nd Place: NA
Answer: (highlight it)
Snake
Synopsis: (highlight it)
Snake lives forever and his most commonly used move does over 20% when it is fresh. He has an auto-jab that can activated by simply holding A, he has a remote mine that can be placed on the edge, his neutral air can do approximately a zillion damage and can be auto-canceled, his u-air can be auto-canceled, his bair can be auto-canceled, his fair helps his recovery, his c4 helps his recovery, and his up+b has super armor. He also has one of the best approaches in the game due to his dash attack to u-smash combo, and at the same time has one of the best defensive options in the game due to being able to simply drop a grenade. On top of all of this, his u-tilt could possibly be the best move in game as far as KO power to speed ratio. On top of all of that, his f-smash grants him the ability to give an almost for-sure KO against any opponent that manages to have their shield broken.
Snake is good.
That said, Snake suffers against projectile spam and his recovery, if done poorly, can be easily gimped. Not only can he be spiked, but if someone grabs him and doesn't hit or throw him, he will not get his up+b back and then is forced to use C4 to recover; at high percents this could kill him. His C4, while useful, cannot actively be used on the stage if he hopes to recover with it later. His down-smash, a proximity mine, can be actively used against him, and while all of Snake's moves are excellent, you are practically forced to save your u-tilt, his f-tilt becomes increasingly weaker as it is the most commonly used move, and his dash attack to u-smash combo is very hard to space properly. Almost all of Snake's moves are situational, meaning that if Snake is on the defense it can put him in a sticky situation. All of his aerials have a ton of lag if they are not auto-canceled, so Snake is practically forced to air dodge when he is in the air; this makes him predictable, and thus punishable.
While Snake's game seems fairly straightforward, a smart player can get around most of his weaknesses. Snake will undoubtedly stay one of the top competitiors for a long period of time; to beat Snake you have to play patiently and aggressively, and you can't miss an opportunity to hit him out of his recovery.
Hint #1
Our first discussion on a veteran! This veteran has undergone some drastic changes since Melee, although most of the attacks may look the same, the properties are much different. The combination of possibly some of the most devastating smash attacks, great mindgames, and an awesome recovery make this character tough to handle. Actually, what disadvantages does this character even have?
Winner(s):
1st Place: LittleLink
2nd Place: Wolvy
Answer: (highlight it)
Mr. Game & Watch
Synopsis: (highlight it)
G&W has very few weaknesses, most of which are minor. He can be grabbed out of his up+b and then, like snake, will fall to his doom if you do not throw him. Unfortunately, his up+b auto sweetspots and is an attack, so this will rarely, if ever, happen. His smash attacks have a delay before coming out, but due to their insane strength and excellent IASA frames, that delay isn't really easily punished. G&W is very light, but with good DI and smart play he can often survive until 160% with ease.
He has an excellent d-throw that can be used to tech chase with another grab or smash, and even crazier is that his down+b prevents people from using projectiles aggressively against him. Three projectiles hitting that bucket make G&W have a very powerful attack, so powerful that it is never worth it to shoot a projectile if he has two in his bucket already.
G&W is an excellent character when used with proper spacing; he is so powerful he doesn't even really need to "mix it up" as much as one would expect. He just needs to space himself properly and get off one of his ridiculously powerful smashes when his opponents are at high percent.
Also, his neutral air autocancels, his dair is a spike and has a landing hitbox, his forward air can be used as a KO move, his u-air can be used to stall until the opponent gets off the stage or air dodges, both of which set them up for disaster, and his backair shield pokes and has a final hitbox at the end that prevents the attack from being punishable.
Did I mention that his d-smash is both a vertical kill move AND can send an opponent out at a downward angle away from the stage? It makes it near impossible for a tether recovery to return if they are hit by that d-smash near the edge.
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