Topic: The Super Smash Obscurities Discussion

[Luffy1Piece]

This is a topic that is to discuss the possibilities of the inclusion of lesser known characters into the game's roster. I will post a character's profile and then we can discuss both the character's likelihood of being included as well as what the character brings to the table(unique gameplay, movesets or unique themes). I'll get the first two profiles up to get the conversation started.

Super Smash Obscurity Profile #1



Name: Takamaru
Game: Nazo no Murasamejou(Mystery of Murasame Castle)
Platform: Famicom Disk System
Release: 1986
Regions: Japan

Game Info: Mystery of Murasame Castle was a top down action game. It ran off a screen by screen non-scrolling game engine that was quite similar to The Legend of Zelda. However, Murasame was linear and had a greater focus on heated action than Zelda did. It was produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and had a soundtrack by legendary Nintendo composer Koji Kondo. Much like how Kid Icarus was Metroid's sister title, Mystery of Murasame Castle was the sister title to Zelda. The two were often cross promoted with joint merchandise such as keychains featuring both Link and Takamaru or soundtrack LPs that featured arrangments of the main themes for both games. The original title has also been ported a few times over the years such as the 2004 GBA release as part of the Famicom Mini line. The game also makes a cameo appearance in Pikmin 2.

Character Info: Takamaru is a samurai charged with the task of infiltrating 5 castles in Edo era Japan and taking out each of the castle's lords who had become possessed by demons. He has many abilities including a mastery of Japanese sword fighting, throwing kunai, hurling a powerful fire wave, deflecting projectile attacks with his sword and turning invisible for short periods of time. Takamaru had 3 mentions on Sakurai's character poll.


Nazo no Murasamejou Gameplay Video!


Short Famicom Mini TV Spot


Nazo no Murasamejou Orchestral Version


Super Smash Obscurity Profile #2



Name: Stafy
Game: Densetsu no Stafy(Legend of Stafy) series
Platform: GameBoy Advance, Nintendo DS
Release:2002-2006
Regions: Japan

Game Info: The Legend of Stafy series was originally developed by Tose best known to Nintendo fans probably for having developed Super Princess Peach. The games are a series of platformers fairly similar to the Kirby series in terms of feel and level design. The first game was originally planned for the GameBoy Color but was cancelled when the announcment of the GBA was made. The game ended up being restarted for that platform instead. The series for some reason has remained Japan only for the time being. It was rumored that Nintendo of America had considered releasing Stafy 4 for the DS in the US but nothing had come of it. Perhaps Sakurai could use Smash to build interest for the franchise worldwide much like Melee did for Fire Emblem and we can finally see a worldwide release for the series.

Character Info: Stafy is a starfish(or perhaps a real star) and is a pretty easy-going fellow. He hangs around with his sister Stapy and his friend the clam, Kyorosuke. Stafy is oftentimes the butt of a lot of physical humor and gags. Stafy made cameo appearances in both Super Princess Peach and Mario & Luigi Super Star Saga. The following videos will do a good job of highlighting some of Stafy's abilities.


Legend of Stafy 2 Commercial

Stafy 4 Commercial

Stafy 3 Boss Fight Video

Another Stafy 3 Boss Fight!

Hey! It's Wario!

Battling the Octopus Knight

Hopefully, we can get some good Takamaru and Stafy discussion going until I finish the third profile!

[Spak-Spang]

I know Stafy is a Japanese only character, but I hope that he is a playable character.  I think his design is awesome, and it is a new franchise character...if he is not playable I will be disappointed.

[nickmitch]

Didn't a Stafy game or two come out in NA?

[NWR_pap64]

Funny you posted these two characters, Luffy. In one of their Smash it up entries IGN posted them as being assist trophy material due to the hint that some of the trophies are so obscure that only hardcore, very dedicated fans will recognize them.

Sakurai did say that he wouldn't focus exclusively on Japan only characters, but with the Devil from Devil's world being confirmed who knows what may happen.

[KDR_11k]

Stafy can float, spin and... um... spin faster! Though maybe he could have Kyosuke pop up during some moves. In Stafy 1 (haven't played the later ones yet) you can play Pong with Stafy being the ball and Kyosuke the paddle...

Also you picked a pretty angry pictue of him when he's usually cuter than Kirby.

[HadesGigas]

I think if we're going to go with obscure swordsmen from games vaguely related to Legend of Zelda, we should go with Prince of Sablé or Prince Richard from For the Frog the Bell Tolls (and Link's Awakening).




Moves would be sword stuff, and transformations (into a frog and Sablé could be a snake as well)

[Kairon]

ARGH! NO MORE SWORDS CHARACTERS already!!!

[HadesGigas]

Yeah, I'd agree on the enough swordsmen.

[Nick DiMola]

Stafi is awesome, we totally need him in Smash. I still can't quite understand why those games aren't localized. With the happy bright colors and the strong representation Nintendo has with the DS in the younger demographic this game would sell a million no question.

[EasyCure]

Name: Jack (default)
Game: Harvest Moon
Platform: SNES, GB, N64, GBA, GC, DS
Release: 1997

Game Info: A simple yet addictive farming sim. You play the role of Jack whom inherits his grandfathers farm and turn it from a dump to a lucrative business. You're givin the option to balance your proffesional life with your personal life by courting bachelorettes in the town neighboring your farm, as well as taking part in said towns various festivities. You learn to raise a farm and a family.

Character Info: Jack is a young man with a big responsibility. Because the player is in control of Jacks life, the only story he has is that which you unfold for him by your actions. In each incarnation of the game you simply start off as the new guy in town who is going to fix up the old farm. Your actions affect how the townspeople view you. You can choose to be a workaholic by never taking part in the festivities and not making friends, or be an eligible bachelor that can balance work and pleasure, ultimately taking a wife and raising children.

i think jack here could make for a fun character. He'd obviously use his tools for attacks, i could see them being used in ways that could represent his series pretty well actually.

possible B specials:

Standard B: Hammer Pound - With the chance of ice climbers being absent from this brawl, someones gotta pound skulls in with a hammer, might as well be jack.

Side B: Watering Can - This is an odd one.. Its a close up grab move in which jack plants a seed on your head and douses you in water. Doesn't cause much initial damage but the seed starts to grow, damaging you slowly (like the Lips Stick item) and the bigger it gets the more it hinders your mobility. Damaging that player makes the seed grow faster.

Down B: (Silver) Hoe attack - Jack whips out his trusty hoe and smacks it into the ground. Being hit by the hoe causes the most damage but it also sends a bit of a shockwave along the ground for extra damage to nearby enemies for a decent mid-length attack.

Up B: (Gold) Scythe Spin - similar to DK's spin move, faster and more lateral.

Final Smash: Livestock Hearding - cows and sheep run across the screen after Jack rings his bell, even the chickens fly around like a cuccoo atack!

misc moves:

grab attack: while grabbing your opponent and hitting A, jack can scrub their face with a brush (i just think that would be funny)

throw: jack whips you across the screen using his trusty fishing rod

taunt: jack whistles and your dog appears and you pet him lovingly (aww!)  

[Sessha]

Jack would be awesome, but he would need an attack that calls the Harvest Sprites.    

[NWR_pap64]

Quote
Originally posted by: Mr. Jack
Stafi is awesome, we totally need him in Smash. I still can't quite understand why those games aren't localized. With the happy bright colors and the strong representation Nintendo has with the DS in the younger demographic this game would sell a million no question.

Maybe they are too cute and/or Japanese for audiences around the world?

I'm surprised the series hasn't been released. I saw gameplay footage and its nothing out of the ordinary (as in its not too out there for it to be release overseas).

[KDR_11k]

Harvest Moon is third-party, not happening.

Perhaps Tose just doesn't have a western publisher or something like that?

[EasyCure]

although i agree that its not gonna happen, just saying "third party, not gonna happen" is ignorant since we know there will be atleast one third party character in brawl.

im just throwing him out there an an obscure character for sake of discussion.

[Louieturkey]

Personally, I think Mike Jones from StarTropics would be an excellent addition.  Especially since the game actually came out in more than just Japan.

[anubis6789]

Yeah, Mike Jones would be awesome, but he actually has less of a chance in my eyes then Stafi because Star Tropics only came out in N.A. and Europe, and Zoda's Revenge only came out in N.A., which means that he may not even be known to the dev crew of Brawl.

As a note I would like to say that just because Sakurai said that he did not want to have, or focus on, too many Japan only characters does not mean there will not be one or two (Devil does not count as a Japan only character though, Devil world was released in Europe).

As for a my contribution to the obscure character list I would like to say Alice and her younger brother (they would act kind of like the Ice Climbers) from Balloon Kid (U.S.A.)/Balloon Fight GB (JPN) for the Game Boy/Game Boy Color, a psudo sequel to Balloon Fight. In the main game Alice is trying to save her brother but, little known fact, in the Colorized release for Japan they added a two player mode where the other player is represented on your screen by her little brother, or at least that is how the pics made it look when I looked at the Nintendo Power GB (the Japanese download stations for GB games) site a long time ago.