LINK TO SECTION BELOW:
The camera turned onto Drake and Ashley, who were looking just as eager as they did before going on their break.
"We are back!" Ashley beamed.
"And not a second too soon!" Drake agreed. "I was getting restless thinking about it!"
"For once, I couldn't blame your restlessness." Ashley nodded. "This is something big that should bring even more voters to this thing."
"Well, in case you just turned in, Parasoul from Skullgirls was the one to get the top slot of her debut section, therefore, was the one who got to choose one of the three envelopes." Drake explained. "And that was Mystery Reserves!"
"As the name suggests, this includes Mystery Fighters!" Ashley explained. "Here is how this works. You know how some people were already suggesting Mystery Fighters? Personally, I think people are jumping the gun I digress."
"Tell me about it…" Drake muttered before stifling a cough. "Anyway, this letter basically gives people a chance for you to do just that!"
"That's right! Due to SSBFreak running out of Mystery Fighter in the first Megamix Tournament and Tinyhammer's remaining Mystery Fighter getting into a fight in the last few sections, Orange has created a system!" Ashley beamed.
"Along with two Mystery Fighters he has invited every section, Xero and Maurice will also choose one particular audience member and have them join the next section!" Drake grinned.
"Okay, before we do, I feel like we have to lay some ground rules." Ashley said, adjusting his glasses. "First off, you are free to suggest as many Mystery Fighters as you want. However, he will only have ONE person from each voter. Maybe two or three if there are not enough different suggestions."
"Second off, you of course cannot vote for nodes already in the tournament." Drake explained. "Sub-nodes like say… Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy and Johnny Bravo are fair game."
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "I know that you were just listing off random sub-nodes, but why Johnny Bravo?"
"Well, he is in the updated release of Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion." Drake shrugged. "Anyway, basically this is the list that is off-limits: Street Fighter, King of Fighters, Super Smash Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog, Spyro the Dragon, Sly Cooper, Kingdom Hearts, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, Megaman, DC Comics, Tokyo Mew Mew, Skullgirls and Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion."
Ashley blinked twice. "Kinda redundant to Super Smash Bros, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale and Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but Master & Crazy Hand, technically Polygon Man and the Announcer's Remote are original characters." Drake pointed out.
Ashley slumped his shoulders. "...People want to see them in?"
"Maybe? Maybe not? That is the beauty and curse of Mystery Fighters." Drake shrugged. "But yeah, just listing it off just in time."
Ashley shook his head. "While we are on-topic, might as well forbid Ghost N' Goblins, Power Stone, Shrek, Danganronpa, Chrono Trigger and Inuyasha. On THAT note, should we spoil ourselves of the Mystery Fighters appearing in the incoming section?"
"Might as well." Drake shrugged. "Could you do it for me? I want to be surprised by the actual people."
"Fair enough." Ashley nodded.
With that, he looked at the tablet in front of him to see who is on the incoming list. Suddenly, his eyes widened.
Drake noticed this. "What?"
"Um, nothing. Just that the next three are all from fighting games." Ashley pointed out. "Final Fight, Art of Fighting and Samurai Shodown."
"Huh. Orange-Ratchet isn't as into fighting games as Tiny or SSB so this is a surprise to have all three of said genre." Drake noted before shrugging. "Not that I am complaining."
Unknown to Drake, Ashley gave a sly smirk.
"But yeah, those are off-limits." Drake shrugged. He then narrowed his eyes. "And last, but certainly not least. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT SPAM ORANGE-RATCHET WITH YOUR MYSTERY FIGHTERS VOTES!"
"Indeed, Tinyhammer has gotten multiple votes for Mystery Fighters when HE opened the gate and that is all he got in comparison to ACTUAL VOTES ON THE TOURNAMENT." Ashley spat, crossing his arms. "If you do not contribute to the tournament unless YOUR favourite gets in then why are you even commenting period?"
"And despite when it was CLEAR that Mystery Fighters are not a thing anymore, those votes are STILL a thing!" Drake roared. "It is people like you when nihilists exist in his heart because Tiny gave you an inch out of the goodness out of his heart and you all go a mile!"
"Let's just wrap it up, Drake." Ashley sighed. "If we keep going on about this, we will be here all night!"
"Yeah, alright… And it is not all gloom and doom." The vampire muttered. "I mean we got some good picks in the Battle of the Luminaries with Spyro the Dragon, Bandana Waddle Dee from Kirby, Hawkeye from the Avengers and even Bubsy the Bobcat."
"Indeed. Spyro and Bubsy even both made it to the Final Four and thus earning them a locked spot for the next tournament with Spyro even getting his own node." Ashley nodded. He then paused before slapping his forehead. "Oh, confound it…"
"What is it, Ash?" Drake frowned.
The wizard turned towards his friend. "I forget to suggest Bubsy the Bobcat just to spite Xero."
Drake frowned. "Hate to tell you this, man, but as crazy as he is, I think Xero learned his lesson from the first Battle of the Luminaries and outright banned Bubsy from being a Reserve Mystery Fighter if he gave the voters that power."
Ashley rolled his eyes. "Of course he did. Oh well…"
"Heh, haven't seen you this delightfully spiteful since Shannon." Drake smirked. "But yeah, that is the rules. You are free to vote as much as you want since you would want your vote to count, but please… For the love of Dracula, be considerate to Orange-Ratchet."
"But that is enough talk. While this is definitely something you would want to get into, that is not what you came here for, right?" Ashley asked. "Let's go to the starters, beginning with the people who survived the last section."
BIG THE CAT
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
ENTERED IN: Section 1; Number 4
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4
BIG GUY ALERT!
"Denying all odds, Big managed to be the sole surviving fighter of Section 1, showing it up to his naysayers!" Drake grinned.
"Indeed, Don Octavio from Sly Cooper, his own nodal companion, Jet, Falco from Super Smash Bros and Baymax from Kingdom Hearts learned that the hard way." Ashley nodded. "And the strangest thing? Big wasn't even trying to be violent!"
AGENT 9
NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON
ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 31
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4
"Showing that the hard way how little rascals monkeys could be is the space monkey, Agent 9 himself!" Ashley grinned.
"Yeah, he made short work of Spike from Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, Luigi & Metaknight from Super Smash Bros and Sigma from Megaman!" Drake beamed. "And he still got a lot of steam to go through!
AKANE OWARI
NODE: SUPER DANGANRONPA 2
ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 39
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3
"Admittedly, the Ultimate Gymnast had a slow start when she first entered her debut section." Drake explained. "But it was still an impressive slow start with her elimination of Karin from Street Fighter V!"
"And in the next section, she picked up some steam and eliminated Jigglypuff from Super Smash Bros and Leona from King of Fighters XIV!" Ashley beamed.
BLOSSOM
NODE: POWERPUFF GIRLS
ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 43
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Showing that she is a mixture of brains, brawn and beauty is the leader of the Powerpuff Girls, Blossom!" Ashley beamed. He then paused. "Um, beauty as in cuteness."
"Indeed, her run in the arena is slow, but effective as Napalm Man from Megaman and Sylvie from King of Fighters XIV could attest to!" Drake smirked.
GOOFY
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/CLASSIC DISNEY SHORTS
ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 50
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4
"Goofy may be… Well, goofy, but he is certainly not a pushover." Drake smirked. "He has already gotten rid of Kim and Chang, both from King of Fighters XIV! At the SAME time!"
"He also eliminated Blue Bayou from Tokyo Mew Mew and almost immediately after Mr Game & Watch from Super Smash Bros!" Ashley noted. "While some are not "traditional", that is still more consistent than any of the other fighters!"
KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 53
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Showing why he is THE main Power character in Sonic the Hedgehog is Knuckles!" Ashley grinned.
"Yeah, he made short work of Ralf from King of Fighters XIV and Lucca from Chrono Trigger!" Drake noted. "And he still got a lot of steam to punch out!"
PIKACHU
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 54
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Anyone else here surprised that the winner of the first Battle of the Luminaries is doing so well?" Drake smirked. "He showed that he is not a one-hit wonder when he eliminated Stitch from Kingdom Hearts and Sagat from Street Fighter V!"
"Granted, that was because of his nodal companion's Rain Dance move which gave his Thunder move an 100% accuracy, making said eliminations much easier." Ashley reminded. He then smirked before crossing his arms. "But like having one of his moves have a lacking accuracy ever stopped him before."
WARTORTLE
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 56
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Ah, speak of Giratina and he will appear!" Ashley noted. "For those confused why Wartortle is in the arena and not his pre-evolution, Squirtle. Well, that IS Squirtle! Under the effects of a reward from the roulette wheel!"
"Even before he evolved, he did a good job eliminating Mushu from Kingdom Hearts!" Drake pointed out. "If he could separate a powerful duo this early on, just imagine what he will do now that he is in a stronger form?"
CLAYFACE
NODE: DC COMICS/BATMAN
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 63
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Despite being from a controversial cartoon and a subpar actor, Clayface is proving to be stronger than he looks with his elimination over Samus from Super Smash Bros!" Drake grinned.
"Granted, his second elimination is Axel from Kingdom Hearts, but still not a bad start." Ashley agreed. "That he now has Axel's fiery chakrams so he should do interesting things with them. Hopefully, those things include fighting and not acting…"
PARASOUL
NODE: SKULLGIRLS
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 67
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Avenging Eliza from Section 1 is Parasoul for being not only the first person to get an elimination, but also got TWO of them AND got the top slot of the votes!" Ashley noted.
"Granted, her eliminations of Isaac from Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale and Kagome from Inuyasha are more taking advantage of their good luck with the wheel, but still not bad for a node that isn't as well-known in comparison to the rest of the line-up." Drake nodded.
"And she is openly protesting against Xero's blatant favouritism over Captain Olimar and challenging what is stronger? His love for memes or his love for women?" Ashley smirked. "Let's find out!"
GEESE HOWARD
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS/FATAL FURY
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 71
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
BIG GUY ALERT!
"Speaking of former champions doing well, Geese Howard, the third winner of the UVR tournament is proving that he is not to be trifled with!" Drake smirked.
"Indeed, he completely dominated Hawkgirl from DC Comics and Byleth from Super Smash Bros." Ashley nodded. He then gave a smirk. "But the question is, how well could he do?"
Drake raised an eyebrow at this, but shrugged and decided not to question it.
CAPTAIN OLIMAR
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/PIKMIN
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 80
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"And hoo boy… Who could forget Captain Olimar, his army of Pikmin and his "buddy", Steve?" Ashley asked, rolling his eyes.
"I must say, Captain Olimar is off to a very slow start, barely getting rid of Donkey from Shrek, but that may be because of the King of Smashers twist." Drake shrugged. "Now that the arena has gone back to only having thirty fighters at once, he will pick things up like with Big and Akane."
"Well, that is all of the fighters from previous sections!" Ashley nodded. "So let's introduce the new fighters!"
RAVEN
NODE: DC COMICS/TEEN TITANS
"And thus the first one of the five Teen Titans have made it into the ring!" Ashley smiled.
"Fun fact: Did you know in Tiny's scrapped plans for the third tournament, one of his new nodes was going to be the Teen Titans?" Drake asked.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Based on her performance in the ring in the second tournament?"
"Of course! Rainbow Dash got her own node after doing so well, so why not Raven?" Drake asked with a grin.
"Well, I wonder how Tiny may feel about said line-up NOW." Ashley mused. "Anyway, this goes without saying, but Raven is a powerful dark mage, creating raven-like claws for offense, barrier, telekinesis, portals and healing."
"And that is actually just a portion of her powers! We should be grateful that most of the fighters are not dangerous villains that will force her to use her full power!" Drake nodded.
"Don't even joke, Drake." Ashley scolded. "If you are truly a fan of the original Teen Titans cartoon, you would know from Season 4 that Raven's powers are NOT someone to be trifled with!"
"True... " The mayor shuddered. He then brightened up. "But yeah, I do not doubt that even if she doesn't match her own record in the Battle of the Luminaries, she will still do well. Very well."
AQUA
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS
"And going from the first of the Teen Titans to the first of the Wayfinder Trio!, Aqua!" Ashley smiled.
"And fan-favourite too!" Drake nodded before rolling his eyes. "Though I can't examine why."
Ashley's smile vanished as he narrowed his eyes. "Don't be gross, Drake!"
"Hey, just stating facts." The vampire shrugged. "So let me guess? Aqua specializes in water magic."
"ICE magic, Drake." Ashley pointed out. "That said, despite having a higher affinity with said element, she is also well-versed with other magic."
"That and she is one badass swordswoman." The mayor smirked.
"Yes and no. While she could fight physically, she is more of a mage, using her graceful aerobatics to dodge attacks and then use powerful magic." Ashley explained.
"Ah. Do you think said aerobatics and magic would be enough to make up for his poor defenses?" Drake asked.
"She spent heaven and hell knows how many years in the Realm of Darkness…." Ashley said, solemnly. "While she shouldn't let her guard down, nothing is going to shake than what she went through in the games."
AIR MAN
NODE: MEGAMAN
BIG GUY ALERT!
Drake's eyes lit up when he saw this. "Dude, it's Air Man!"
Ashley rolled his eyes. "Hoo boy… Let me guess. He is ANOTHER meme!"
"Yeah, but he is more than a meme! They call him "The Undefeatable Air Man!" Drake grinned.
"The UNDEFEATABLE Air Man?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow. "Megaman could beat him."
"Yeah, but after how many tries?" Drake asked. "No, seriously, he even got his own song from Hyadain dedicated to player frustrations after him."
"I mean, you are the expert on these things." Ashley shrugged. "So why is he undefeatable?"
Drake then looked at Ashley with a smirk before getting up from the ground while holding his mike.
"Wally, put on the chorus!" Drake yelled, pointing off-screen. "You know which one I am talking about!"
Ashley's pupils shrank. "Oh no…"
"Oh, mate, ya know it!" Wally grinned.
Then, rock music came on as Drake breathed in.
(I can't defeat Air Man!)
Ashley rolled his eyes as Drake walked from his seat.
(No matter how I try to dodge all of his tornadoes)
(He just kills me again!)
Drake then made a dramatic leap and made a glare to the side.
(And even though I can get behind him)
(It's no use, I try to fight, but I get blown away in the end!)
Drake used his free hand as a finger gun as he frantically tried to "spray and pray".
(I shoot fast as I can!)
(But when I had to go against Air Man's tornado, I was helpless again)
Drake then went to one knee.
(I'll try again, of course, but this is my plan)
(I'll keep my E-tank safe in reserve just as long as I can!)
With that, the crowd cheered as Drake got up from his feet and did a bow before turning around and walking back towards the seat.
"Um, extra much?" Ashley asked.
"Screw you!" Drake snapped. "That song is iconic!"
POISON IVY
NODE: DC COMICS/BATMAN
"Huh. A member of Harley's crew is coming out this soon." Drake mused.
"Yes, the eco-terrorist man-hating femme fatale villain!" Ashley nodded.
"Actually, considering this is based on Harley Quinn, she doesn't actually hate men. She even got into a relationship with Kite Man once." Drake explained.
Ashley's eyes bugged out. "THAT goofball?"
"Yeah, and believe it or not, he is actually one of the best things about that cartoon." Drake shrugged. "But yeah… To say it blew up was an understatement…"
Ashley winced. "Ow…"
"Anyway, while everyone and their grandma already knew this, but Poison Ivy is a herbomancer, having control over plants." Drake agreed.
"She is also known for her literal kiss of death." Ashley winced. He then paused. "Um, is that allowed?"
"I mean, if she uses it on immortal fighters like what Marluxia did with Grim." Drake shrugged. "All in all, with her many appearances, including in the Injustice games, she should do well."
DILAN
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS
BIG GUY ALERT!
Ashley blinked twice. "...Well, THIS isn't going to get confusing."
"Especially most people know Xaldin than they knew Dilan." Drake added.
Ashley shook his head. "On that note, how is he going to fight?"
"Yeah, Xaldin fights with six lances and wind powers, but as you could see, Dilan only has ONE lance." Drake noted.
"Considering that this is Kingdom Hearts, it isn't a stretch to assume that Dilan has SOME form of aeromancy before or after becoming Xaldin." Ashley shrugged. "Though I thought it would be AS strong."
"Aww, that's too bad because his boss fight, while frustrating as hell was also very good." Drake lamented. "He even had two dragons!"
"Well, he is a guard for a reason so while he is not overpowered, he must have SOME skill." Ashley noted. "Otherwise, Ansem the Wise wouldn't have appointed him."
"...I mean this doesn't have anything to with skill, but may I remind you that Ansem the Wise also appointed BRAIG." Drake reminded.
Ashley winced. "I-In any case, he should have some memory of his time as Xaldin and while he isn't as strong as before, he should know how to deal with tricky foes.
Then, an alarm went off.
"Uh-oh. It is Mystery Fighter Time!" Drake grinned. "Even though I know what the nodes are, I am completely in the dark about who the actual fighters are?"
Ashley just smirked.
GUY
NODE: FINAL FIGHT
Drake raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Now going to lie, I kinda expected Mike Haggar as the Final Fight Mystery Fighter."
"Yes, quite a mystery." Ashley chuckled.
Drake shook his head. "Well, even though Guy isn't as iconic as Haggar, he is still a Fight Fight staple, appearing in two of the three games and even being in the Alpha series before Cody."
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And what are his feats?" Ashley asked.
"While he is the "Fragile Speedster" of the Final Fight game, having quick attack, but low damage output." Drake explained. "His preferred weapon of choice is a katana, but only the Final Fight games. He fights unarmed."
"As expected from a ninja." Ashley nodded. He then paused. "Well, even for a ninja wearing sneakers."
"Yeah, and get this, he is the winner of the second Ultimate…" Drake started.
Then, his eyes bugged out before he started to count his fingers. Ashley just smirked.
"What is it, Drake?" Ashley asked.
"Um, nothing… Yet." The vampire mused.
"Well, if you say so. Anyway, if he uses the mindset that he used in the Ultimate Video Rumble, he should do well." Ashley nodded.
"Um, right… The Ultimate Video Rumble…" Drake frowned.
Ashley looked at the camera with a wink.
KING
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS/ART OF FIGHTING
"Ah, yes, the "Samus is a girl" of fighting games." Drake noted.
"Yes, she was even able to fool ME. And I usually have a third eye for androgynous people." Ashley noted.
"I know that you do." Drake said, rolling his eyes. "Welp, I think it is about time that we will give Wally and Catherine some screentime."
With that, the camera went to Wally and Catherine.
"Huh. I thought that when we will cover Art of Fighting, it would be with the Mystery Fighter." Catherine mused.
"Aye, but hey, that means we will get ta show up earlier." Wally shrugged. "Anyway, Art of Fighting is another one of SNK's many fighting games."
"Personally, I think it is a diet Street Fighter." Catherine said.
"Oi, don't be rude, people still loved the Art of Fighting!" Wally scolded. He then looked at the camera. "Anyway, Art of Fighting is called Ryuko no Ken in Japan which translates to "Fist of the Dragon and Tiger Fist"."
"Which is fitting because the main characters, Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia represent said animals respectively." Catherine nodded. "Now fighting games weren't known for its story, especially in the earlier so Art of Fighting had a linear story."
"Ryo's sister and Robert's love interest, Yuri Sakazaki have been kidnapped by the nefarious crime lord, Mr. Big and now the two are raising hell ta try to save her." Wally explained.
Catherine let out a deep sigh. "Look, Wally, I know you keep complaining about me being negative, so please tell me what is so great about the Art of Fighting in comparison to Fatal Fury."
The kangaroo frowned. "Cat…"
"No, seriously, it only got three games and one animated movie!" The pink-haired woman scolded. "The only reason the series is "relevant" is because of the Kyokugen team and King, occasionally with Kasumi Todoh and Eiji Kisaragi!"
Wally winced. "Well, the way it uses its special gauge is different. The shorter the special gauge, the weaker the special moves get. So ya could imagine how powerful they are. And… OR, this is the first game that included taunting and powered up specials. A staple of fighting games nowadays."
"Okay, I admit that they were the first to do it. Look, maybe acting like Art of Fighting is an 100% ripoff of Street Fighter is an exaggeration, but come on." Catherine said, unimpressed. "Capcom created Dan Hibiki, the EMBODIMENT of fighting games to spite SNK for ripping off Ken Masters with Ryo Sakazaki."
Wally's ears drooped. "Ya could only do so much distinction with a blond man in a karate gi, Catherine."
"...I guess?" Catherine said.
"Look, most fighting games are lucky to get ONE sequel, let alone two and as ya said, some characters appeared in other crossover games." Wally pointed out. "Hell, Lee Pai Long appeared in NeoGeo Battle Coliseum and RYUHAKU TODOH, the guy infamous for being a cameo appeared in CAPCOM VS SNK 2 of all places!"
"Okay, okay, I suppose there are worse fighting games to pick apart." Catherine muttered, rolling her eyes. "Guys, back to you."
The camera went back to Ashley. "Thank you, guys."
"Now, King is a "beginning-friendly" character." Drake explained. "She is a kickboxer who uses her long kicks to keep people away from her while occasionally kicking out an energy ball."
"Ah, so she is a zoner." Ashley said.
"Not to say that she can't kick ass close up. No, seriously, let your guard down and she WILL overwhelm you with a barrage of kicks." Drake warned. "All while looking like a complete gentlewoman."
Ashley blinked twice. "Isn't the term "Lady"?"
"Well, they should have the word "gentlewoman" for people like her!" Drake scolded.
PIRANHA PLANT
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/SUPER MARIO BROS
Drake paused. "Ah, yes, who could forget Sakurai's biggest middle finger to Waluigi?"
Ashley glared at Drake. "Drake!"
"I am just saying. With the amount of Mario fighters in Super Smash Bros, it only makes sense to add Waluigi next, but no." The vampire frowned.
"Yes, "WTF" pick doesn't begin to cover it." Ashley sighed.
"Anyway, despite being a common mook in the Mario games, this one is based on various types of its species in the series." Drake pointed out. "They could spit out spiked balls, breath out poisonous gases, stretching its stem as if they were made of rubber and even spin their leaves like a helicopter to fly."
"Wow, so many tricks." Ashley said in awe.
"Agreed. Also, it can't be stomped on while they are in their pot, obviously, they will automatically counter with a bite." Drake offered.
Ashley blinked twice. "But most of the fighters don't fight by jumping on their opponents' heads."
"But some DO have downwards attacks like axe-kicks." Drake warned. "Piranha Plant may be low-tier, but they DO have a various array of attacks for nearly every situation."
GUILE
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V
"Guile, the man with the theme song that goes with everything!" Drake grinned.
"Really? I heard that he had a poor streak in the latest game." Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.
Drake's grin vanished as he growled. "Unfortunately, yes, even though V's story mode was supposed to be the grand finale of Shadaloo, Guile, along with several characters, got the shaft. Despite Guile having one of the strongest reasons to oppose Bison!"
Ashley shook his head. "That is horrible."
"Yeah… Thankfully, he is strong in terms of gameplay." Drake sighed. "While looking like a truck, he is more of a defensive zoner, having only two moves."
Ashley's eyes widened. "Just TWO moves?"
"Trust me, they are more than enough." Drake reassured. "Guile's Sonic Boom is a great zoning tool and his Flash Kick is ideal for being for opponents who are too close."
"Wow, so he is like a stone wall." Ashley said in awe.
"Exactly. And that is not even getting into how his V-Triggers work." Drake nodded. He then paused. "Um, they CAN do V-Triggers in the arena, right?"
"Well, to be fair, not too many Street Fighters lived long enough to use them." Ashley frowned.
"Well, hopefully Guile will break that cause." Drake nodded.
STICKS THE BADGER
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG/SONIC BOOM
"Oh, right, I have forgotten that the Sonic Boom spinoff was a thing." Ashley mused.
"Yeah, I hadn't heard from it for a long time." Drake mused. "Not in terms of games OR the cartoon."
"Well, that is what the research team is for." Ashley shrugged.
The camera then went to Wally and Catherine.
"Hoo boy, we have a doozy this time." Wally said, shaking his head.
"Anyway, Sonic Boom is more than a spin-off. It is an alternate universe altogether." Catherine explained. "Sonic Team gave its franchise to a completely different company called Big Red Button to reinvent the formula, but…"
"It flopped. Majorly." Wally muttered.
"Hey, come on. It didn't flop. The first game flopped." Catherine scolded.
"Okay, fair, but still, that was a horrible start fer what was supposed ta be a brand new take on Sonic." Wally agreed.
Catherine winced. "Not wrong. Rise of Lyric was infamous for its repetitive beat-em-up gameplay, empty world and glitches galore."
"And the music wasn't even good!" Wally scolded. "06 at least had THAT going fer it! 06!"
"And admittedly, Shattered Crystal, while not unplayable, wasn't very good either." Catherine frowned. "To be fair, Fire and Ice was decent."
"Aye, and if there was ONE thing that we could take from this spin-off is that we got the cartoon." Wally smiled.
"Oh my god, I LOVED the cartoon! It took a while to get its identity, but it turned out surprisingly well!" Catherine agreed. "Oh, and I would die for this version of Knuckles!"
"Aye, the original Knuckles is still cool, but the Sonic Boom Knuckles is the goat!" Wally grinned. His ears then drooped. "Ah am just upset that we didn't see more characters reimagined."
"Agreed…" Catherine drooped. "So yeah, Rise of Lyric may be the worst game in the series, but take a look at the other games and the cartoon. Even Shattered Crystal isn't that bad in comparison to other Sonic Games."
The camera went back to Drake. "Thanks, guys."
"So Sticks is a long-range fighter, seeing that she has a boomerang, right?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah, and not only that, but she could move her boomerang to change her trajectory in case she missed her target and she thinks she can't hit them on the comeback." Drake pointed. "Also, she is a skilled archer."
"Oh, in which game she used said skills?" Ashley asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Mario & Sonic at the Rio Olympics Games." Drake answered.
Ashley blinked twice. "Wait… What?"
"Yeah, she appeared in that game, even appearing in the mobile game, Sonic Dash." Drake said. "It seems that despite wanting to create an alternate timeline, they are still willing to have Sticks visit the original timeline."
XION
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS
Drake blinked twice. "So I have to ask. Is Xion a clone of Sora or Kairi?"
"Technically Sora, but absorbing memories about Kairi gave her a feminine appearance." Ashley explained.
Drake paused. "...And this is why I rage-quit the Kingdom Hearts games."
"I don't blame you." Ashley muttered, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, because she is supposed to copy Sora, she has all of his abilities, minus being able to dual-wield Keyblades."
"Ah, so light is her elemental affinity." Drake mused.
"Yes, she is strong against dark-elemental foes which is a good chunk of villains." Ashley nodded. "If she decides to fight one, the court will be in her favour."
"Maybe? It is hard to say how replicas could do in these things." Drake said before muttering under his breath. "Clone of Sora mixed Kairi's memories. And they wonder why people call Kingdom Hearts one big fanfic."
CHARLIE NASH
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V
"Ah, it is funny that Nash is here while a few spots after Guile." Drake muttered. "Because HE is the reason why Guile wanted to go after Bison."
Ashley gasped. "What? So is he…"
"Dead? Yeppppp…" Drake muttered. "Capcom brought him back only for Bison to kill him. Again."
Ashley jumped. "What did Nash do to Capcom?"
"I don't know, but out of everyone who was portrayed poorly in the Street Fighter cast, he definitely got worse." Drake frowned.
"Wow…" Ashley said. "So Nash is a clone of Guile in terms of moveset?"
"Technically, it is GUILE who is a clone of Nash." Drake shrugged. "Actually, after being brought back from the dead, his moveset has completely changed."
"Oh?" Ashley asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Yeah, while he could still be a zoner, he prefers to be an assassin." Drake explained. "Get in, deal quick yet decisive blows and get out."
"Ah, well, I sure hope he does well here." Ashley frowned.
"Yeah, winning this tournament is only a fraction of what he needs after what he been through…" Drake said, sadly.
Then, the alarm went off.
"Anddddd it is time for the next Mystery Fighter!" Drake grinned. "I wonder who it would be!"
"And I wonder if he would get it." Ashley smirked.
KASUMI TODOH
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS/ART OF FIGHTING 3
Drake's grin vanished as he slumped his arms with his pupils shrank.
"No… No…" He said.
Ashley's smirk vanished. "Drake?"
"No... " Drake said before smirking. "No, they are NOT doing what I think they are doing, are they?"
"Oh, they are. Remember, I checked." Ashley smirked.
"Oh my Dracula…" Drake muttered before looking at the camera. "Ladies and gentlemen! I welcome Kasumi Todoh, the winner of the very first Megamix Tournament!"
Ashley chuckled. "I KNEW that you will be excited."
"Oh, I am!" Drake grinned. "As much we like to dunk on Xero, we have to give him this. This. Is. Badass!"
"Indeed. Definitely one of Xero's better ideas." Ashley chuckled. "Now onto Kasumi."
"Well, she is a practitioner of Todohryu Aikijutsu, which is a mixture of Kendo, Kobudo and Aikido." Drake explained. "In other words, she specializes in counter attacks and high-priority kicks."
"Ah, so she is a defensive fighter." Ashley mused.
"Kinda, but she could be used offensively," Drake explained. "She could chain together her attacks in a seamless combo."
"Ah, she is pretty balanced." Ashley noted. "So THAT is why she won the first Megamix Tournament."
"And she is definitely going to want to prove it!" Drake grinned.
KISSHU IKASATASHI
NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW
Both Drake and Ashley blinked twice.
"Um, I am not familiar with Tokyo Mew Mew, but doesn't Kisshu fight with sais?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah, what gives?" Drake asked.
Suddenly, Cacey's crystal ball floated up.
"Ugh, MORE complaints!" Drake groaned.
"No. Well, yes, but that is not why I am here." Cacey spoke through the crystal ball.
The crystal ball then floated up to Drake's ear and started to speak to him.
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh." Drake nodded. His eyes then bugged out. "Oh. Ohhh… Okay… Got it. Thanks for the heads-up, Cacey."
"Anything." The secretary offered. "I must admit that I am getting quite into it myself."
With that, she floated off.
"What happened?" Ashley asked.
"You know how Kisshu has an… Unhealthy obsession with Ichigo?" Drake asked. "Well, Ichigo finally had enough and really tore into him. Kisshu really took this hard and decided to change. By losing his sais and taking Quickdraw McDraw's guitar."
Ashley blinked twice. "Um, why?"
"Well, apparently because the heroes of Tokyo Mew Mew use instruments to fight, Kisshu took up a guitar to fight with." Drake shrugged.
Ashley paused. "...That is not how the Mew Mew's weapons work."
"Well, Kisshu seems to think so." Drake said, scratching the back of his head.
"...So now what? Skip the battle evaluation portion?" Ashley asked.
"Unfortunately, yes." Drake frowned. "Except maybe talk about Quickdraw having Kisshu's sais."
"Oh heaven and hell no!" Ashley groaned. "Let's move on. I don't even want to think about that guy having sharp weapons."
KRATOS
NODE: PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE/GOD OF WAR
BIG GUY ALERT!
"And here we have the God of War himself!" Drake grinned.
Ashley shuddered. "He is one of those people I hate being near."
"Yeah, he would shank you if you piss him off." Drake winced. "Which is extremely easy to do. Guys, to you."
The camera then went to Catherine rolling her eyes. "Ugh, do we HAVE to do it?"
"Come on, Cat, we can't choose who we cover." Wally scolded. "Anyway, God of War is a Hack-and-Slash Action Adventure game that takes place in Greek Mythology. The main character is called Kratos."
"Aka the worst types of male power fantasy!" The animal-lover grunted in disgust.
Wally narrowed his eyes. "Cat…"
"Ah, come on, Wally! He is short-tempered, apathetic, cruel, and the only reason why he is the "Hero" is because the gods he faced are somehow worse than him!" The pink-clad woman snapped.
"...Welcome to Greek Mythology, Catherine." The boxer frowned.
"I knew that you were going to say that I am STILL annoyed!" Catherine grunted, rolling her eyes.
"But anyway, Kratos was once a proud Spartan soldier until he was tricked by the gods ta kill his own wife and daughter." Wally explained. "That would make anyone lose themselves."
"I guess… He is still a dick." Catherine muttered.
"Oh no, he totally is. And the games know this because his games are violent as hell." Wally reassured. "While Catherine meant it in a negative way, she isn't wrong about Kratos being a male power fantasy. You are basically playing as a muscular warrior who goes around killing gods in a huge revenge plot."
"And thanks to said dudebros, the franchise has THREE mainline games and a few side games." Catherine said, rolling her eyes.
"Aye, but there was a fourth game and ta say that Kratos calmed down a lot is an understatement." Wally said.
Catherine just let out a deep sigh. "Well, taking a departure from Greek Mythology really helps his case. Also, as much as I hate this franchise, can we appreciate that they had the common sense to make Zeus the bad guy unlike Hercules?"
"Aye, Ah don't see how Disney could see that guy as a hero." Wally said, shaking his head in disgust. "Ah guess we should talk more about said fourth game, but it seems this Kratos is based on the trilogy."
Catherine blinked twice. "...How does THAT work? Especially since Atreus, Kratos' SON from the fourth game is in the Okron Tournament."
"Ah don't know. How come the fighters do not age?" Wally asked.
The two paused.
"Ah think we should take it back ta you." Wally piped up.
The camera went to Ashley shaking his head. "Good grief, guys."
Drake chuckled nervously. "Anyway, Kratos has a series of weapons, but his trademarks are the Blades of Chaos, two swords attached to really long chains."
Ashley gulped nervously. "So he could fight at close-range AND long-range?"
"Yeah, and he also got a lot other weapons like gauntlets, fiery bow and arrows and of course, a big fucking sword." Drake said. "He could also grow wings and fly."
Ashley's eyes widened at this. "What!? He sounds overpowered!"
"Oh, he is." Drake said, letting out a deep sigh. "He is the reason why Playstation All-Stars Rumble is so unbalanced."
Ashley frowned. "I sure hope that someone could find a way to survive him."
"Well, remember, they don't have to beat him, they just have to throw him out of the ring." Drake offered.
SAKURA KASUGANO
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V
"And here we have the second winner of the Megamix Tournament!" Drake grinned.
"...Even now, I am STILL stunned that she finally stopped wearing his sailor fuku." Ashley noted.
"Yeah, as much as I like to rag on Street Fighter V's story, when they do something right, they do it really right?" Drake smirked.
Ashley smiled and nodded. "So Sakura is a Shotoclone?"
"Yes, but of course having her own flair." Drake noted. "While Ryu and Ken are more skilled than her, they wish they could use Hadoken at an angle."
"Oh, so she has TWO anti-air options." Ashley noted.
"Yeah, admittedly her main weaknesses is that she is a bit on the frail side, but that never stopped Sakura before." Drake smirked. "If it did, she wouldn't have won."
Ashley smiled and nodded. "Indeed.
NUMBUH ONE
NODE: CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR
"Kids Next Door! Kids Next Door!" Drake chanted before doing an air guitar.
Ashley rolled his eyes. "Are you going to quote and/or sing all of the Cartoon Network themes?"
"Only the ones I am familiar with, unlike with Flapjack and Chowder." Drake shrugged. "Oh, and Captain Planet. You can't pay me enough to sing that song."
Ashley shook his head. "Guys, this is your second-to-last interview."
The camera went to a stunned Catherine. "Really? Huh. This feels less than usual."
"Maybe because a good chunk of well-known nodes like Mario and Batman has already been covered." Wally shrugged. "Anyway, Codename: Kids Next Door is about an organization of kids that protects kids from the tyranny of teenagers and adults."
Catherine blinked twice. "I mean we have various male power fantasies so why not have kid power fantasy?"
Wally then smirked. "Oh, you mean like anime or JPRGs?"
"Oi!" Catherine scolded despite having the same smirk. "Anyway, the cartoon sounds like an exaggerated case of what kids go through. Bossy CEOs, crazy old ladies who force-feed people disgusting food and a vampire that spank kids when they are bad. But then things get… Interesting."
"Yeah, apparently this dealt with heavy stuff. Particularly weaponising the greatest fears of children, whether it is through actual villains or inner turmoil." Wally said before giving a sad smile. "No, really. That ending? Get me every time."
"Yeah… While it definitely has its… Well, childish moments, they really make you feel for these characters." Catherine explained. "Even some of the villains are fun."
"Yeah, it has a wide array of characters and they did a great job developing the personalities of each one." Wally nodded. "Oh? And who could forget their large array of 2x4 technology."
"Yeah, adult architects wish they had that much skill as the Kids Next Door!" Catherine smirked. "So yeah, while the show is a mixed bag, I think the positives is more than enough to balance it out."
"Aye, it is a big part of people's childhood and it ended beautifully." Wally nodded. "Back to you, guys!"
The camera went to a smiling Drake. "Beautiful, guys. Just beautiful."
"Okay, so Numbuh One have various 2x4 technology, right?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah, he has the G.U.M.B.O.O.K.A., a standard KND gun, the S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R., a standard KND CLOSE-RANGE weapon." Drake explained. "The J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S., jet-powered boots and the S.P.I.C.E.R., another KND gun, but leave a real burning effect. Whether it is from the fire or the gas."
"Wow, he must be really prepared for this." Ashley said.
"Oh, he is." Drake nodded before frowning. "If anything, his paranoia of adults AND teenagers is both his greatest asset and his greatest flaw. Especially since they are very rare kid fighters."
Ashley gulped nervously. "Well, I just hope for his sake that he doesn't go over his head."
Then, the alarm went off. However, while it is similar to the Mystery Fighter one, it sounded different.
"Ah, don't worry, folks. That is just a modified version of the Mystery Fighter alarm." Ashley offered. "Because we will be having our first RESERVE Mystery…"
"Um, Ash?" Drake piped up. "May I have this one?"
The wizard raised an eyebrow. "Um, sure? The floor is yours."
Drake nodded his head before getting up on his feet.
"The Megamix Tournament, the Battle of the Luminaries, the Okron Tournament and now the Tournament of Kikai." He announced.
"Hoo boy… You are milking this for all of its worth, aren't you?" Ashley asked, rolling his eyes. Though he was smirking the whole time.
"All great tournaments. But they wouldn't have existed if it wasn't for the ORIGINAL Ultimate Video Rumble series." Drake said. "That inspired SSBFreak. Which inspired Tinyhammer. Which inspired RaineSage. Which now inspired Orange-Ratchet. And besides, we can't have an UVR spin-off reunion WITHOUT this guy. You know him, you love him! It's…"
HAOHMARU
NODE: SAMURAI SHODOWN
"THE original Ultimate Video Rumble winner! While he can't be said to be the FACE of UVR, he still deserves props!" Drake grinned.
"Um, Drake, I know that you are having fun and I respect that, but… Did Haohmaru always talk like he was in Speed Racer?" Ashley asked, scratching the back of his head.
"Only in the Ultimate Video Rumble." Drake shrugged. "Which makes it weird because when he was in the Megamix Tournament, he talked just fine."
Then, the vampire's eyes lit up.
"Oh, maybe he is just PLAYING the role of the talkative loon to appeal to people who read the original series!" Drake grinned, looking giddy. "Just like Chang Koehan in the second Megamix Tournament!"
"Oh heaven and hell, he is acting like a kid at Christmas time." Ashley muttered. He then sighed. "Well, Wally, Catherine, you know what to do."
The camera went to a smirking Catherine. "Huh. If it wasn't for the fact that we have gotten spoiled on the nodes of the Mystery Fighters this section, I would assume that we would never cover a Mystery Fighter here."
"So anyway, Samurai Shodown is yet ANOTHER SNK fighting-game, but with a twist!" Wally smirked. "It is the FIRST weapon-based fighting game."
"It is set in the closing years of the Edo period where various people like ronin, ninjas, knights and even Aztec warriors!" Catherine added. She then narrowed her eyes. "But don't think you could just go in and go combo-friendly!"
"Aye, Samurai Shodown is a more defensive game, focusing more on finesse." Wally nodded. "Every hit counts because a good heavy attack could take apart a good chunk of yer health in a snap!"
"Of course, not to say that there aren't rushdown characters in the game, but you have to be careful." Catherine warned. "Fortunately, every character has gotten their own specials to help get in."
"The series has spawned six games, three 3-D spinoffs." Wally explained.
Catherine blinked twice. "I thought it spawned FOUR 3-D spinoffs what with Edge of…"
"La la la!" Wally sang, covering his ears. "What is that? I can't hear you!"
Catherine rolled her eyes. "But yeah, the game had a big following and even got a new game in modern times that is still being played competitively to this day."
"And of course, there are a lot of beloved characters where they appeared in several crossover games." Wally said.
"Aka Nakoruru, maybe no other people." Catherine said, rolling his eyes.
Wally glared at Catherine. "Oi, don't say it like that! Hanzo appeared in the second Maximum Impact and Genjuro, Shiki and even EARTHQUAKE appeared in SVC: Chaos over Nakoruru."
"I guess… Also, don't you think it is weird that this game is called Samurai Shodown and yet the only true samurai is Jubei?" The pink-haired woman.
"Well, Ronin Shodown wouldn't have rolled off the tongue." Wally frowned.
"And what is with only one "W" in Shodon. Is this that "Poor Literacy Is Kool" thing?" Catherine asked.
"I-In any case, Samurai Shodown is one of the most well-known fighting games of SNK's library and should already be remembered for being a weapon-based fighting game!" Wally muttered. "Guys, back to you!"
Drake shook his head. "Thanks, Wally…"
"Okay, so being the main character of his series, Haohmaru is a weapon-based Shotoclone, right?" Ashley asked.
"Um, yes and no. Yes, he has a sword-based Shoryuken and yes, he has a fireball, albeit as a ground hurricane. And of course, yes, he is a jack-of-all-stats." Drake explained. "But he has a couple of tricks up his sleeve."
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Like?"
"He has an attack that leaps over low projectiles like Terry's Power Wave and do a downwards slash." Drake explained. "And speaking of projectiles, he has a projectile deflector."
Ashley's eyes widened at this. "Wow. I thought those were reserved for more technical fighters."
"They are. Oh, do you know why fatigue is a thing in these tournaments?" Drake asked. "Well, THIS guy was the reason for that."
Ashley jumped at this. "What? W-Why?"
"Because his debut section was the SECOND one!" Drake pointed out.
Ashley's pupils shrank. "Woah…"
"Yeah, he was SO strong that the original creators had to come up with a fatigue system just to make sure that nobody steamrolled like they did." Drake nodded.
Ashley suddenly smirked. "That didn't stop Pikachu."
Drake returned the smirk. "Touche. But yeah, I don't think these guys will win again, but it is still exciting to see who will come out on top."
"Well, that is everyone!" Ashley smiled. "Now Big, Geese, Air Man, Dilan and Kratos are Big Guys so twenty people will be eliminated."
"Also, the Side Battles for this section is Crunch Bandicoot from Crash Bandicoot versus Vega from Street Fighter and Starfire & Supergirl from DC Comics versus their nodal companion, Harley Quinn and Miss Decibel!" Drake announced.
"So remember to vote. Because if you do that AND add Mystery Fighter suggestions, you may see one of your suggestions get in!" Ashley smiled.
"Oh, man, this is going to be LIT!" Drake grinned.
Archiveofourown / works/ 25531129 / chapters / 65678524
