[ ! ] Warning [ ! ]
I got a lil' type happy...you're safer skimming.
Hello Playstation Forum people!
This will mark my first and (mayhaps) only thread ever, but I couldn't resist!
Although I had some interest in this game before it's release, I missed it at release and never ended up picking it up until just this week when an online friend suggested I should buy it while it was on sale. (Himself already a fan of the game)
I was never big on Super Smash Bros (only really having played and enjoyed the N64 version), so I wasn't expecting much. As it downloaded, being fellow game designers, we decided to discuss exactly what kept me away from purchasing All-Stars and areas where we think the game might have failed. In both design and marketing. My main reason (as both a personal turnoff and [I think] a game design failure) concerned the games roster of characters.
For me personally, there were just too many "serious/high resolution" characters, such as Radec, Nathan, Isaac, Cole², etc. All togethering compiling more than half of the games line-up. This probably wouldn't have been so much a problem if at least they blended in better with the rest of the cast.
If you notice in the Smash Brothers series, everyone, no matter how they appear in their personal franchise are rendered in a similar style. Their appearance, polycount, an pallette are refurbished so that they all complement each other. Much like the childrens game Disney Infinity.
The clashing textures and resolutions just made All-Stars look... lazy and ugly (no offense to the developers. I'm sure making this game was a challenge, disarranged with all the obstacles and limitations that come with a title like this) Worse than that, I just didn't understand the roster. Big Daddy? Emmette? I see that Big Daddy might allure a certain fanbase/demographic, but as far as Emmette, Kat and some others go...it's just too much of a marketing ploy.
Besides all that, once everything was installed and I finally started it up, the game turned out to be pretty prettay prettaaay
fun •u• I wouldn't say it's perfect, sure, but how many games are. Enjoyable though? Very much so, ...we'll say a little more than enough.
ANYWAYS...
While not a fan of SSB, I've always enjoyed the fan art that accompanied the series. And as an artist myself, it wasn't long before I started musing about the characters interacting beyond the screen. But with a line-up so lackluster, I could only muse so far...
Still, the idea of drawing these Playstation characters in that same fashion was just too intense a craving ...so I decided to imagine beyond that. Why let a roster so incomplete stop me from having fun? And then, I started to do what I'm sure every single one of you (and more) have already done...a fan roster.
Well, not so much a 'fan' roster...but a 'what if I were in charge' roster; as some of these games I'm not really a fan of, and well..some I've not even played. It's not perfect, but here it is. Take #1 and Take #2.
I wasn't sure where a reasonable number was to start, as far a total character count, so I decided to use the previous SSB released on the Wii as a base/frame to work within.
From left to right, starting at the top, I'll explain my reasoning behind each character.
Take #1
Crash - I didn't find out until last night about the complications behind his and Spyro's nonexistance. But ignoring all the business politics for just a second, I think we all know no one deserves a spot more than this bandicoot.
Helghan - Radec is fine, but leaving the name behind and having just a helghan soldier as themself makes more sense to me. A la 'Big Daddy'.
Wander - While few and far between Team Ico's games have had a strong presence on the Playstation and a character like Wander would embody the Link archetype.
Lara - While I enjoy the direction of the new Tomb Raider series, a classic Lara Croft would be more fit for the All-Star series (imo). As well as being another given.
Sackboy - No explanation required.
Jak - No explanation required.
Prinny - While I have not played the Disgaea series I've noticed it's had a strong presence on the Playstation and a mascot like Prinny could serve well to fit represent the JRPG genre as a while. Another idea included Jack Frost from the Persona series. ( If not one of their popular main characters. )
Dante - No explanation required.
Echochrome - Playstations is more than just hack 'n' slash and adventure games. The mannequin would be a nice contrast compared to the rest of the cast, as well a nod to the more different games Playstation has to offer.
Regina - I included the Dino Crisis heroine because I had a hard time deciding on how or who to include from the Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchise. Having Regina would have paid homage to both of Playstations popular survival horror franchises without having to clutter the roster.
Hot Shot's/Everybody's Golf (er) - A popular seller on the Playstation, a main female from one of the series games would help to balance the games gender diversity, as well as include a sports title character.
Raziel - An iconic Playstation character of the late 90s and a fan favorite, Raziel would cater to longing fans nostalgia and could serve as a boost for a rebooted franchise.
Nariko - While Heavenly Sword wasn't the success Sony was expecting, I think people have a soft spot and really want to like Nariko. If you ask me, concerning Sony, she's more than a character from a failed game, but a symbol.
Black Mage - As I'm sure most would agree, Cloud would serve as the best representive of the Final Fantasy series. But what if not Cloud? Who then? Lightening? With a new Final Fantasy on the way, her relevance is fleeting. Bring in the Black Mage. This iconic character has appeared in mutliple titles and is easily identifiable to the series. On top of that, we'd be preventing adding another sword totting character and adding a character with a much more unique magical moveset.
Sly - No explanation required.
Oliver - Level-5 has gifted Playstation players with many well crafted (and well reviewed) JRPGs titles. So it only makes sense to provide one of their characters. Toan and Jasper are good picks, but so as long as there's no trouble with Studio Ghibli, Oliver and his familiars take the cake. (Originally, I thought of Folklore's titular characters emulating the role SSB Poke Trainer)
Drake - No explanationi required.
Snake - While I'm a MGS fan, and like me some Raiden, besides serving as an advertisment for Rising, his place in All-Stars is not as well welcomed as that of the legendary Solid Snake.
Fat Princess - No explanation required.
Toro - No explanation required.
Kratos - No explanation required.
Tikiman - Wanting to include some of Playstations indie titular characters is difficult. There's simply too many to choose from and not all of them are PSN exclusives. Thusly, I've picked the Tikiman from PixelJunk Monster's. Why? Because PixelJunk's been there since the begininng and they've earned it.
Spectre - Spike was a weird choice for me when playing All-Stars. Maybe it's just me, but Spectre or an Ape itself would have been more appropriate. And I thought that before I saw how ugly Spike looks in this game s: So either shape up or ship out, lil' buddy.
Ratchet - No explanation required.
Musashi - There are many characters I think of when I think of the old PSX days: Croc, Klonoa, Tomba, Rayman, etc...why'd I pick Brave Fencer Musashi? ...I have no idea. It just works for me.
Prince - Well if it isn't one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite video games ever...I'm just going to say 'no explanation required'. This is definitely a 'fan' pick for me. (Not that the Prince has not earned his spot. That goes without saying)
Spyro - With more than 9 million in sales between his top 3 PSX titles combined, All-Stars needs Spyro like Nintendo needed Pokemon, or Starfox...or Kirby....you get the idea.
Sweet Tooth - No explanation required.
Abe - No explanation required.
Reiko Nagase - I realize Ridge Racer isn't Playstation's top selling race title, but not every Super Smash star Nintendo has included (Ice Climbers, Pit) has been a top franchise pick either. I picked Reiko because when I look back at Playstations older days (even having only probably just played a demo), I see Ridge Racer. Someone needed to fill the popular selling MotorStorm, SledStorm, Driver, and Gran Turismos' shoes ...and she's the only one with a face and a name. Having her on the roster also includes another much needed female playable to the cast.
Sir Daniel - No explanation required.
Polpo - Every once in a while it's good to include that character that no one really knows about, who had a great reviewed game, but didn't get their chance. Thus I bring you Polpo from One Piece Mansion. With all the Western styled influenced characters, the roster desperately needs someone who has a Japanese/anime appearance. Only 4 of the characters in All-Stars show Japanese influence. Now there's probably a better choice than Polpo (and no I've not even played the game), but he had that look that just fit and none of the other games I'd first thought of really had someone that stood out. (Those games are: Pop'n Music, Aqua Aqua, Taiko Drum Master, Incredible Crisis...all which really, actualyl serve better as levels than anything). Who would you pick?
Dingo - From Zone of the Enders emulates that Samus Aran/Captain Commando (also a PSX title) archetype. Back to what I mentioned before, All-Stars could use a character with a stronger Japanese influence. I chose Dingo simply because I wasn't sure really whom to pick. KRONOS from Xenosaga might have been another good fit, as well as any main character from Hyperdimension Neptunia, Wild Arms, Arc the Lad, Tail Concerto, etc. It's a tough pick, and so, I picked Dingo. A much better candidate however was picked in my second attempt "Take #2" below.
Parappa - No explanation needed.
Heat - I picked Heat from Bust a Groove because I feel (personally) that rhythm and dance games have had a large presence on the Playstation. Whether it's a character from DDR, Guitar Hero, or any other music title, the genre needs to be represented.
Take #2
Featuring some minor changes
Traveler - I meant to include the Journey character in my first try at my roster, but completely forgot the popular indie character in the mess of things. Coming from (probably) the most well known and well received PSN titles, Traveler has earned his/her spot as an All-Star.
Enoch - Some might think this is an oddball pick, but I think Enoch from El Shaddai would be a fit addition to the games roster. What are your thoughts?
Ada - Removing Regina from the survival horror slot, I added Ada from the Resident Evil series in place. Wesker, Chris and Jill (two times) have had their fun in fighters already, so to include them would be old news. Maybe it's time Ada or even Mr.X/Nemesis have some fun of their own.
Heihachi - No explanation required. I accidentally bumped him off my first list. Heihachi has earned his spot and as much as I'd prefer to include someone from DoA, Soul Calibur or even Virtua Fighter, Tekkn has remained the most exclusive to the Playstation console. But don't give me the new regenerated Heihachi, he's just not as recognizable without those grey hairs.
Chocobo - In replacement of my Black Mage, no character (again, besides Cloud) or ritter from Final Fantasy is as recognizable as the iconic Chocobo. Having had 6 Playstation games dedicated to the character alone, if we can't get Cloud, then a Chocobo will do.
Old Snake - SSBB had MGS2's Snake, so how about an Old Snake then? If not Old Snake, a younger version of the legend from the PSX title that really started it all.
Robbie the Rabbit - Including Pyramid Head from the classic Playstaion franchise Silent Hill for whatever just doesn't seem to fit. I'm not sure why, so instead I went looking for something different. Thusly, Robbie the Rabbit. The character has appeared as a motif in each of the games (and even one film) so maybe it's time someone expands on this hair-raising...hare. An anthropomorphic character with a bit of a scary side serve a good contrast against tall the bright eyed and bushied tail heroes already in All-Stars. Think Conker from Conker's Bad Furday, with a psychotic twist. Rusty pipes, revolvers and able to summon the scarier horrors for moves and as specials. If not represented by a character, a Silent Hill inspired level is def a must.
Driver - I really wanted to include GranTurismo into the roster some how, but decided on using Reiko as the face for Playstations racers in my first try at the roster. Taking a step back and going to my original idea, I've included a driver from the GranTurismo series as a character. As one of Playstation's top selling games, GranTurismo deserves to be recognized someway in the next All-Stars. So why not?
Kitty-N - I wasn't sure whether to pick Kitty-N or Heat as the representative of the Bust a Groove series, and as a matter of fact I'm still unsure. Perhaps if I'd played any of the series it'd be easier for me. Regardless, rythme games deserve some representation.
Delsin - So I'm not an Infamous fan, but I realize many are and the game has done very well for Sony and they want to keep that going. I meant to keep Cole or add Delsin in my last fan, but not being a fan personally, I forgot.
Pomeranian - Another character I meant to add to my first list. Except now with so many spots filled in, it's become even harder to fit in the poster child (puppy?) of the Tokyo Jungle series. Still I think the little pomeranian would make an amusing and fun to play addition to the All-Stars team.
Sorry for the super long post. I hope at least some of you enjoyed it. It breaks my heart when any game doesn't do as well as it should so I got a lil' obsessed and instead of writing a well formulated essay and suggesting features/fixes to Sony in an e-mail, I decided to go the less mature route and totally just thread crush about a silly character roster. ♥
Welp, I've totally wasted the last few hours lol, but yeah...just my 2¢! Hope you enjoy!