So Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been out for months now, and I still haven’t unlocked Elite Smash yet.
On one hand, I’m okay with that because I have enough trouble with the rank-and-file of regular quick play matches. Best to struggle with those that are (usually) my speed down in the salt mines -- because misery loves company, or something. On the other hand, this is my pride as a gamer and Smash vet we’re talking about here. I think I’ve got something like 4 million GSP overall, with my Zelda in the top spot with a similar single-character amount. Even if I don’t choose to go Elite, I still want the recognition that I could go Elite.
We’ll see if/when I make it there. And if I do? It’ll probably be with my current main, Rosalina.
...and Luma.
...and Luma.
--I didn’t really use Rosalina and Luma all that much back in the Smash 4 days. The idea of using a puppet fighter scared me, I figured she’d be too much to manage in a chaotic 4-player match, and there was the stigma of her being top-tier (I remember my brother actively groaning and/or calling her “broken” whenever I used her). So if you needed to know my history with the character, there it is. Nonexistent.
--It’s not like I’ve abandoned Palutena, granted. It’s just that going through the process of unlocking everyone meant that it was a geographic age before I earned the right to use her again -- which is why I gave Zelda the time of day. So the biggest backlash of Ultimate is that my character loyalty has wavered (which, admittedly, is also because Palutena is increasingly popular online thanks to her newfound, upper-tier status). Luckily, now I have someone else to be loyal to.
--Also, she’s pretty low-tier now, sooooooooooooo…bragging rights for clutching it out as a low-tier hero.
--Tiers and tier lists are ancillary to me. Setting aside aesthetics and contexts, I stick with characters because of the tool kits they’re packing. Zelda’s my top character right now because she’s got some long-range abilities and, crucially, a reflector (with an easy input for on-reaction turnarounds) that doubles as a defensive, get-off-me move without quite as much risk -- or reward -- as a counter. So the princess of Hyrule is still in my pocket.
--That said, I’m leaning heavily toward Rosalina these days (sorry, Joker) because she’s got tools that matter to me…nerfs and situational aspects notwithstanding. The thing that I’m being forced to learn about Smash is that it’s a game heavily dependent on mobility; there’s lots of space to move around, meaning that navigating effectively is key -- and that you have to be mindful of the neutral game/scramble with additional X and Y coordinates on the map.
--I’ve got lead fingers, so I’m not going to be able to match the mobility of my foes (even if I picked up Sonic). So rather than play their game, I’ll rely on old habits and make them play mine. Rosalina can do more than just use a Luma as a shockingly-powerful projectile; working in tandem, the two of them can cover a decent amount of space. Control zones on the stage. Attack from multiple angles. And, crucially, stop enemy fighters cold.
--It’s fine if I can’t move. I’ll just use my tools to make it so that opponents can’t either. Luma’s star bits can halt an approaching enemy and open them up for a rush from Rosalina. When they’re closer together, Rosalina gains extra range (and knockback/KO power) with virtually every attack -- perfect for getting a slight edge in the neutral. And when they’re separated? I’ve been able to disrupt enemy momentum by having Luma attack, even while my Rosa’s busy tumbling skyward after a clean hit.
--One of the most devious things I’ve learned to do with Rosalina and Luma is to negate at least two recovery options at once. Here’s how it works: first, push an opponent off the stage. Don’t go airborne for the kill; let them get back to the ledge. Toss out Luma so that he’s right at the ledge, while Rosa stands a short distance away -- the rear corner of the nearest platform.
--The opponent can do a get-up attack and hit Luma, for all the good that will do. If they rise and stand beside the edge? They’ll get clipped by a Luma smash. If they jump? Still risking it, but there’s a decent chance they’ll clear it and sail over Luma…and right into a Rosalina up smash to win the match.
--I can probably cover rolls onto the stage as well (possibly with Rosa’s up smash, and definitely with forward or down), but in my experience? You don’t know how many stocks I’ve taken and matches I’ve won by goading them into a galactic headbutt…though a fair few have been stolen thanks to Luma being friggin’ strong.
--I haven’t played a character this cathartic since Guilty Gear Xrd feat. Potemkin and the Heavenly Potemkin Buster. Landing those game-winning hits with Luma; intercepting with Rosalina’s aerials; piecing together an impromptu wombo combo; when everything clicks, it’s the sort of thing that makes you want to pump your fists and go “MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!” My best win yet? Having a Luma down below the stage’s ledge, then having him smash a foe into oblivion before he could even reach solid ground again. Galaxybrain.jpg.
--There’s always going to be a part of me that wishes Rosalina had a reflector or a counter (preferably a reflector, because BOY does the online space have a projectile spam problem). Her gravitation special still works well enough, though. On the plus side, it’s able to completely negate plenty of shots, and give me items while stealing them from enemies (the Belmonts’ holy water is a prime example). On the minus side, negating projectiles doesn’t really teach foes not to throw them out in the first place -- and since I’m generally not gaining ground or inflicting damage, it’s a defensive move that resets the situation and forces me to work from there.
--Rosalina’s got some weak points, though, so no matter how much I enjoy using her or how many wins I rack up, the struggle is most certainly real. As the tallest female character in the game (she’s got at least a full head on Joker, for what it’s worth with her jacked-up Super Mario proportions), she’s a big target…but also lighter than about 80% of the cast. Getting hit is not a good idea. Luma can absorb hits for her and boost her odds, but…
--Losing Luma is a big deal. Is he back in about 11 seconds in a 1v1? Sure. Can a lot happen in that 11 seconds? You know it. The little guy’s an important part of her tool kit, least of all because without him, you lose two of your four special moves. I do what I can to keep him alive, but it’s common for opponents to focus fire on Luma while I’ve been knocked away. Sometimes I can take advantage of that and sneak in hits as punishment for touching my son. Shame it doesn’t happen often enough.
--Rosalina’s up-B may not do damage, but it’s an incredibly powerful recovery move…if you can use it properly. Its best usage is to thwart enemy off-stage attacks, since you get so much distance and velocity out of it. Its worst usage is trying to blast off and land back on the stage instead of aiming for a ledge -- because if the enemy properly predicts your trajectory or just takes advantage of your landing lag, you’re destined to lose a stock.
--Also, Voltech Pro Tip: if you need to Launch Star straight upward instead of the standard angle, hold back on the stick right after the input. Don’t be like me and get stuck under the stage.
--Okay, enough of that. Let’s get salty.
--The more I play this game, the more I realize that a decent chunk of the cast are absolutely poisonous to fight. Pichu is and always will be the worst, but it’s got some stiff competition. Jigglypuff, Squirtle, Link, Young Link, Ness, Kirby, Yoshi, Olimar; going up against them is usually a miserable experience. I mean yeah, I can and have beaten them before. Still, they’re annoying for various reasons -- endless aerial pressure, toxic projectile use, ridiculous KO potential, etc. Also, most of the characters I just named are pretty small, sooooooooooooooo…bias towards the tiny?
--Dishonorable mention goes to Lucina, Marth, Roy, and Chrom. Clouds and Little Macs are annoying too, but their recoveries are easy to gimp…assuming you can get a hit in. Snakes are obsessed with that dash attack, for good or ill. Incineroar is damn strong, making him something of a robbery character. But the lifetime achievement award goes to Ganondorf (and his respective players) who can actively, literally kill you in 2 hits. Also, they love throwing out Wizard’s Foot in response to…nothing in particular, so it’s important to make a mental note to not engage them solely in linear, 2D plane, rooted-to-the-ground combat.
--You already got hit by it, didn’t you? It’s fine, don’t worry, happens to the best of us.
--So thanks to the Joker drop and Version 3.0.0, Smash Ultimate has had some new life breathed into it. As if it needed it; while I hadn’t been doing daily sessions prior to the Last Surprise, it’s still easily the one fighting game I play the most consistently. I want to be able to stand my ground with the characters I like, and break down foes on my own terms. With my own aesthetic.
--I have a lot of work left to do in terms of being worthy of Elite Smash. Lots of bad habits I need to scrub away (block more, don’t thoughtlessly chase foes, go for more off-stage hits so foes don’t recover for free). But I’ll get there. Having found a new main, I’ve been given the shot in the arm I need to fight even harder. And trust me, I will.
--That said? I’d drop Rosalina in a flash if my million-to-one chance, pie-in-the-sky dream DLC character got announced. I know there’s no way it’ll ever happen, and I know there are other characters who deserve a chance more (Wonder Red for Smash, for real this time), but I’m just gonna come out and say it. If we got Cloud in last time, then I want Tifa Lockhart as a fighter. Gimme a punchgirl with sick suplexes.
There we go. Hope you enjoyed your salt. Till next time, then, take --
I would also accept Primrose from Octopath Traveler, if only for the eyebrow-raiser it’d be to have a -- *ahem* -- “dancer” join the roster.
Okay, now I’m done. Take care.
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