Well guys and gals, it’s been a week longer than usual, but I intend to make it worthwhile in today’s Smashing Saturdays! I will say it was nice recharging my batteries in NYC, and in so doing I got an especially crazy idea for today’s Most Wanted Brawler! It’s not who you might expect the day after the release of TWEWY: Final Remix, but I promise it will be entertaining at the least. Besides that, there’s a ton of stuff to cover, including new info about Assist Trophies, more music, my favorite recent Pokémon and lots more. So let’s stop building the moment and get straight to the good stuff!

On the bus to destruction…

When they first showed off Isabelle, I seriously thought her Final Smash involved getting kidnapped in a bus. But they have since clarified that she has the exact same Final Smash as Villager (you know, just like an Echo). Now we have total clarity about what that bus madness was about, and it’s none other than a new Assist Trophy – Kapp’n! This adorable fellow from Animal Crossing will ride around the stage, and if he hits you, he’ll push you into his bus and drive off the screen! Pretty horrifying way to go, but I’m glad to see that sort of crazy in Ultimate.

I still remember how mysterious and captivating Sheik was in Ocarina of Time. It’s not often a character from Zelda sticks with me after so long, which is of course why I’m absolutely horrible playing the character in Smash Bros. Just the universe’s twisted sense of humor. That said, I’m glad Zelda’s more physical half is still in Ultimate, now wearing a Breath of the Wild inspired outfit.

This week we have two songs to cover, one from Tomodachi Life and the other from Fire Emblem. You can probably guess which I prefer, but that doesn’t mean either is bad. From Tomodachi Life, and composed by Masafumi Takada, we have Afternoon on the Island. It’s a jubilant and upbeat song utterly lacking in drama. From Fire Emblem, and composed by Takeshi Kuramochi, we have Id (Purpose). This one is climactic and exciting, with some nice vocals. But both are certainly worthy, and you can listen to them here.

I really enjoyed Saffron City back in the day, and I’m especially glad it’s coming back in Ultimate. Better yet, I got to play test it at E3 when I was trying out Ridley, and I can say it’s just as fun and hectic as you might remember. Nothing quite like having Pokémon pop out unexpectedly to assault you. Plus it still has that delicious retro visual flair I love. Which is good, cause I utterly hate the next brawler.

I think I hate Fox so much cause his play style goes so utterly counter to my own. He’s all about control and power, whereas I like chaos and unpredictability. It probably doesn’t help he’s a favorite on the competitive scene, cause that instantly turns me off to almost anything. But, I will say he looks pretty with his new duds from Star Fox Zero. Hopefully he got a new voice actor as well, cause I still cringe every time I hear “FIRE”.

Looks like Dr. Mario will need a doctor soon…

Say what you will about Pokémon Sun and Moon, but they had some wonderful new Pokémon. One standout for me was the Fairy/Ghost Mimikyu. He’s just so derpy and terrifying in equal measure. Didn’t hurt that dual typing meant he could learn some crazy moves, and I always love me a Swiss Army Knife style Pokémon. In Smash Bros., Mimikyu will drag you under his rags and beat on you. If you get to 100% while trapped, you’ll instantly be KOed. In other words, Mimikyu is still awesome.

Wii Fit Trainer is still one of the strangest characters in a series known for weirdos. That said, I enjoy watching masters of the character play, since I have literally zero skill with Wii Fit Trainer. Which is unfortunate, since I do like mastering weird and unpopular characters. Oh well, in a game with a roster this huge, I suppose I can’t be good with everyone…

Even though I’m not a fan of all the clone characters in Smash, I do like the good doctor. Dr. Mario is a lot of fun to play, and just different enough from plumber Mario to be entertaining. Or it could just be nostalgia from playing the game he’s originally from has warped my brain. Either way, a pill a day keeps the virus away. Or something.

I may not be a huge fan of the Boxing Ring stage, but that’s just cause it can be a bastard to smash someone off the screen there. Other than that, it’s a fun area, especially when there’s lots of items to keep things hectic. Also fun is you can select the Punch-Out!! version of the ring by holding L when selecting the stage. Which proves once again that Sakurai and company think of EVERYTHING.

He’s so beautiful! Why can’t he be playable?

As a fan of all things Mega Man, I also enjoyed the X series. What’s funny about it was that, much as I enjoyed Mega Man X, Zero was the character that really took the spotlight. He just had so much more drama and personality than X. Plus he has a freaking lightsaber, so that’s cool. Sure, he may have been built by evil, but that only makes his struggle to be a good bot that much more compelling. In Ultimate, Zero will use a variety of iconic moves, proving once more he should have been a playable character. Oh well, can’t have everybody in the game, I suppose.

Conceptually, there’s nothing I dislike about Greninja. He’s a frog ninja with a tongue scarf. Just writing that description made me happy! But as a character in Smash, I am not a fan. Mostly cause I can’t seem to master the shadowy amphibian. But, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be in the game. I’ve seen lots of other players master the froggy fellow, and it is cool watching him hurl shuriken and disappear into shadows. Which is completely at odds with our next Most Wanted Brawler!

Most Wanted Brawler

Professor E. Gadd

Sure, TWEWY: Final Remix released yesterday, but so did Luigi’s Mansion on the 3DS! After getting into a lengthy discussion with my cousin about the upcoming Luigi’s Mansion 3 while in NYC, I decided that the good professor who builds ghost hunting technology would make a great fit for Smash Bros. Ultimate. Professor Elvin Gadd is a strange little fellow, always speaking in gibberish. But his mind is quite sound, and he’s invented some amazing tools for others to use. Some of the more noteworthy ones are the Poltergust 3000, a freaking Time Machine, delicious caffinated drinks (no, seriously) and even the F.L.U.D.D. So even though he is far from the burliest of men, Professor E. Gadd could certainly hold his own in Ultimate using a bunch of crazy devices.

For his standard B Special, I see Prof using the Poltergust to shoot ghosts at foes, giving him a keep away style. For his recovery Special, he could use one of his handy E-Gates from Dark Moon, tossing it and lunging through, teleporting him to safety. For his side B, I can see E. Gadd using the Magic Paintbrush stolen by Bowser Jr. to dash across the screen, doing his best Inkling impression. Finally, for his Down B, he would use his Vacuum Orb to suck up any nearby items, allowing him to nab them faster than other brawlers. For his Final Smash, it would have to involve the things that made him memorable. In other words, vacuums and ghosts. So I can see E. Gadd transporting his foes into the mansion itself, where they would be attacked by ghosts and finished off by E. Gadd ramming them while riding the Poltergust 3001. Though he may not be that likely of a brawler, it would be great to see Luigi’s Mansion get some more love with his inclusion.

Thanks as always for tuning in, and check back with oprainfall next Saturday for the latest Smashing Saturdays! Hopefully without any more interruptions before the release of Smash Bros. Ultimate.