(LINK TO SECTION 1 AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER!)
After a bit of time, the lights shined on Drake and Ashley.
"Anddddd we're back!" Drake grinned.
"And ready to begin Section One!" Ashley smiled. He then turned to Wally and Catherine. "Are you two ready?"
"Of course!" Wally grinned.
"Um, duh?" Catherine asked, crossing her arms.
"Great! All of the contestants are all in the arena and ready to face off!" Drake smirked. "Let's see who they are, shall we?"
POISON
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V/FINAL FIGHT
"And we are starting off with a trans icon!" Drake grinned.
Ashley blinked twice. "Poison is trans? I thought she was a woman first in Japan, but a man in America."
Drake waved it off. "I may be straight, but I know enough that it is close enough to be trans!"
Ashley paused before shrugging. "Eh. I mean you can't have too much LGBTQ representation."
"Exactly!" Drake grinned. "Now for further research on Poison's actual node, well, nodeS we go to Wally and Catherine."
The camera focused on Wally and Catherine.
"Um, damn, do we focus on Street Fighter or Final Fight?" Wally asked.
"Just go with Street Fighter first, seeing it is the "Main" node." Drake suggested, off-screen.
"Aye!" Wally nodded before looking at the camera. "Okay, Street Fighter is a series that needs no introduction ta the world of video games, let alone the UVR, but we are giving it the proper introduction, anyway!"
Catherine nodded. "It is THE iconic fighting game, spanning through several games and making an iconic cast of characters."
"AND having different timelines like Street Fighter III is the latest in terms of the timeline!" Wally grinned.
Catherine blinked twice. "Well, THAT is not confusing."
Wally just shrugged. "Eh. Anyway, Street Fighter V is the latest game in the franchise and not only that, but it has characters from all over the Street Fighter timeline. Most, if not all, given a fresh coat of paint in terms of appearance or fighting style."
"Now moving on to Final Fight." Catherine mused. "It is a beat-em-up game and one of the most iconic of its genre."
"Aye, there are three games in the series!" Wally nodded. "All having a small group of badasses wandering the streets, wiping it clean of scum!"
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Um, I know that it isn't numbered, but doesn't that Streetwise game count as the fourth…"
Suddenly, Wally put his finger over Catherine's stopping her talking.
"We do NOT talk about Streetwise." Wally said, darkly.
Catherine blinked twice. "Um, okay? Drake, Ashley, back to you."
The camera focused on Drake. "That is brilliant, guys!"
"Now Poison used to be in the Mad Gear, but is now a wandering wrestling promoter, yes?" Ashley mused, putting his hand on his chin.
"That's right! But she could kick ass herself!" Drake grinned. "She is athletic and swings that whip like a true dominatrix!"
"...I know that whipping people is her thing, but isn't't her original weapon a riding crop instead of a bullwhip?" Ashley asked.
Drake just shrugged. "Like Wally said, a lot of people's fighting style changed in V so seeing Poison switch weapons isn't TOO far-fetched."
"R-Right…" Ashley said before putting his fist to his mouth. "Anyway, to contestant number 2!"
PAI IKISATASHI
NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW
Drake and Ashley looked up at the picture of Pai with exasperated looks on their faces before shifting their eyes to each other.
"...One of the nodes invited to the tournament is Tokyo Mew Mew." Drake noted.
"...Who would have thought?" Ashley muttered.
The two then let out a deep sigh in unison.
"Well, Orange will have Tiny's head if we don't do Pai's node justice." Ashley lamented. "Wally and Catherine, do your thing."
Catherine nodded her head as the camera focused on her. "Gladly! Tokyo Mew Mew is a magical girl series, not unlike Sailor Moon and the Precure series."
"However, Tokyo Mew Mew has two things ta give it its own identity." Wally explained, holding up two fingers. "One, said magical girls, called the Mew Mew, are named after food. And two…"
"The Mew Mews are actually based on endangered species!" Catherine piped up. "Or rather, having their DNA merged with DNA of said species!"
Wally brightened up. "Aye, and…"
"Okay, Ichigo, the main character has her DNA merged with Iriomote Wild Cat!" Catherine pointed out. "It is as fluffy as any other wildcat, but has distinct marks! And Minto is based off the Blue Lorikeet! A beautiful bird in the most radiant shade of blue."
Wally blinked twice. "Um, Catherine?"
"And Zakuro is based off of the Grey Wolf!" The pink-clad explained. "...I mean it isn't uncommon for talking about grey wolves, but they are endangered so they deserve all of the respect they could get! And Retasu…"
Wally put his hands to his mouth and whistled, bringing her back to reality.
"W-Why don't we leave the info about the sheilas' DNA when one of the Mew Mews enter the arena?" Wally said, sheepishly.
"Okay…" Catherine pouted. She then glared off-screen. "But you better talk about the DNA of each Mew Mew."
The camera goes to Drake rolling his eyes. "Alright, alright, I will. Ashley, do you mind doing it for me."
"Might as well. "Ashley shrugged. "Anyway, Pai used to be part of the antagonist group, a group of aliens… Who look more like demons."
"However, he, along with two others had a change of heart and switched sides." Drake noted.
"He seems stoic and calculating so he must be the assassin of the group." Ashley mused.
SLADE
NODE: DC COMICS/TEEN TITANS
BIG GUY ALERT!
Ashley tilted his head to the side. "Hm? Maybe it is because of my lack of knowledge in comic books and that the DC extended universe is so wide, but he is new to me."
"He is a Badass Normal hitman-for-fire who is a common enemy for the Teen Titans." Drake explained.
Ashley looked at Drake. "Just like Deathstroke?"
The vampire chuckled nervously. "Um… He IS Deathstroke?"
"H-Huh?" Ashley asked before looking back and forth between Slade and Drake. "But…"
"Yeah, I don't get why they went with Slade on the show, either." Drake sighed. "Yo, node research team! Spotlight on you!"
Wally nodded his head as the camera went to him. "Really? What IS there to say about the DC Comics? It is one of the biggest comics in the world, rivalled only by Marvel, of course!"
"Yeah, they are so many different characters." Catherine nodded. "Like Krypto the Superdog, Ace the Bathound and Streaky the Supercat!"
"Um, Ah was thinking more along the lines of Superman and Batman, but Ah guess those are iconic too." Wally shrugged.
"Anyway, Slade, or Deathstroke, whatever people want to call him is from the Teen Titans." Catherine explained. "A group of… Well, teenage superheroes who kick ass just as well as the adults do."
"It soon gained its own TV show on Cartoon Network that turned out of the most popular shows of all times!" Wally grinned. "Combining action, drama and humour!"
Catherine then groaned. "Then, Teen Titans Go happened…"
"DON'T…" Wally started. "Just… Don't... Ah love a good joke, but that… No, just no… Anyway, back ta ya."
"Thanks, Wally." Ashley said with the spotlight on him. "Anyway, Slade is skilled in martial arts AND weaponship so he could be a real threat if left alone."
"And he is anything like he is in the first Injustice game, everyone better gang up on him because he gets at least FIVE cheap elimination." Drake nodded, sternly.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "That cheap."
"Let's just say that the first Injustice game wasn't good at balancing." Drake muttered, rolling his eyes. "Like, think Super Smash Bros Brawl bad."
BIG THE CAT
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
BIG GUY ALERT!
"Heh, speaking of controversy…" Drake noted.
"Be careful." Ashley scolded.
"Never was going to say anything bad." Drake insisted. "But let's face it… He is a Base Breaker. He could go either way in the votes."
Ashley let out a deep sigh. "True… Now, Wally, Catherine, about Sonic the…"
"OMG, Sonic the Hedgehog is about an adorable yet brash hedgehog is a super-fast and fights to rescue tiny little animals from a demented egg-shaped old fart!"
Drake and Ashley jumped before the camera zoomed to Catherine who had a big grin on her face.
"The games are all about Sonic and watching the player character zoom like shooting stars like leaving streaks that matches their colour!" The woman beamed. "Also, he has a bunch of different adorable friends who are cute in their own ways!"
"Um, right…" Wally muttered. "Even though the games were originally super-fast platformers, it has spawned countless games. However, quantity does not equal quality!"
Catherine just scoffed. "So he had a few hiccups. Which game series HAVEN'T?"
"Tell the large hatedom." Wally frowned.
"More like hateDUMB, am I right?" Catherine asked, snootily.
"Um, sick burn…" Wally said.
"Okay, so even though there is nothing wrong with being a hedgehog, Sonic was originally going to be a bun…" Catherine started before going on a tirade.
Fortunately, the camera cut away from her to focus on Drake and Ashley, looking confused.
Ashley then glared at Drake. "YOU invited her. I sure didn't."
Drake rolled his eyes. "Anywayyyy, despite coming from a controversial game series and being an even bigger controversial character, he is not as much of a pushover than you think."
Ashley nodded his head. "He may seem like a simple fisherman… And genuinely wants nothing more, but to be a simple fisherman, but he is extremely skilled with his fishing rod."
"And while he is heavyset, he has more strength than bodybuilders could only dream of!" Drake smirked. "He could lift up cars as if it was nothing and one of the best tanks in RPG history!"
Ashley tilted his head to the side. "The Sonic series had a RPG?"
"Yeah, but alas, it is controversial too." Drake sighed.
Ashley frowned. "...Are we just going to use the word controversial a lot?"
"I hope not. There are so many Sonic characters to cover." Drake muttered.
ATHENA ASAMIYA
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV/PSYCHO SOLDIER
"And as the first King of Fighters characters, we start off strong with a KoF staple!" Drake grinned.
"Or to be accurate, a SNK staple considering the number of crossovers she has been in." Ashley added.
Drake let out a hearty laugh. "True that, true that! And now for the double node reminder!"
"Again, anyone who knows fighting games, knows of the King of Fighters!" Wally grinned with the camera on him. "It is like a celebration of similar SNK fighting games!"
"And shooting games, but we won't dwell on that yet!" Catherine noted. "The King of Fighters is usually a team of fighters where players pick three characters, set them in a certain order and then fight!"
"And it isn't just random on how you play them too!" Wally nodded. "After a teammate gets knocked out, the person taking their place gets an extra bar so it is more technical!"
"But going back to crossover of genres OTHER than fighting, we have Psycho Soldier, the name that is now the name of Athena's team!" Catherine explained. She then paused. "...I know that "Psycho" is just a fancy name for Psychic, but I don't think Athena and the others realize the unfortunate implications."
Wally just shrugged. "Not wrong, but Psycho rolls off the tongue more. Anyway, Athena… And Sie Kensou for that matter is portrayed much different with Athena wearing bright pink hair."
"Though to be fair, Athena now having her iconic purple hair isn't too far off from her… Kinda debut, but not really because it is technically not the same character?" Catherine asked, bewildered. She then glared at Drake and Ashley. "I hope you realize the amount of work we will get through."
"B-But aye… The Athena in the KoF is more based on Psycho Soldier." Wally piped up. "Hell, Athena and Kensou look exactly like what they did in their debut game in King of Fighters XIII!"
Catherine narrowed her eyes. "Yes… I have a rant about a certain part of King of Fighters XIII, but I am holding my time until one of two fighters come out. Otherwise, Drake and Ashley, back to you."
Ashley gave an exasperated glare as the camera went back to him. "...Why do I have a feeling I know EXACTLY who they are talking about?"
Drake chuckled nervously. "Anyway, Athena is a psychic, a superhero AND an idol singer. The girl's a superstar in more ways than one!"
"And her moveset is actually quite balanced with a jumping uppercut, a downwards rolling attack, a deflector, a teleport." Ashley explained. "And who could forget her trademark Psycho Ball?"
Drake winced. "She is definitely one to be… Annoying to fight, that's for sure."
RICHTER BELMONT
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE/CASTLEVANIA
Drake narrowed his eyes. "A Belmont…"
Ashley frowned. "Drake, please…"
"I know, I know…" The mayor admitted, breathing in and out. He then brightened up. "On the bright side, Richter isn't a stick-in-the-mud like other Belmonts."
"And he is also well-known for that famous line!" Ashley added. He then paused. "Or is it INFAMOUS?"
Drake just waved it off. "Eh, a meme one-liner is still an iconic one-liner. Wally and Catherine, have a field day with this!"
The camera turned to a grinning Wally. "Oh, we will! Super Smash Bros used ta be a celebration of Nintendo's characters. Notice how Ah said USED ta."
"That's right, Wally! Slowly, but surely, Nintendo has picked up third-guest characters and while Nintendo still dominates the number of fighters, it is pretty much a celebration of gaming as a whole!" Catherine nodded.
"And the latest installment, Ultimate has a whopping EIGHTY-EIGHT characters!" Wally grinned. He then paused. "Well, Eighty-three characters, but only because five hasn't been revealed yet!"
"While some people may hesitate to call it a "true" fighting game, people can't deny that it is THE biggest platformer of all time!" Catherine agreed.
"And upon Castlevania, it is one of the best side-scrollers of all time and one of the best well-known Konami companies!" Wally grinned.
"...Even Konami couldn't care less." Catherine muttered.
Wally chuckled nervously. "A-Anyway, at first, the main characters used ta be the Belmonts and their iconic weapons, the Vampire Killer, but over time, several characters became the main characters. Even the next host of Dracula!"
"The series is about fighting various creatures of the night like vampires, mummies and zombies." Catherine explained. She then scowled. "And bats and werewolves."
Wally blinked twice. "...Catherine, they attack the heroes."
"So? YES, they work for bad people, but as guard animals!" The young woman scolded. "Do you shoot the guard dog of a dangerous criminal, no, you don't!"
Wally just sighed. "Back to you."
Ashley just chuckled nervously. "Anyway, Richter is a "zoner" character, obviously by his whip and wide array of weapons. His bulky build also made him hard to KO early on."
"Yeah, but his limited recovery makes him easy to gimp." Drake pointed.
Ashley blinked twice. "Even though I don't know what "gimp" is, I have an idea. That being said though, this tournament is nothing like Smash. It doesn't get easier to send him flying the more he takes damage."
"Yeah, but people much bigger than Richter and have better recoveries could be taken out of the arena just fine so it shouldn't be that far to get him out of the arena." Drake said, waving it off. "Granted, he will go down fighting, but still."
DUKE B. RAMBERT
NODE: BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN
"Heh. Now here is a node that you don't hear of every day." Drake mused.
"Do you think they will be similar to Galaxy Fight and Saturday Night Slam Masters." Ashley suggested. "Or be a darkhorse node just like Waku Waku 7 and the Imperfects?"
"Good question. Especially since they are up against some tough competition." Drake agreed. "Wally, Catherine, I think you definitely have to explain more."
The camera focused on Wally. "Aye! Anyway, from what we could gather, Battle Arena Toshinden is a 3D fighting game, but with a twist. Every character has their own weapon!"
Catherine blinked twice. "Isn't that just Soul Calibur?"
"Yeah, but Battle Arena Toshinden did it first." Wally pointed out. He then read his screen. "Okay, despite being a mostly unknown node, it has spawned four games, a 2D Gameboy port, a Spiritual Successor on the WII called War Budokai and even a two-part anime."
"And to be fair, it is not like the series is COMPLETELY irrelevant, the first game, of all things, has been chosen to be rereleased on the Playstation classic." Catherine explained before shrugging. "In a line-up of only twenty games no less."
"Aye, someone on the team must really like the game." Wally said, shrugging as well. "So yeah...Maybe Battle Arena Toshinden is the token WTF node, but it must be doing SOMETHING right, even after all of those years."
The camera went back to Ashley. "Fair enough. Now upon Duke himself."
"He DOES look like the Siegfried of the game." Drake mused.
"Oh, he is!" Ashley nodded. "Not only is he a knight who wields a giant sword, but he is also chivalrous just like a proper knight. Apparently, he is the only character in the game who DOESN'T attack a downed foe, only taunt them to drain their special meter."
"Heh. Honestly, I don't really like those types of people, but at least he more or less practices what he preaches in combat." Drake mused before shrugging. "In any case, let's see if he will pull out a surprise elimination like Arina or Fault Zone or just be Die Fodder."
HUNTER
NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON
Drake immediately grinned. "Hunter, my boy!"
"Ah, yes, he is one of your four mains in Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled." Ashley noted. "Who are the other three?"
"Tiny Tiger, Dingodile and Megumi." Drake explained.
"Ah, fair enough." Ashley nodded. "Now, a bit on Hunter later. First things first, let's go to the node explanation. Catherine, I am sure that you have a lot to say about it."
The camera panned to a grinning Catherine. "Oh, you know it! Spyro the Dragon is about an adorable purple dragon that goes around and having collect-a-ton adventures!"
"He goes exploring bright and colourful worlds that wouldn't be out of place in a fairy tale!" Wally grinned.
"And that is not getting into the adorable friends he makes, whether they are allies or NPCs!" Catherine smiled.
"His first three games were some of the best platformers of all time!" Wally grinned. "Thennnnn, things declined."
"Hey, it is not ALL gloom and doom." Catherine scolded. "The two Spyro games were good."
"Aye, I admit I had fun making them." Wally nodded. He then muttered under his breath. "Until that stupid cake-protecting mini-game."
Even Catherine couldn't help, but growl at this.
"But anyway… He also had a reboot called the Legend of Spyro, but… Aye, we are not going ta talk about that yet." Catherine explained. "We ARE going to talk about Skylanders!"
Wally immediately scoffed in disgust.
Catherine crossed her arms. "Oh, come on! Skylanders wasn't THAT bad, if even bad at all."
"Oh, don't worry! There is nothing… Offensive about Skylanders, but mate, they totally butched Spyro!" Wally snapped, crossing his arms.
"Ah, come on, it is different…" Catherine said, shifting her eyes from left to right. "Maybe they wanted to give appreciation to pugs."
Wally just gave an unimpressed look before looking at the camera as if he was on the Office.
"R-Regardless, it wasn't all bad in modern times!" Catherine reassured. "The Spyro trilogy, just like the Crash Bandicoot trilogy, has gotten a remaster! And I must say the new updated character designs are looking very good!"
"Aye, the character designers did a great job." Wally nodded before smirking. "Though the one who designed the elder dragons was thirsty as fuck."
Catherine glared at Wally. "Wally, I love you, but don't be gross! But yeah, other than that, Spyro appeared in Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled with his own Grand Prix!"
The kangaroo paused before looking at the others. "Sorry, mates, fer hogging the camera!"
The camera turned back to Drake. "Nah, you're good! Anyway, as you could see by his quiver and bow, he is an archer."
"Didn't always used to be one, but his bow has become an iconic part of his design." Ashley nodded.
"Not only that, but he is a cheetah so he is also quick on his feet." Drake nodded.
"But I also heard that he is a bit of a coward?" Ashley asked.
"Oh, he is, but you know what they say, the cornered rat bites the cat." Drake chuckled, waving it off.
Ashley blinked twice. "But Hunter IS a cat."
Drake's smile vanished. "Don't be a wiseass."
ELIZA
NODE: SKULLGIRLS
Ashley frowned. "Ooh… I heard of her long before this. She is trouble."
Drake raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Ashley nodded his head. "She is actually a host for the skeletal Parasite called Sekhmet."
"Oh really?" Drake asked.
"Yes, Eliza poses as a nightclub celebrity diva that hosts blood drives." Ashley explained before shuddering. "But it is to feed Sekhmet and give Eliza eternal beauty."
Drake blinked twice. "...Yep. She is a brilliant first representative of Skullgirls. Speaking of which…"
The camera went to Wally. "Skullgirls is a unique fighting game in more ways than one. For starters, the majority of the fighters are actually women instead of the other way around."
"And the women are not big boob fan-service-y like Dead or Alive or "Little sister" pandering like Arcana Heart." Catherine nodded.
Wally paused. "Ya know… While the cast of Skullgirls isn't "traditionally" fan-service-y, but to SOME people, it might as well be…"
Catherine immediately put her hands over her face in disgust. "Oh my god, Wally, NO!"
Wally chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. But yeah, the girls in Skullgirls are not your usual sheila! We have a girl who fights with her hair that is actually another Parasite, a literally cat burglar who fights by literally detaching their limbs and someone who is literally an old-time cartoon character!"
"Speaking of old-time, the art style is a timeless Golden-style art." Catherine smiled. "No, really, it is like an old-fashioned cartoon."
"And the gameplay is just as wacky with even the basic attacks being full of personality and charm." Wally grinned. He then frowned. "Too bad not too people hear of it."
"Yeah, but it is not that dead… Ish. It has a large fanbase and it has gotten re-releases on different platforms in recent years." Catherine nodded. "Back to you. Drake and Ashley."
Drake nodded his head as the camera went back to him. "Thanks, Catherine. Now, Ashley, do you think she would be a threat?"
"She should…" The wizard mused. "Because of one factor."
Drake raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"
"From what I could gather, he is directly or indirectly for every bad thing that happened in Skullgirls." Ashley explained.
Drake's face fell. "...Well, then."
Suddenly, an alarm went off as the four jumped.
Drake then smirked. "Uh-oh. Do you know what that sound means?"
"Indeed, I do." Ashley nodded with a smile. "It is time for our first Mystery Fighter!"
"I think we forget to mention, but UVR spinoffs usually have a fighter or two enter every section that is completely different from the node that are represented." Drake nodded.
"It could be anything! From Crash Bandicoot to Captain America from Marvel Comics to even the likes of Wolfrun from Smile Precure!" Ashley agreed.
"Agreed! Now let's see what Mystery Fighter Orange-Ratchet has in-store for us!" Drake grinned.
ARTHUR
NODE: SUPER GHOULS'N GHOSTS
"Ah, it is almost impossible to not hear about this game!" Drake grinned.
"Especially since his debut game is one of the hardest games of all-time." Ashley muttered.
Drake chuckled at this. "This looks like a job for the research team!"
The camera then focused on Wally. "Looks like it, Mate. Anyway, Super Ghouls'n Ghosts is a side-stroller where you play as Arthur, a classic knight in shining armour."
"In appearance, alone…" Catherine muttered.
Wally chuckled nervously. "Yeah… Arthur starts off with a suit of armour which he could upgrade it to look more shiny and give him more firepower, but…"
"But said shining armour is as tough as toilet paper!" Catherine piped up. "No, seriously, just one hit. ONE hit and it flies off faster than Charlie Brown after being hit by a baseball!"
"Not helping is that the game is already difficult enough as it is." Wally sighed before smirking. "You could say that it is like it is like Dark…"
"Anyway, the most noticeable thing about Ghouls'n Ghosts is its difficulty." Catherine piped up (making Wally pout). "It has gotten several games in the series including a coupe of spin-offs."
"And while the actual game series hasn't gotten a single game for a long time, the characters are still going strong with Arthur appearing in both Marvel VS Capcom 3 and Infinite!" Wally grinned. "Drake, Ashley, back to you!"
Drake nodded who looked confused. "Thank you. You know, I am confused."
"And why is that?" Ashley asked.
"Usually the first Mystery Fighter is considered… "fodder". Drake mused, rubbing his chin.
Ashley blinked twice. "...I mean his armour falls off in a single strike."
"Yeah, but he and his games have a huge fanbase and he has appeared in several crossovers." Drake explained. "He is no sleeper character."
Ashley just shrugged. "Maybe even though he is popular, he is still technically comic relief because he is constantly going in and out of his armour."
"Right.." Drake mused. "Good thing he is surprisingly ripped for his size."
GRIM
NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH TIME EXPLOSION/GRIM ADVENTURES OF BILLY AND MANDY
Ashley's eyes widened. "It's the Grim Reaper!"
"Well… One of many." Drake shrugged.
Ashley looked at the vampire. "Oh, right. The Grim Reaper is a public domain figure."
"Pretty much. This particular one is the one with the Jamanian accent." Drake pointed out.
Ashley blinked twice "Why tho?"
Drake just shrugged. "Time for a double briefing!"
The camera focused on Wally who nodded. "Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion is a platform fighter just like Super Smash Bros. However, instead of various Nintendo characters, we have various CARTOON NETWORK characters."
"That's right! Various characters that appeared on shows on Cartoon Network have appeared in the game!" Catherine explained. "Samurai Jack, Codename: Kids Next Door, Chowder, even Captain Planet!"
"Now some people label Punch Time Explosion as a "Smash clone" and to that, I ask "Who Cares?" Wally asked, narrowing his eyes. "I mean, even if it would never be as refined as Smash, it is still full of fan-service in the playable characters, the assist characters and the stages."
"Not to mention that, but it actually has its own story mode, not unlike the Subspace Embassy from Brawl!" Catherine grinned. "And without the Great Maze!"
"Now moving on to the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy." Wally explained. "It is about… Well, the Grim Reaper who lost a bet and got tricked into becoming friends of two kids."
"...More like slaves." Catherine said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah… The show was known… For its dark and vulgar humour." Wally chuckled, nervously scratching the back of his head.
"Dark and vulgar doesn't even begin to describe it!" Catherine roared. "Billy is absolutely gross to be around and Mandy… I think she is Satan's daughter…"
"...Why do Ah have a feeling that if given the chance, she would make Satan her bitch?" Wally piped up.
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Ugh, don't even! I can't stand the thought of Mandy and Billy being in charge of hell! We are ending this early!"
The camera went to Ashley rolling his eyes. "Way to be professional."
"Well, not that Billy & Mandy have a later draw than him, Grim is pretty much free to do what he wants." Drake shrugged.
"Indeed. He may be their slave, but he is the Grim Reaper for a reason." Ashley pointed out. "So he isn't a pushover. Outside of his "Job"..."
Drake couldn't help, but snicker.
DON OCTAVIO
NODE: SLY COOPER
"Hoo boy… We have a pompous windbag." Drake said, rolling his eyes.
Ashley chuckled at this. "You always did hate the more… Prideful classy people."
"Um, duh! I always used to meet and greet with those assholes!" Drake growled.
Ashley's smile vanished at this. "Um, Drake?"
"All of those posh, arrogant pricks who think they are better than the actual place they run!" The vampire continued to rant.
Ashley's face paled. "Drake?"
"And don't even get me STARTED on what I think about that Mayor of Belcazzar!" Drake roared. "Where was he during the Venegur incident or the missing musicians!? I just wanted to take my glass…"
"DRAKE!" Ashley roared at the top of his lungs.
The mayor glared at Ashley. "What!?"
The androgynous man just let out a deep sigh before pointing straight at the camera. Drake turned to said camera and immediately, his pupils shrank.
"Um… Um…" He sputtered. He then gave a big sheepish grin. "Hey, look, another node with cute animals! Catherine, your favourite!"
Immediately, the camera turned to Catherine who was rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, nice save there, buddy." She muttered before rolling her eyes. "Anyway, it is like Drake said! Sly Cooper is a platformer game, just like Sonic!"
"But unlike Sonic who is a clean-cut hero who focuses on getting to his destination and quickly as possible, Sly Cooper is a thief who focuses on stealth and other missions!" Wally pointed out.
"Not to say that Sly is some kind of villain protagonist. He actually follows his own code of honour, only stealing from other crooks." Catherine pointed out. "And despite being a game about criminals, it actually has a lot of heart."
"Aye! There is a lot of character development throughout the three games!" Wally grinned. It then faltered. "And then the fourth game happened."
"To be fair, the gameplay was alright, but the plot…" Catherine asked before wincing.
"But yeah, just like most game series, the trilogy is flawless." Wally shrugged before turning to Drake and Ashley. "Alright, back ta ya."
"Thank you, Wally!" Ashley smiled before turning to Drake. "Real talk, Drake. Can I ask for an opinion WITHOUT your bias?"
"Gee, thanks for that." The mayor asked before letting out a deep sigh. "It is kinda hard to say. Sly Cooper's Rogue Gallery is large and varied."
"Well, considering that Octavio is someone who seeks attention, he is more focused on actually doing the tournament instead of, you know, doing villain stuff." Ashley shrugged.
"But combat and opera are two different things!?" Drake exclaimed.
Ashley merely shrugged. "At this point, he will take any fans he could get…"
Drake rolled his eyes.
COLE MACGRATH
NODE: PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE/INFAMOUS
Drake then smirked. "Hey, look, it's the Battle of the Luminaries' old electrician!"
"I am still stunned that Tiny hired him!" Ashley mused.
"Hey, better than Megavolt." Drake said, waving it off.
"True…" Ashley nodded. "So Wally, Catherine, your thoughts?"
The camera then focused on Wally. "Ta, mate! Now just like Punch Time Explosion, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale is considered a Smash clone. This time, with a Playstation flair on it."
"Sounds like a good idea on paper…" Catherine muttered.
Wally looked at his co-host, confused. "Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad…"
"It wasn't HORRIBLE, but it was great either!" Catherine scolded. "First off, the roster! Sure, we got staples like Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper, but then you got WTF picks! Fat Princess!? Zeus!? The edgelord reboot of Dante!?"
Wally frowned. "Super Smash Bros had Wii Fit Trainer and Piranha Plant…"
"So? Super Smash Bros already had a lot of staples already!" Catherine scolded. "Where is Crash? Where is Spyro?"
"Umm…" Wally winced.
"And the gameplay? I could see what they were trying to do, but do you realize how unbalanced the whole "only KO by Limit Break" is!?" Catherine exclaimed. "Especially when some Final Attacks are better than others!?"
Wally's ears drooped. "Catherine…"
"And speaking of unbalanced, don't bother playing anyone other than Kratos and Radec because they will dominate the game!" Catherine scolded. "It is actually WORSE than Super Smash Bros Brawl's Metaknight and 4's Bayonetta!"
Wally paused.
Catherine then breathed in and out. "But whatever… As long as we could get people like Ratchet and Sly here, I couldn't care less."
"Um, Catherine, can Ah have the rest of the segment ta myself?" Wally asked.
"Help yourself, Walls." The pink-clad woman muttered.
"Um, right, Infamous is an action-adventure platformer." Wally explained. "The setting is that there are a bunch of people who have been turned into conduits who are basically people with superpowers. The main character as seen here is called Cole Macgrath had unwittingly caused it and now has electricity powers. Then, the game has a karma meter and depending on what action you do, not only will Cole's attitude change, but also his powers."
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "That's all?"
"...We're kinda running low on time." Wally sheepishly said.
Catherine just shrugged. "Well?"
The camera then went back to an exasperated Ashley. "...Would it kill you to be unbiased?"
Drake shook his head. "Anyway, not only did Cole appear in Playstation All-Stars, but also Street X Tekken, but only on certain ports."
"Despite having only ONE element, Cole seems quite versatile with it." Ashley mused. "That and he is Good Cole so he wouldn't get double-teamed for being a villain."
"And considering that there are a lot of aquamancers in the cast as far as I could see, he doesn't have to worry about his greatest weakness." Drake shrugged.
HERCULES
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/HERCULES
"Well, bless my soul, Herc is about to go on a roll!" Drake smirked.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't resist, huh?"
"Get used to it, man, because I am going to be filled with Disney references!" Drake grinned with a wink.
Ashley rolled his eyes. "Joy…"
Drake chuckled. "Well, guys?"
Wally nodded with the camera going on him. "Ta, mate! Now Kingdom Hearts has become one of the biggest Action RPG franchises of all time, combining both Final Fantasy and DISNEY characters!"
"Even though it started as someone's fanfiction." Catherine muttered.
Wally looked at Catherine, confused. "Huh?"
"I mean, think about it!" The woman muttered, rolling her eyes. "An "Original Character, Please Don't Steal" goes on a journey with Donald Duck and Goofy and interacts with Final Fantasy characters and goes through Disney movies to defeat darkness?"
"Oh, wow… since now ya put it THAT way, it DOES sound like bad fanfiction." Wally said, blinking twice.
The two then paused.
"So why is it fun?" Wally asked.
"I know, right!?" Catherine agreed. "The Kingdom Hearts series have no business being this fun."
"I guess that is why there are so many sequels and spin-offs." Wally chuckled.
"Yeah, well, the spin-offs just keep on adding more questions rather than answering them…" Catherine muttered, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, I am just in it to see the protagonists go through the Disney worlds."
"Fair enough." Wally shrugged. "Anyway, onto Hercules, it was one of many Disney movies, starring the titular character in Ancient Greece with a little bit of Las Vegas, put into it."
Catherine rolled her eyes. "I know that Disney is known for making villains good like Elsa's original concept, but who thought that ZEUS as a good guy is a good idea? He…"
"PG! PG!" Ashley shouted from off-screen.
Catherine grunted. "Okay, I will behave. Hercules is about a literal god baby dropped from the heavens while losing most of his powers. However, he still had the strength of a god so he has a hard time growing up."
"Until one day, he realized that he WAS a good and strives ta be a true hero!" Wally grinned.
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Eh. Not my cup of tea."
Wally frowned. "Aww, why not?"
"Sorry, I am not into male power fantasies." Catherine muttered. She then muttered. "Meg is pretty cool though and Pegasus is adorable!"
Wally chuckled nervously at this. "Let's hope that you will be interested in the following Disney characters."
"Oh, I will!" Catherine nodded. "Okay, back to you!"
Drake nodded his head with the camera while nodding his head. "So what do you think, Ash?"
"I mean he IS a demi-god with super strength and combat training thanks to Phil." The wizard shrugged. "He should do well."
"But then again, Hercules rarely faced an opponent with skill." Drake noted. "And most of these are exactly that!"
"Right, All it takes Hercules to make one mistake and he will be out of the ring. It happened to the best of them." Ashley said.
NAPALM MAN
NODE: MEGAMAN
Ashley jumped. "Goodness! He looks like he is a walking, talking warzone!"
"Yeah, he shoots out those bombs as if they were nothing." Drake agreed. He then scratched the back of his head. "I am just surprised he is here at all."
Ashley looked at Drake, confused. "Is he unpopular?"
"...I wouldn't say unpopular. I'll just say overshadowed by other Robot Masters." The vampire admitted. He then paused, putting his hand on his chin. "On the OTHER hand, he, of all people not only appeared as a spirit in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, but also had a stage remix."
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Sakurai likes Napalm Man."
Drake just shrugged. "Maybe…? I don't know how that twisted yet beautiful mind thinks. But anyway, Wally and Catherine,to you."
The camera focused on Wally. "Ta, mate! Now Megaman is another famous platformer by Capcom!"
"Until it was neglected by Capcom…" Catherine muttered.
Wally chuckled nervously. "Anyway, it stars a home-cleaning robot called Rock, but after an evil mad scientist who wants to… What else, take over the world. OF COURSE!"
Catherine glared at Wally. "Really, Wally, Nostalgia Critic memes?"
The boxer winced. "Y-You're right, that was in poor taste…"
"Just as long as you realize that." Catherine sighed. "Anyway, Rock asked his owner, Dr. Light, to make him a robot built for combat and thus starts the story."
"The games are usually the same." Wally explained. "The player has the choice of eight stages, each one with a different every boss called a Robot Master. But here is the kicker, after destroying a Robot Master, you get their power!"
"And said power would make a certain Robot Master much easier so you have to plan carefully." Catherine pointed out. "This has spawned eleven games and even a few spin-offs and even a few alternate universes."
"Aye, , Megaman Volnutt, Star Force Megaman." Wally grinned. "And of course, Megaman X who will get ta later! But fer now, ta ya, mates!"
"Thanks, Wally!" Drake grinned as the camera went to him.
"Real talk? Do you think his cameo in Super Smash Bros Ultimate will help him?" Ashley asked.
Drake just shrugged. "I mean the Robot Masters have their own fanbases, so maybe he has fan support we never heard of."
Ashley frowned. "Fair enough, I…"
Suddenly, a crystal ball came out of nowhere and flew on-screen, startling everyone.
"C-Cacey!?" Drake exclaimed before narrowing his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, sirrrrrr!" The crystal ball sang. "The pompous windbags you usually talk to are calling you!"
Drake's eyes widened as the colour drained from his face. "W-What!?"
"And they are coming over to show you exactly how they felt about your little rant about them!" Cacey scolded.
Drake's jaw dropped before looking around while Ashley looked exasperated. He then looked at the camera.
"Umm…" Drake said before grinning. "Commercial break?"
Ashley let out a deep sigh. "We will be right back. ...Even if Drake may not be."
Drake glared at the support.
LINK TO SECTION 1: archiveofourown works / 25531129 / chapters / 61947007
