Nintendo has released 3 new characters for us in Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS. After having a some time to play through with them, I want to share some thoughts on these new challengers. Also will give a brief history of the characters as well. No spoilers will be given for these games.
So a quick break down on the new characters. First, they are all paid DLC. Prices vary by region. Next two of the three are returning characters and the third is brand new and comes with his own stage. The characters are Lucas, who was previously announced, Roy who last seen in Melee and Ryu from Street Fighter.
To start things off let us talk about Lucas. He was announced previously and has finally been released. He hasn’t changed much in his looks, but has some new tweaks to a few of moves. His back air attack is now his only meteor, but is easier to spot the hit under his knee. His throws have also changed in they have more knock back on his back throw on a horizontal scale. His down throw also buries the opponent for a short time. Enough to get in a quick hit, but not a fully charged attack. Previous Games he has been in: Smash Bros Brawl, Mother 3 (Japan only.)
A rainbow of Lucas
Next up our boy Roy. Roy makes his return from Melee with a vengeance. His now sorts new animations for most of his attacks, and is more a Luigi to Marth then a straight clone. He is an up close fighter, but gives off a fiery burst on most attacks. He can also angle his up B move a lot more, but loses movement with it. He is also stronger, dealing more damage then Marth especially if he hits with beginning of the flame burst from his hilt. The exception seems to be his Up smash which hits hardest on the final burst near the tip. His Final smash is a stationary sword slash, that can move foes into the main attack, based on his critical hit animation in his Main Fire Emblem game. Previous games : Smash Bros Melee.
Roy’s our Boy
Finally here is our new Challenger: Ryu. The wandering warrior has come to face new and old foes in the name of challenge to his abilities. His move set takes mostly form his Street Fight IV 4 move set with a few tweaks from from a could other games. His forward smash comes from a special move in most crossover games he appears in, but without the bonuses it has from those games. His standard moves form all his games, the Hadoken, Shoryken and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku all appear as his special moves, with the ability to charge for more damage. They can also use their well known inputs to give them a power boost and added effects, like Shoryuken having invincibility frames and fast recovery. His final Special move is his Focus Attack, which allows him to take a hit, stun opponents, or break shields. He can also cancel the move by preforming a “dash” by pressing left or right twice while on the ground. Has two Final Smashes to accommodate his alternating big attacks in other games. First is his Metsu Hadoken which is the standard attack. It fires a single fireball that will suck in airborne opponents, not very effective. Secondly when his is standing next to an enemy, he uses the Shin Shoryuken. A 3 hit attack that has powerful knock back, even at low damage. He comes with extra bonus over the other two, making him a little more expensive. Previous games: see Wikipedia entry.
Showing off his true power
Overall These three add some new opportunities for people to pick up and play the current smash bros titles. While Lucas hasn’t gone over too big of a change from Brawl, Roy certainly has from Melee. Roy can now stand out form Marth a little better, especially with new animations. He feels stronger and doesn’t lose too much form not hitting that sweet spot. Lucas has some improvements and some drawbacks in this installments, but he didn’t really feel he had too much of an overall change. Ryu is a big change to Smash, with the way his inputs work. He doesn’t need to press B to get his specials when doing inputs, and they can be done rather quickly. There are some quirks, but getting the extra power really helps. He has the potential to become a serious contender, especially with his combo making power.
Personally I believe Ryu is the biggest game changer here. He brings new mechanics and strategies to the table. Roy is a fresh take on the character from Melee, but is still going to be fighting for use from his Fire Emblem brethren. Finally Lucas is a different take on Ness, but is rather sluggish compared to before. All are worth the money if you or friends are willing to pour in the time to use them, other wise just buy the ones you are going use for yourself.