LINK TO SECTION BELOW

The camera went to Drake and Ashley smiling at the camera.

"Anddddd we're back!" Drake grinned.

"Normally, we would talk about the gimmick for this section, but…" Ashley winced.

"Okay, here is the thing: Once again, Monokuma didn't give the top slot a choice of three envelopes and only one." Drake explained. "Unleash the _"

"At first, we were just as confused as everyone else, but turns out that Xero and Maurice were one step ahead of Junko." Ashley nodded. He then sighed.

"You see, Junko was about to unleash mooks based on one of the fighters in the ring." Drake explained. "Thus causing chaos. However, Xero and Maurice had somehow managed to relocate them."

"Unfortunately, they unleashed them in front of the security team room, causing them to deal with them." Ashley frowned. He then looked at Drake. "...Was this the right choice?"

"It was either that or having said mooks eliminate a fighter without anyone's effort and THAT is too chaotic even for Xero." The vampire frowned.

"I guess…" Ashley sighed. He then brightened up. "That being said, though this section will make up for the last section by having no gimmicks. Especially with Monokuma being… Preoccupied."

"But if you think that would make the section any less chaotic, you'll be damned wrong!" Drake smirked.

"But first things first, a review on who survived the last section." Ashley pointed out.

AKANE OWARI

NODE: SUPER DANGANRONPA 2

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 39

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 5

"Going strong as the longest-running Mystery Fighter is the Ultimate Gymnast, Akane!" Drake grinned. "With her impressive record against Karin from Street Fighter V, Jigglypuff from Super Smash Bros, Leona and Kukri from King of Fighters XIV and Numbuh One from Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion."

"She may not have the proper training, but she got the strength, skill and determination to last this long." Ashley offered. "Question is, would she last much longer?"

GOOFY

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/CLASSIC DISNEY SHORTS

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 50

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 7

"And while his double-elimination has finally been broken, that doesn't mean you should ever goof around with Goofy!" Ashley warned.

"Yeah, Kim and Chang from King of Fighters XIV, Blue Bayou from Tokyo Mew Mew, Mr. Game & Watch from Super Smash Bros, Guile and Nash from Street Fighter V and Ansem from Kingdom Hearts learned that the hard way!" Drake nodded.

RAVEN

NODE: DC COMICS/TEEN TITANS

ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 81

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2

"Slithering through the darkness is Raven with her respectable eliminations of Piranha Plant from Super Smash Bros and Marie from Skullgirls!" Drake grinned.

"While she is going slow, she is also going steady, tying Clayface as the DC Comics MVP." Ashley agreed. "Now let's see if she could beat his record."

KASUMI TODOH

NODE: ART OF FIGHTING 3

ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 93

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3

"Going strong as the first half of the Megamix Tournament winners is the heir to the Todoh dojo, Kasumi!" Ashley smiled.

"She already made short work of Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog, Air Man from Megaman and even Haohmaru from Samurai Shodown!" Drake smirked. "And still relatively fresh!"

KISSHU IKASATASHI

NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW

ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 94

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2

"Showing that his new choice of weapon is not just a farce is Kisshu!" Drake grinned. "He already Kabonged Poison Ivy from DC Comics and Ray from Sonic the Hedgehog out of the ring!"

"Now if he could only figure out that Ichigo doesn't want to be with him…" Ashley muttered.

SAKURA KASUGANO

NODE: STREET FIGHTER V

ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 96

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3

"And having a great start is the second half of the Megamix Tournament duo!" Ashley smirked.

"She has managed to get top of the votes twice in a row, completely dominating Guy from Final Fight, Wartortle from Super Smash Bros and Zeku from Street Fighter V!" Drake offered.

BUTTERCUP

NODE: POWERPUFF GIRLS

ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 101

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

"Determined to prove her status as the toughest fighter is Buttercup!" Drake grinned.

"She's already proven that she is not one to be trifled with when she avenged her sister when she eliminated Sticks from Sonic the Hedgehog!" Ashley nodded.

BIANCA

NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON

ENTERED IN: Section 5: Number 104

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

"While she is still learning with magic, Bianca is NOT one to be messed with!" Ashley warned.

"Yeah, she already made quick work of Parasoul from Skullgirls." Drake nodded. He then paused. "Well, that one was an accident, but it was still a strong attack that did her in!"

EIJI SHINJO

NODE: BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN

ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 106

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

"Ready to prove that his node is NOT a Kizuna Encounter is the leading man himself, Eiji!" Drake grinned.

"Yes, in a great upset, he overcame Chrom from Super Smash Bros and now made it into the next round!" Ashley nodded. "Now we will see if he will continue that luck."

VECTOR THE CROCODILE

NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 107

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

BIG GUY ALERT!

"Muscling and calculating his way into his second round is the Vector the Crocodile!" Ashley smiled.

"He is always making good progress with his elimination of Meitenkun from King of Fighters XIV." Drake nodded.

LUNA LOUD

NODE: THE LOUD HOUSE

ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 108

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

"Showing that she is much more than a Slice-of-Life character is Luna Loud herself!" Drake beamed.

"She's already dispatched of Dhalsim from Street Fighter V and while her opponent was handicapped by the wheel, so was she." Ashley smiled.

ZELDA

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/LEGEND OF ZELDA

ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 111

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

"Speaking of handicaps, Zelda has proven why her name is in the title and not Link!" Ashley noted.

"Yeah, she had her magic disabled and unlike Dhalsim, her opponent, Royal Highness from Tokyo Mew Mew was not handicapped." Drake said. "However, that didn't stop her as she literally booted him out of the ring!

VENTUS

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS

ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 114

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

"I am not going to lie, I never really had that much faith in Ventus, but to say he surprised me is an understatement!" Drake noted.

"Indeed, his elimination was a slow start, but it is nothing to scoff at when said elimination is of Pikachu from Super Smash Bros himself!" Ashley nodded.

MURRAY

NODE: SLY COOPER

ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 116

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

BIG GUY ALERT!

"Murray…" Ashley started.

"AHEM." Drake coughed with a stern face.

Ashley rolled his eyes. "THE Murray is proving why he is the muscle of the Cooper Gang."

"Yeah, Shulk from Super Smash Bros learned that the hard way!" Drake beamed. His face then fell. "Well… More like Shulk KNEW he was about to learn the hard way and tried too hard and fast to stop him…"

SHEGO

NODE: KIM POSSIBLE

ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 117

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

"And last of the surviving fighters, but certainly not least, Shego!" Drake grinned.

"Proving how dangerous she could really be when not dealing with Kim Possible, she made short work of Batgirl from DC Comics." Ashley nodded. "Now let's get into the new fighters!"

THE GRIZZ

NODE: SLY COOPER

BIG GUY ALERT!

Ashley blinked twice. "...So let me get this straight. The Grizz is a stereotypical egotistical rapper… Who WANTS to be an ice skater?"

Drake rolled his eyes. "Yep… Pretty much…"

"...I mean, the Rogue Gallery has always been… Varied in its line-up sooo, why not?" Ashley shrugged.

Drake shook his head. "Well, talking about the Grizz's fighting capabilities is difficult because his fight takes place in an ice rink and he uses ice-skating moves and using his strength to send icicles on the ground."

"...I mean that should at least tell us that he has super-strength." Ashley mused. "That, aside from the fact that he is actually BIGGER than Murray and well, a bear…"

"Yeah, he needs to put his money where his mouth is and quit gloating about his art and start gloating about his strength!" Drake nodded.

Ashley paused. "Graffiti is art?"

"Hell if I know! I have been forced to attend a couple of art museums and I STILL don't get art!" Drake roared.

KYO KUSANAGI

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS

Ashley blinked twice. "Um, doesn't he usually show up at the end of the section?"

"If I have to ask, someone who is just as prominent and deserving of the final slot is in the same section." Drake mused, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe we will find out at the end of the section."

"I see…" Ashley said before pausing. "That being said, though, his status as the main character should help him, right?"

"Maybe…? Kyo never does well at these things, but with Terry's inclusion in Super Smash Bros, he should get more reference." Drake mused. "As for his fighting style, along with being a pyromancer, he is also a beginner-friendly character."

"So a Shotoclone?" Ashley asked.

"No, a Rekka fighter." Drake corrected, shaking his head.

Ashley tilted his head. "A Rekka fighter?

"You know, those characters that have three-hit moves that you have to tap in a rhythm." Drake offered.

"Ah…" Ashley paused. "He must have a lot of experience with not only his games, but also the crossovers."

"And don't forget the spin-offs. When you are as marketable at King of Fighters, you tend to see it all." Drake nodded.

FLAPJACK

NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH TIME EXPLOSION/THE MARVELOUS MISADVENTURES OF FLAPJACK

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "I don't know how to feel about him. I mean I know that he is a good kid who has nothing, but the purest intentions at heart. On the other hand…"

"...You want to tape his mouth shut. No, no, I get it. I am mixed on the kid too." Drake offered. He then paused. "You know, I never really got into Flapjack because it aired what I deemed the "Dark Age" of cartoons?"

"Well, good thing we have Wally and Catherine." Ashley nodded.

The camera then went to Wally and Catherine.

"Aight! So the MarvelLous Misadventures of Flapjack is a cartoon that showed up during the "Dark Age" of cartoons." Wally introduced with a frown. "It was an age where cartoons like JOHNNY TEST were the norm."

Catherine shook her head. "The premise is simple. It is about this kid named… Well, Flapjack who is an orphan and has been… Raised by a whale. Okay…? I admit that is cute in its own right. But one day, he and said… Whale mother named Bubbie had saved a pirate called Captain K'nuckles!"

"After saving them, Captain K'nuckles told them about this place called Candied Island, an island made of… Well, candy." Wally shrugged. "Flapjack, being the Wide-Eyed Idealist he is, asked to join the not-so-good captain on an adventure."

"Despite sounding like they would be sailing around the world, the three are actually in a grounded hub: Stormalong Harbour." Catherine explained. "There, they experience… Quite disturbing adventures for a kid's cartoon."

"So yeah, it is an… Interesting series. It aired for two years before concluding with a short 6-episode third season." Wally explained.

"Yeah, I am not going to sugarcoat it. I am not a fan." Catherine said.

"I… Can't say Ah am a fan either, but Ah don't know. It seems like more of those "acquired taste" cartoons." Wally frowned.

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Well, it is definitely "unique", I'll give it that."

Wally shook his head. "Also, apparently it had a live-action movie that is supposed to be a proper finale where Captain K'nuckles and Flapjack has been played by… The creator of the show himself and his son."

"Okay… I'll admit it." Catherine paused before smiling. "That's… Actually quite wholesome."

"Also, even if ya don't like the series, ya gotta admit that it helped several key writers and storyboard artists ta go on and create their own series." Wally said. "Like Adventure Time, Regular Show, Gravity Falls and Over The Garden Wall."

Catherine's eyes widened at this. "Oh, wow. That is actually quite cool."

"So aye, say what ya want about the show itself, it still played a big part in inspiring other things!" Wally noted.

"Heh, I actually have more respect than the show than I did coming in." Catherine noted. "Back to you, guys."

The camera went to a nodding Ashley. "I must admit that I gained a bit of respect for Flapjack too."

"As for the little sugarball himself, he is described in his bio of Punch Time Explosion to be a Fragile Speedster with quite a few aerial moves." Drake noted.

"Not surprising with all of his energy." Ashley said, chuckling.

"And all of his sugar intake!" Drake added. "A couple of his attacks are using a literal peppermint projectile and a candy cane boomerang."

"Now surprising considering what his own goal is." Ashley noted. "Anything else?"

"Um, well, he has… A tickle counter." Drake said, scratching the back of his head.

Ashley paused. "...A tickle counter."

"A tickle counter." Drake repeated.

Ashley just groaned. "...As stupid as it sounds, I must admit that it fits."

AELEUS

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS

"And here we have the muscle of the former Organization XIII!" Ashley smiled.

"I have to ask. "What exactly IS an axe-sword?" Drake asked, rubbing his chin. "It is exactly like it sounds?"

"That's right. At the tip, the blade at the end sticks out like an axe head, but the rest of the blade is like a sword." Ashley nodded.

Drake gave a descending whistle. "Okay, how are we going to talk about his powers? Dilan has confirmed that he has lost most, if not all of his powers as Xaldin so that should be the same for the rest of Ansem the Wise's apprentices."

"Well, we just have to assume that he will use a weakened version of his powers." Ashley mused. "First off, while he doesn't have super-strength, he should obviously still hit like a truck. And maybe have SOME form of geomancy. Also, a self offence buff."

Drake raised an eyebrow. "A self offence buff."

"That's right." Ashley nodded. He then narrowed his eyes. "But I am not going to tell you why I think he will have this because if you do, you will do a certain overused anime joke!"

Drake just blinked twice.

KING OF DINOSAURS

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV/FATAL FURY(?)

BIG GUY ALERT!

Ashley blinked twice before rolling his eyes. "Are we seriously going to pretend that the King of Dinosaurs is NOT Tizoc?"

"I mean… To be fair, while the King of Dinosaurs IS Tizoc, the heel persona STILL originated in King of Fighters as opposed to Tizoc." Drake shrugged. "There's no right or wrong answer."

Ashley just grunted in annoyance. "Whatever…"

"Anyway, as you may think that the King of Dinosaurs is your stereotypical Mighty Glacier wrestler and you wouldn't be TOO far off as some of his attacks are quite slow." Drake explained before smirking. "But what if I reminded you that he is a masked LUCHADOR?"

Ashley's eyes widened. "Wait… Are you saying that…?"

"Well, he isn't going to speed around the arena like Ramon if that is what you are asking, but he has a couple of leaping grapple moves." Drake said. "And his tail is not for show. He could use it if someone is out of his grappling range! Oh, and the teeth and claws are real too."

Ashley's eyes widened at this. "Wait… What!?"

"He is a heel wrestler, Ashley." Drake said, matter-of-factly. "Heels tend to fight dirty."

"Well, he should more or less have experience with this, considering that he used to be a part of the security team of the second Battle of the Luminaries." Ashley mused.

JAK & DAXTER

NODE: PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE/JAK & DAXTER

"Heh. I was always aware of their games, but never got into them." Ashley mused.

"Same. But at the same thing, it is IMPOSSIBLE not to recognise the duo of Jak & Daxter." Drake agreed.

"Indeed. And we will have our nodal research team explain why!" Ashley smiled.

The camera then went to Wally. "Leave it ta us, mates! Anyway, Jak & Daxter is a platformer series created by Naughty Dog! It is about a guy named Jak and his human-turned-ottsel Daxter going on various adventures!"

He then paused before looking at Catherine.

"Um, They ARE humans, rights?" Wally asked.

Catherine just shrugged. "I mean, sure they have pointy ears, but considering that the games are more technologically-based."

"True… Anyway, the first game is actually quite simple with the silent Jak and his best friend, Daxter went on an adventure to reverse the latter's curse." Wally explained. "However, things get complicated along the way."

"Personally, I think he looks cuter as an ottsel." Catherine said. "But whatever, Jak & Daxter was the Playstation response to Super Mario 64 being a 3D Collect-A-Thon!"

Wally smirked. "Then, the second game started. No, seriously, the tone has taken a more serious undertone. One of the first scenes of the game is the main hero being tortured by the Big Bad and when Daxter rescued, Jak suddenly gave a voice and shouts "Ah am going ta kill Praxis!"

"So yeah, it is one of those edgy reboots. But unlike say, Bomberman, it actually works here." Catherine said. "From a gameplay standpoint, it gives it more of an identity in comparison, using guns, vehicles and missions."

"Also, Jak could use this power called Eco. There is Light Eco and Dark Eco and both sides have given him extraordinary powers!" Wally grinned.

"The series had a trilogy, along with a racing game and even a midquel, starring Daxter!" Catherine smiled. "It has proven to be worthy of its series as a Playstation mascot! Back to you guys!"

The camera went to Drake, who nodded his head. "Thank you, guys!"

"So I take it that Jak & Daxter will fight with guns and co on their side?" Ashley asked.

Drake nodded his head. "They do. However, said Eco is usually reserved for supers. So they have to settle for guns. Lucky for them and unlucky for their opponents, they got a lot of them."

"Oh, wow!" Ashley said in awe. "And being that they are a duo, they look out for each other!"

"That's right! They are a classic duo!" Drake smirked.

DUMBO

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/DUMBO

"Ah, yes, Dumbo." Ashley said before sighing. "I should tell you that the mooks who Junko were going to unleash on the arena were the Pink Elephants."

Drake just shuddered. "That would be too much even for me. Anyway, Catherine, I KNOW you would like to have this one as soon as possible."

The camera then focused on a grinning Catherine. "EEEEEE! You know me far too well, Drake! Anyway, Dumbo is a Disney movie made in the forties! It is about a baby elephant called Dumbo!"

"Unfortunately, most of his cast is not as cute." Wally said before growling. "The other elephants, the circus crew and patrons made fun of him for his large ears and called him Dumbo because of it."

"Ooh, this is why I prefer animals to humans!" Catherine growled. "Even though I am not a fan of those elephants as well!"

"Aye, unfortunately, people tend ta be assholes like that in the real world." Wally sighed. "So yeah, a major trait about Dumbo in his large ears. Which everyone and their grandma made fun!"

"I don't think! I think they make Dumbo cute!" Catherine exclaimed.

"Aye." Wally nodded. He then brightened up. "Luckily, it is not all bad because his ears could turn him into a Flight-type Sonic the Hedgehog character!"

"What he means is that in the climax, he could use his wings to fly! With that, he got revenge on the horrible staff and elephants!" Catherine grinned. "He has finally got his happy ending and reunited with his money!"

"So yeah, while sad at first, the ending more than makes up for it with its cute character. In an instant classic" Wally smiled. His face then fell. "Well, except for having racist characters…"

"Okay, I know that the crows are black stereotypes, but if I may remind you, they are portrayed POSITIVELY." Catherine pointed out. "I mean it is not as controversial as the Song of the…"

"I DID NOT TAKE A BREAK FROM POLITICS TO TALK ABOUT POLITICS!" Drake roared from off-screen.

Wally and Catherine winced.

"Okay, okay, geez!" Catherine spat, glaring off-screen. "Back to you assholes!"

The camera went to a glaring Drake. "Thanks, guys…."

Ashley just shook his head. "Now, it is not that Dumbo couldn't fight, but his moveset is quite limited."

"Yeah, but I think said moveset favour quality over quantity." Drake pointed out. "Not only could he fly, but he could shoot out water out of his trunk."

Ashley nodded his head. "And baby or not, he is STILL an elephant so he should be decently strong."

"So yeah, with his best bud, Timothy Q. Mouse giving him support, he could be a sleeper fighter!" Drake grinned.

Then, an alarm came off.

"Oh? The Mystery Fighter alarm had sounded off!" Ashley smiled.

"Now who could be a potential sleeper fighter here!" Drake smirked.

BILLY LEE

NODE: DOUBLE DRAGON

Ashley paused before adjusting his glasses. "Heh. Correct me if I am wrong, but I didn't know that Orange was into Beat'em ups."

"Yeah, same here. He wasn't into Final Fight or Streets of Rage if memory serves me right." Drake noted.

The two just shrugged. The camera then went over to Wally and Catherine.

"Alright! Like they said, Double Dragon is a beat'em up starring the Lee brothers, Billy and Jimmy, who will tear up the city of bad guys to rescue their female friend, Marian." Wally grinned.

"It is also another piece of blatant toxic masculinity!" Catherine spat, crossing her arms.

Wally rolled his eyes. "...Ah guess Ah should be grateful that this took THIS long for you to complain."

"Come on, Wally! Marian is supposed to be an assistant instructor at the Lee brothers' dojo and yet she went down with ONE punch to the gut!" Catherine pointed out. "AND if the brothers saved her via co-op mode, they will literally fight who gets to save her and she just goes along with it!"

The kangaroo winced. "Um, the game came out in simpler times?"

"Oh, while I have more choice words about the set-up, "simple" definitely fits." Catherine grunted, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, okay, the premise is as cookie-cutter as it gets and it is still a cult classic." Wally pointed out. "After all, not only did it get a few sequels."

"AFTER the original company died out and another one brought it." Catherine snapped.

"Aw, come on. It was not all gloom and doom! They not only spawned several sequels, but they also had a lot of home versions on different consoles, a fighting game, a cartoon, a movie, a comic, a fighting game based on the cartoon, a fighting game based on the MOVIE, a…" Wally said.

"Alright, alright, they must be doing SOMETHING right!" Catherine said, crossing her arms.

"Oh, they did. Sure, it is not as iconic as Final Fight or Streets of Rage, but they DID helped popularize the genre." Wally pointed out.

Catherine paused. "The co-op ending is STILL stupid."

Wally rolled his eyes. "...Back ta you."

The camera went to Ashley rolling his eyes as well. "Thank you, guys…"

Drake shook his head. "So anyway, Billy Lee began his martial arts training when he was twelve and became the successor to the Chinese martial arts of Sousetsuken!"

Ashley's eyes widened at this. "Wow. So he is a master of Chinese martial arts."

Drake nodded his head. "And his numerous games helped him pick up some tricks. Like he is a classic Shotoclone in the fighting game. Um, the original one?"

Ashley paused. "Does Rage of the Dragons count as the Double Dragon canon?"

"I… Don't think so. I think it is its own thing." Drake shrugged. "Still, it should have enough tricks to help him in the ring."

Ashley nodded his head. "Especially when his games is all about going around endless swarms of enemies."

DIDDY KONG

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/DONKEY KONG COUNTRY

"And here we have THE second banana of the Donkey Kong games." Drake smirked.

"Drake!" Ashley scolded.

"What? I was just making a pun!" The vampire insisted.

Ashley just rolled his eyes. "Ugh, whatever… Wally, Catherine?"

The camera then focused on a nodding Wally. "Ta, mate, we got you covered! Even though the Donkey Kong Country games are technically part of the Mario franchise, it is still its own series and honestly, Super Smash Bros count it as a separate franchise from Mario so…"

"Anyway, we will start with the arcade game. Even though the Donkey Kong is that game is not the one WE know." Catherine warned before rolling her eyes. "I know, but hear me out. The original Donkey Kong was THE very first platformer."

"No, it was the very first platformer that featured JUMPING." Wally corrected. "THE honour of THE first platformer goes to Space Panic."

Catherine blinked twice. "...Wow, this job helps me learn things that I never knew before."

Wally let out a laugh. "Just wait until I get to Chunners! Anyway, the story was simple. A giant ape called Donkey Kong has kidnapped Pauline and now it is up to Mario, who was at this time called Jumpman."

"The gameplay was simple, but difficult with Jumpman, well, jumping over barrels and onto moving platforms while climbing up ladders to get to the top." Catherine said. "Thus the tagline "How High Could You Get"? Oh, and this is the only series where Mario was a villain."

Wally rolled his eyes. "What she means is that in the sequel, Donkey Kong has been caged and his son, Junior has come to rescue him. All while Jumpman is trying to keep him into his cage for what he had done."

"Hey, he doesn't want Donkey Kong going around and kidnapping women, that's valid!" Catherine scoffed. "But when you unleashed animals to attack the poor creature, then you lose said valid points…"

"Aye… Ah admit doesn't fit with Mario's heroic image." Wally winced. "There was another sequel where the status quo has gone back to normal. But instead of Jumpman saving Pauline from Donkey Kong, it was a guy named Stanley the Bugman. Oh, apparently there was some Educational game that teaches math with the gameplay of the second game."

"I know that people hate Educational games and I get that, but look at the cute mascots we got out of it!" Catherine smiled. "And said game even turned Donkey Kong Jr.'s fur pink!"

Wally rolled his eyes. "Well, at least SOMEBODY is happy. Anyway, onto the… Current version. Donkey Kong has been revamped majorly and turned into a protagonist, giving us the Donkey Kong with his trademark haircut and necktie!"

"Some theorists feel that Cranky Kong was the original Donkey Kong and the "current" Donkey Kong is his grandfather!" Catherine beamed. Her face then fell. "Um, if that is the case, what happened to Jr?"

"...Am Ah a horrible person that I am more confused why Donkey Kong Jr appeared in Mario Tennis 64 alongside his ADULT son?" Wally asked before shaking his head. "Anyway, the platforming has been changed. You could jump on opponents' heads just like in Mario, but you could pick barrels and throw them at opponents. You could have a tag-team system between DK and his sidekick, Diddy!"

"The plots are as simple as they could get. In the first game, the Kremlings has took Donkey Kong's banana supply… For some reason and now DK has to get it back. In the sequel, DK has been kidnapped and Diddy takes the limelight with his girlfriend, Dixie Kong!" Catherine beamed. "And in the third game, both DK AND Diddy has been kidnapped and Dixie takes center stage with his little big cousin, Kiddy Kong!"

"...You know, for a roaring powerhouse, he has been kidnapped quite a bit." Wally noted before shaking his head. "Anyway, as you could expect, it spawned many games like a 3D platformer, a racing game, a rhythm game."

"It then came back with a vengeance with Donkey Kong Country Returns and its sequel, Tropical Freeze, both high-tier games!" Catherine grinned.

"So while Donkey Kong is part of the Mario canon, it still deserved its own identity!" Wally beamed.

The camera went to a grinning Drake. "Ta, guys!"

Ashley adjusted his glasses. "Now Diddy Kong is the Speed to Donkey Kong's Power, right?"

"Right! Diddy, as a monkey, is quick on his feet and is quite aerobatic. And don't forget his trademark peanut popguns and his barrel jetpacks, giving his range AND aerial recovery!" Drake smirked.

"So he should be hard to pin-up." Ashley mused.

"Definitely. There was once a time where he was actually the Bayonetta on Smash 4 before he got nerfed." Drake added.

Ashley's eyes widened at this. "No lie?"

"Yeah, two words. Hoo-Ha." Drake said.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Drake and Ashley winced in pain before glaring off-screen.

"...Well, I never asked for it, I suppose I should be grateful for you affirming my point, Wally." Drake muttered.

"So… Much… Rage-quitting…"

MR. FREEZE

NODE: DC COMICS/BATMAN

"Ah, another classic Batman villain." Ashley noted.

"Yeah, and arguably the most tragic." Drake frowned. "The dude just wants his wife back."

"Yes… It is not that I don't sympathise with him, but he is still causing crime." Ashley frowned.

"I know… Even Batman knows…" Drake lamented. He then shook his head. "Anyway, as you could enter, but he is a cryomancer."

"You could do a lot with ice. Both for offenCe, defence AND evasion." Ashley pointed out.

"Now only that, but he had fighting game experience, being in the second Injustice game." Drake added.

Ashley blinked twice. "Wait… I thought that was Captain Cold."

"Um, yes and no. He was just a skin in that game." Drake said.

Ashley just blinked twice.

"Oh, don't overthink it! Chill out!" Drake smirked. Then, a rod slammed its way onto his head. "Ow!"

FILIA

NODE: SKULLGIRLS

Drake gave a descending whistle. "Nice hair."

"Well, it is easy to get rid like that when said hair is actually a Parasite." Ashley noted.

"That's right. His name is Samson. He is… One of those guys who you would either drink with or have a bloody mess with." Drake noted.

"All while dragging poor Filia for the ride." Ashley muttered, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, while Filia isn't the main protagonist persay, she is still the Player 1 type so she is a Shotoclone."

"For the most part, but remember that this is Skullgirls and Skullgirls do NOT do simple." Drake reminded. "Samson could extend itself and morph into various things like drills, spikes or biting jaws."

"Not that Filia isn't capable of doing a few punches and kicks herself." Ashley added. "Just like Jak & Daxter, they are a team! ...Well, less Jak & Daxter and more Venom and Eddie Brock."

"Hey, nice one!" Drake grinned.

Then, the Mystery Alarm went off again.

"Ah, here comes the second Mystery Fighter of the round!" Drake grinned.

"Let's see who they are!" Ashley nodded.

YOOKA & LAYLEE

NODE: YOOKA-LAYLEE

Ashley paused, putting his chin in deep thought. "Huh…"

"What? You didn't expect Orange-Ratchet to put in a Yooka-Laylee character?" Drake asked.

"No, if I was, then I would have completely forgotten about Emily from Life's Trials." Ashley corrected.

Drake blinked twice. "To be fair, I think most people forget about Emily."

"Drake!" Ashley scolded before shaking his head. "Anyway, I was talking about duos."

"Oh, right! Jak & Daxter, Dumbo & Timothy, Filia & Samson and now Yooka & Laylee." The vampire noted, rubbing his chin.

"Do you think Xero did this on purpose?" Ashley asked.

"Nah, I actually chalk this one up to coincidence this time around." Drake shrugged. "But speaking of duos, let's go to the other one here."

The camera focused on Catherine, nodding her head. "Got it! Now Yooka-Laylee is a Kickstarter Campaign that is supposed to be a Spiritual Successor to Banjo-Kazooie as you could tell by their adorable themed names."

"Aye! Everything about it just SCREAMS Banjo-Kazooie Spiritual Successor from its character design, humour, voices, levels and even the music!" Wally grinned. "No, seriously, Grant Kirkhope, THE composer for Banjo-Kazooie did the music for the game!"

"Even the story sounds like it would fit in Banjo-Kazooie! No, really, it is about the main villain called Capital B, sucking all of the books of the world so he could make a fortune… By having book sales." Catherine said.

"Aye... Definitely like Banjo-Kazooie." Wally said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, the titular characters had their book stolen and now they want it back and they decided to go on a crazy 3D Collect-A-Thon to get back their book, along with everyone else's."

"As for the reception…" Catherine said before wincing. "It was polarizing to say the least. Some loved it for the reasons I described. Others, however, hated it for things like its camera or that the hub worlds are TOO wide with little reason to explore them. Personally, while I don't think it was the strongest, I don't think it was THAT bad."

"Ah don't either. But it is clear that the majority has spoken." Wally said before smirking. "UNTIL it got an unexpected sequel: Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair!"

"With an unexpected gameplay change. Instead of being based off of Banjo-Kazooie, it was a mixture of Donkey Kong Country and Yoshi's Island, but mostly the former." Catherine explained. She then paused. "I get WHY they changed it, but doesn't they make them class traitors when they are supposed to help to relive the magic of Banjo-Kazooie?"

"Class traitors don't work that way, but aye, Ah see what ya mean…" Wally groaned. He then brightened up. "But Ah think this worked out in their favour! Not only is the gameplay more polished, but it has quite a few interesting things! Like do you know that ya could access the final level after the tutorial?"

"But while not IMPOSSIBLE, the game definitely lives up to its name. So the aim of the game isn't to collect MacGuffins or keys, but bees which act as hit points for going into the Impossible Lair!" Catherine noted. "Again, it is not impossible to do it with so little bees, but I strongly recommend against it for your sanity."

"Maybe they didn't breakout as much as they would have liked, but still, they still for better or for worse, their games have made an impact!" Wally explained.

The camera then went back to Ashley. "Thank you, guys!"

"Now, between both games, Yooka & Laylee should have a lot of moves at their arsenal. Like Yooka could do a rolling attack, pick up objects with his tongue." Drake said. "Laylee on the other hand, had a sonar blast and could pick up Yooka and fly him up, albeit for a limited time."

Ashley nodded his head. "So they cover each other's weaknesses!"

"Not just that, but Yooka could use his tongue to eat certain elements and changed his form." Drake added.

Ashley's eyes lit up at this. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah, and those elements are fire, electricity, metal, non-holy light and… Honey." Drake concluded.

Ashley blinked twice. "...Honey?"

"Well, what do you expect when the guy BEE-hind of the guy you are supposed to kick is a bee?" Drake challenged.

Ashley groaned. "Drake, really?

The mayor just lets out a booming laugh. "If you are annoyed now, then there is another reason why the Impossible Lair is impossible for ya!"

BOWSER JR.

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/SUPER MARIO BROS

Drake raised an eyebrow. "Huh. While canonically, the Tournament of Kikai takes place after the Okron Tournament, technically, they are airing at the same time."

"What Drake is saying is around this time, Bowser Jr. is still in the arena around the time of the Okron Tournament." Ashley added.

"AND Sakura is in the ring with him. Granted, she is out in the Tournament of Kikai, but still, what a coincidence, huh?" The vampire asked.

"Agreed." Ashley nodded. "Anyway, Bowser Jr.'s Koopa Clown Car should make him durable, right?"

"Oh, it does! It is built in with the finest tools Papa Bowser could buy!" Drake grinned. "Pincer, buzzsaws, cannons, Mechakoopas, even a self-destruct button."

Ashley's eyes bugged out at this. "Wait… What!?"

"Don't worry." Drake reassured, waving it off. "With all of the coins Bowser stole from the Mario Party games, he has more than enough to buy a hundred of them!"

Ashley blinked twice. "...I mean he is not the worst person around, but he is STILL a villain so I should expect at least this type of behaviour."

"Tell me about it…" Drake muttered, rolling his eyes. "Also, while the car isn't TOO fast, he can put wheels on it for a fast, but hard-to-control dash attack."

"Woah… He has all of the tricks." Ashley said in awe. "Now only that, but he is… Well, a trickster."

"Oh, he is. He proved it at the Tournament of Kikai." Drake nodded before sighing. "Unfortunately for him, people are more wiser to how he will fight so he has to get eliminations the old-fashioned way."

KAIRI

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS

"Ah, fun fact: I liked Kairi, but I was genuinely surprised that she has done so well as she did in the first Battle of the Luminaries." Ashley smiled.

"I did too." Drake said before frowning. "Which makes it even more disheartening that she got eliminated at the following tournament without getting a single elimination."

"Yes…" Ashley lamented before brightening up. "But hey, thanks to Kingdom Hearts: Re:Mind, we have proven that Kairi's run in the first tournament isn't just a fluke!"

"...Well, I definitely agree with you, I would had preferred it if she did all of that cool stuff in the main game." Drake muttered.

Ashley growled. "Anyway… Kairi has the same abilities of most Keyblade-wielders, though I'll say that she is more… Defensive."

Drake raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well, she has a corkscrew-spin ground-to-air attack which is perfect for stunning enemies and her barrier move is much better than Sora's." Ashley explained.

"Uh-huh. And because she is not only a Keyblade-wielder, but a Princess of Heart, she has a lot of holy attacks." Drake mused.

"Oh, she does. And thanks to her Keyblade training, she could probably use them!" Ashley smiled. "I have no doubt that she may or at least mostly do as well as she did as the Battle of the Luminaires."

MEGAMAN

NODE: MEGAMAN

Drake smirked. "See, what did I tell you? Kyo may be one of the most recognisable people in fighting games, but he wishes he could have the same clout as Megaman!"

Ashley chuckled at this. "Fair enough. Megaman definitely deserves the final spot."

"So normally, we will list off his accomplishments, but let's play a game." Drake smirked.

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah, and let's give bring Wally and Catherine into it." Drake nodded.

"I'm listening." Wally said from off-screen.

"Okay, here is the thing: I will name off something that makes Megaman viable and then Ashley will name something else." Drake explained. "Then, Wally and Catherine."

"Ohh…" Ashley said before smirking. "Sure, I get it."

"I get it too." Wally said, off-screen.

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Catherine asked.

"Okay, readddddy!" Drake smirked. "GO! Super Arm!"

"Leaf Shield!" Ashley shouted.

"Hard Knuckles!" Wally announced.

"Metal Blade!" Catherine shouted.

"Slash Claw!"

"Crash Bomber!"

"Flame Sword!"

"Air Shooter!"

"Flame Burst!"

"Top Spin!"

"Personally, Ah feel that ya should be eliminated on the spot fer that, but eh. Spark Shock!"

"Umm… Tornado Hold!"

"4's Custom Moves. Nice! Black Hole Bomb!"

"Ice Slasher!"

"Hyper Bomb!"

"Danger Wrap!"

"Shadow…"

"Um, Drake?"

The vampire winced before glaring up to see a familiar crystal ball.

"What is it, Cacey? You just interrupted our game!" Drake complained.

"As sorrowful as I am for that, I am afraid that you are being served." Cacey said.

Drake's eyes bugged out at this. "What!?"

"That's right. In fact, all four of you are." Cacey explained.

"Excuse me!?" Ashley gasped.

"By who!?" Catherine roared.

"...By Viridi from Kid Icarus Uprising." Cacey said.

"Oh, fuck off!" Drake roared.

"Where did SHE get off on copyright when one of her current men is a LITERAL clone of the main character!?" Wally snapped.

"And didn't she steal the Codecs from Super Smash Bros?" Catherine added.

"Hey, I am just the messenger." Cacey said before the crystal ball flew off.

"...I knew that Viridi was not a good person, but I never knew that she was a buzzkill." Ashley muttered.

"Tell me about it…" Drake said, rolling his eyes. "Fortunately, goddess or not, I'll doubt she will win, but it is still a pain to go through the legal stuff."

Ashley sighed. "Anyway, that is all of the fighters. Also, it seems that the Big Guys are getting their revenge because we have Vector, Murray, the Grizz, the King of Dinosaurs and Mr. Freeze so twenty people will be eliminated."

"Also, the side battles this time around is Nack the Weasel from Sonic the Hedgehog versus Lara Croft from Tomb Raider and Della Duck from the Ducktales reboot and Maki Harukawa from Danganronpa V3 versus the Pink Elephants from Dumbo!"

"Don't think that just because this is a gimmick-less section would be it would be a slow one!" Drake smirked.

LINK TO SECTION: archiveofourown / works / 25531129 / chapters / 68326381