LINK TO SECTION BELOW

We now return to Drake and Ashley smiling.

"And we are back!" Ashley beamed.

"Hopefully, this section will have more for everyone!" Ashley offered.

SOFIA

NODE: BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. She is the Token Fan-Service waifu."

"Yyyyyep." Drake said. "Wouldn't be a proper fighting game without one woman for the men to go ga-ga at."

"...I know what you are trying to say, but you sound like a pig." Ashley frowned.

Drake's eyebrow twitched. "Oi…"

Ashley just sighed. "So Sofia is another whip-wielder, right?"

"Right! So her attacks are long-ranged so she could keep her distance." Drake nodded. "She is also quite aerobatic as a few of her moves do that."

"So she is a threat as long as her opponent doesn't catch her." Ashley mused.

"Yeah, as long as she doesn't do anything reckless, she could easily overwhelm her opponent." Drake noted.

LAURA

NODE: STREET FIGHTER V

"From one Token Fan-Service waifu to another?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Technically. Street Fighter V has no shortage of those. However, I think she was put in the game JUST for fanservice." Drake frowned.

Ashley frowned. "What do you mean?"

"She literally has the least relevance out of the four original characters in the base game." Drake frowned. "All we know is that she is Sean Matsuda's older sister, she could wield electricity and she uses an original version of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."

Ashley blinked twice. "Wait… BRAZILIAN Jiu-Jitsu? Doesn't Street Fighter already have a Brazilian electromancer?"

"EXACTLY! Especially jarring when Blanka came into the game! Albeit much later, but still!" Drake pointed out.

Ashley just sighed. "So along with electricity and her own style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."

"While despite being an extrovert person, Laura is actually more technical than she looks. She focused on grapples, putting her opponents in arm and leg holds and despite her electricity, she actually uses it to not only ampilgy her attacks, but also send out a slow yet prominent wave."

"Heh. She doesn't LOOK like the technical type." Ashley mused.

"Yeah, she may seem over-excited, but one of the things he is excited about is promoting her family's fighting style." Drake explained.

WARIO

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/WARIO

"And here we have, Wario! Either you love him or you love to hate him!" Drake grinned.

Ashley rolled his eyes. "Definitely love to hate. Seriously, I am not the biggest fan of fashion, but even I know that the only way to make purple and yellow work is if you are a Los Angeles Laker fan!"

Drake gave him a strange look. "...I am VERY concerned that you actually know something like that."

Ashley shook his head. "Regardless, Wario is a big star and he definitely needs a big introduction. Wally, Catherine, do your thing!"

The camera then went to Wally and Catherine.

"Aight!" Wally grinned. "Wario is a subseries of the Super Mario Bros series, starring Wario, the anti-Wario."

"I know that his name is a pun out of Warui and Mario, but still, that is some elementary level naming." Catherine muttered, crossing her arms.

Wally chuckled nervously. "We will start with Super Mario Land. Where Mario has to go on another save-the-princess journey. However, the princess isn't Peach, it was Daisy and the villain was an alien called Tatanga. Why Ah am telling ya this."

"But the whole thing was to distract Mario! Apparently, in the sequel Wario had somehow convinced Tatanga to kidnap Daisy and take over Sarasaland so he could take over Mario's castle and turn the people of Mario Land under his evil spell!" Catherine explained. She then paused. "...Damn, things sure changed a lot."

"Aye, since when did Mario have a castle when he had a humble house." Wally shrugged. "Anyway, in the third game, it was actually the beginning of Wario Land where you actually played the main antagonist, Wario himself who played just differently from Mario."

"That was when Wario had started to branch out as his own character, not going getting his own Wario Land series, but also another subseries called WarioWare other than a certain part, there is NO mention of any Mario characters!" Catherine pointed out.

"...You would THINK that this would be Waluigi's chance to appear in that series." Wally muttered. "Anyway, Wario Ware is a mini-game series where ya have ta do a bunch of wacky minigames in the span of a few seconds using various controls depending on the console."

"Wario even got a new look, replacing his usual yellow and purple overalls. He even uses both Super Smash Bros!" Catherine noted.

"The Wario Land series got six games while the WarioWare series got ten. However, he also had other games like a 3D platformer, a puzzle game where ya get ta play as Toad and even a crossover with Bomberman." Wally smirked.

"Wario may be smelly in terms of personality AND appearance, but I suppose he IS a much-needed contrast to the clean-cut Mario." Catherine shrugged. "So yeah, back ta you guys!"

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

"So as the anti-Mario, he is physically-stronger and while he may not look at it, he is actually quite agile." Drake noted.

"Wow, that is always a scary combination." Ashley frowned.

"Also, there is… The Wario Waft." Drake winced.

Ashley grunted in disgust. "Please don't."

"What are YOU complaining about!?" Drake scolded. "I'M the one who would probably literally die if I were within ten feet of that attack!"

"Ah, right… I forget that his favourite food is garlic." Ashley winced.

Drake shuddered in his feet. "Us vampires have nightmares about meeting that guy…"

BLINK

NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON

Drake blinked twice. "Who…?"

"He is a playable character in a Hero's Tail." Ashley explained.

"Ah, right. I… Was never familiar with the series after the trilogy." Drake said, scratching the back of his head.

Ashley nodded his head. "Yes, he is the nephew of the Professor and has fresh-air-phobia."

Drake paused. "Fresh-air-whatnow?"

"Because it is the opposite of claustrophobia. He hates not feeling trapped underground." Ashley shrugged.

"...I know he is a mole. But I haven't heard such a ridiculous phobia since Fred's fear of widths from Be Cool, Scooby Doo." Drake said.

Ashley blinked twice before shaking his head. "...I am not even going to ask for context. Anyway, as you would expect, Blink could burrow underground."

"Of course." Drake nodded.

"Also, he could either throw bombs and plant them." Ashley nodded.

"Not a bad moveset, but still limiting. Especially with his…" Drake said before taking a deep sigh. "Fresh-air-phobia."

"Indeed. He needs to be careful because a wise fighter may exploit his fear for an easy elimination."

GORO DAIMON

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV

BIG GUY ALERT!

Ashley blinked twice. "How does he see with his eyes closed?"

"That is the same mystery people had with Brock from Pokemon. The world may never know." Drake said, shaking his head. "Though he DOES open his eyes during his Climax move."

"That is like THE strongest attack of a King of Fighters character, right?" Ashley asked, earning a nod from Drake. "Fair enough."

"Anyway, Daimon is as basic as you could get with him. From his appearance to his world views to his fighting style to his gameplay." Drake explained.

"Oh, so he is the definition of a "traditional" fighter. Nothing wrong with that." Ashley shrugged.

"Yeah, his gameplan is simple yet effective. He is a Judo grappler that capitalizes on his opponent's mistakes and slams them against the ground over and over again." Drake explained.

"So his opponents have to keep out of his range, right?" Ashley asked.

"He would. Expect he got a move similar to Antonov where he slams his hands on the ground, knocking everyone in the area off of his feet." Drake explained.

"Ah, so he has an answer for zoners too." Ashley noted. "He should be a threat."

RAINBOW MIKA

NODE: STREET FIGHTER V

"RAIN-BOW!" Drake shouted at the top of his lungs.

Ashley winced in pain. "Seriously!?"

"Sorry, if someone has a catchphrase, I HAVE to say it!" Drake winked.

Ashley rolled his eyes. "Whatever. So what type of wrestler is Mika?"

"She is usually a tag-team fighter." Drake said, matter-of-factly.

Ashley paused. "...But I thought Street Fighter is traditionally a 1-on-1 fighter."

"It is. However, in V, while her normals and specials involves hard-fitting yet athletic moves, her V-Trigger involves her tag partner, Yamato Nadeshiko to come on and depending on the V-Trigger, she will either do a belly-flop from above or run forward striking the opponent with a folding chair."

Ashley blinked twice. "...What?"

"Yeah, and in his super attack, the two will do a flying hip pincer attack to the enemy's face." Drake explained.

A descending whistle then could be heard off-screen.

"Wally!"

A slapping noise could be heard. Drake then rolled his eyes. Ashley would have done the same if he wasn't stunned.

"Wait… Is that even allowed here?" Ashley questioned.

"That's… Up to Xero. I mean, to be fair, Yamato Nadeshiko only shows up under certain circumstances." Drake shrugged.

"I guess…" Ashley paused. His eyes then widened in realization. "Wait… Hip attack pincer attack to the FACE!?"

Drake let out a deep sigh. "...Let's just move on before we'll say something that would make Wally say something that will make Catherine slap him again."

"Oi…" Wally muttered from off-screen.

CLOUD STRIFE

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/FINAL FANTASY VII

"And here we have the poster child for wielders of oversized swords!" Drake grinned.

"And the poster child for overly spiky hair." Ashley noted. "For a man who doesn't seem like he cares about style, his hairstyle is quite distinct."

"Yeah, seriously. How much gel does he use to get it to set like that?" Drake noted.

"A lot could be said about Cloud's hair, but there is a bit to cover here." Ashley said. "Right, guys?"

The camera then focused on Wally. "Right, Ashley? Final Fantasy is not only one of the biggest JRPGs of all time, but also THE main franchise of Square-Enix!"

"That's right. It has spawned FIFTEEN different games. And that is not even getting into the sequels and spin-offs!" Catherine noted. She then frowned. "Though like Paper Mario, it is hard to talk about the series as a whole as they change the setting and gameplay of every game."

"But to be fair, there ARE things that are a staple. Like black and white magic, adding "Ra" and "Ga" for more advanced spells and of course, species staples like Chocobos, Moogles, Cactuar and Tonberries!" Wally grinned.

"Oh, I could do a whole essay about Chocobos and Moogles, but for now, let's get into Final Fantasy VII!" Catherine agreed. "Because before that game, the game was actually obscure in the West. Until the release of the seventh game, the first 3D Final Fantasy game. ...And it kinda shows."

"Oi, sure they looked like deformed dolls, the graphics were revolutionary for its time! Anyway, we could at least talk about THAT story." Wally explained. "It is about an ex-soldier and mercenary called who joined an eco-terrorist group called AVALANCHE go against Shinra where the former group believes that they are sucking out the world's life energy."

"At first, things seemed simple enough. AVALANCHE against Shinra. Then, Cloud's old enemy, Sephiroth came back and things got complicated from there. Like not Kingdom Hearts complicated, but complicated enough to keep you on your toes."

"There, Cloud meets a colourful cast of characters like the leader of Avalanche, Cloud's childhood friend, Tifa, the beautiful yet mysterious woman, Aeris and much more!" Wally grinned. "The game was a big success! It has spawned a movie… Which Ah could argue that we don't talk about, but whatever…"

Catherine chuckled nervously. "It even had a prequel focusing on Cloud's old friend, Zack Fair and a spin-off starring Vincent Valentine, who was originally an OPTIONAL party member. Final Fantasy VII became the face of the franchise with Cloud not only appearing in Super Smash Bros, but also Chocobo Racing and Ergeniz: God Bless The Ring."

"And who could forget the remake where it added some needed character in the cast. No, seriously, it made me give a crap about Biggs, Wedge and Jessie!" Wally agreed. "Oh, and you know the most heart wrenching event where Aeris dies? There is a strong chance where that won't happen because the cast is literally going against fate itself!"

"...Personally, I think the series is overhyped and some other games like VI and IX need the recognition it deserves." Catherine noted.

Wally frowned. "...You're not wrong. But you cannot deny the impact it had on the Playstation."

"True, true. I just wish that they would learn how to share the spotlight." Catherine sighed. "But what are you going to do? Back to you guys!"

The camera then went back to Drake. "Thanks, guys!"

"So as you would expect from a "Main character". He is strong, durable and deceptionaly fast with his broadsword." Ashley noted. "And of course, he has some good range."

"And don't forget his Limit Break. For one special, he could enhance his special to do some major damage." Drake added.

"And that is just in Super Smash Bros. He could also do a lot in the Dissidia series!" Ashley agreed. "Though there is a bit on the slower side."

"If so much experience under his belt, there is no way he wouldn't be a force to be reckoned with." Drake said. "Especially since this will be his only tournament where he would be free."

Ashley tilted his head to the side. "Free from you."

Drake then smirked before humming a certain boss battle tune. Ashley just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, right… Yes, even if Cloud isn't one to be extraverted, he will definitely be determined to make the best out of this tournament." Ashley muttered.

Then, the Mystery Fighter Alarm went off.

"Speaking of making the best of this tournament, sounds like someone is up to be the sole representation of their node!" Drake grinned.

"Let's see who that is!"

SAKI TSUZURA

NODE: ARCANA HEART

Drake looked stunned at this. "Huh. I wasn't expecting Orange-Ratchet to use Arcana Heart, of all fighting games."

"Do you think he learned about from Kira's appearance in the second Battle of the Luminaries and Parace L'Sia and Fiona's respective One-Minute Melees." Ashley noted.

Drake scratched the back of his head. "I… Must admit that out of all of the fighting games, I am the least knowledgeable with it."

"Why? Is it not good?" Ashley asked.

"No, it is just that…" Drake said before scratching the back of his head. "I am afraid to look like a dirty old man…"

Ashley blinked twice before looking concerned. "Wally… Catherine… Dare I ask why he meant?"

The camera then focused on an exasperated Catherine. "Unfortunately, yes… Okay, Arcana Heart is an Ars System Works fighting game where said company was known for making a lot of fighting games. Usually by jumping around the screen at each other and doing Dragonball-like combos in midair!"

"Arcana Heart is the same thing… Only the cast is all female. And not just like Dead or Alive or Skullgirls, but cutesy Moe Kawaii females." Wally noted.

Catherine raised an eyebrow. "How come you are not more excited to talk about it?"

Wally's eyes bugged out before he got up furious. "And what is THAT supposed to mean!? What ya take me fer!?"

Catherine winced at this, shifting her eyes from left to right.

"Uh… Uh…" Catherine said before grinning. "A-A-Anyway, each girl represents a different "quirk" that the Japanese would latch onto. The all-loving, but no-brains pink-haired heroine. The Kuudere. The shy, bookish girl. The game has every girl for everyone."

Wally continued to glare at Catherine before sighing and sitting down. "But don't think for one moment that the gameplay is a dumbed-down version of the Ars System Works because it is actually one of the most complex fighting games out there."

"I-Indeed. Everyone could move in eight directions despite it being a 2D fighter. Also, all of the girls have "Arcanas" which are elemental guardian spirits that could communicate with a handful of maidens." Catherine explained, still looking sheepish. "Oh, and get this. While every character has their own "default" Arcana, they could mix and match Arcana. Causing so many possible combinations."

"That's right… But choosing the right Arcana could make or break a match-up. Also, it has arguably THE hardest fighting game boss of all-time Parace L'sia. Ah literally don't see how anyone who isn't a super-computer could beat her…" Wally muttered.

"The series has moderate success, getting two sequels and several updated versions of each game at least one. And of course, its own heroine even appeared in Blazblue Cross Tag Battle, arguably THE most ambitious fighting game for fans of the genre." Catherine explained. "Personally, I question anyone who says that Arcana Heart is their favourite, but eh, I could give the benefit of the doubt if they told me that they make it for the gameplay. Hey, Wally, could you send Drake and Ashley the info about Saki?"

The kangaroo glared at Catherine. "I don't know… Wouldn't I be too busy trying to look up her skirt?"

The young woman winced at this. "W-Wally, I am sorry… I should have realized that you had your standards..."

The boxer just scoffed before typing on his tablet. "Just give me a few…"

Catherine chuckled nervously before looking at the camera. "Umm… I know that this is our job, but how many fighters do we have to go through before we have to research another node?"

The pink-haired woman then frowned.

"PLEASE! I think we both need the short break!"

The camera then focused on Drake and Ashley both looking exasperated.

"You are truly delicate with your words as always, Catherine…" Ashley muttered, shaking his head.

Drake let out a deep sigh before looking on his tablet for a bit. His eyes then widened before looking to the side, smirking.

"Don't worry, Cat. You have at least two fighters free from talk. And if that doesn't work, I know what will help cheer Wally up." Drake offered.

"O-Okay…" Catherine said from off-screen.

Ashley raised an eyebrow in confusion as Drake read his tablet.

"Alright, so Saki is the aforementioned "Kuudere" of the game." Drake started.

"So even though she is a sweet girl, she is more likely to fight her opponents with a cold, stoic demeanor." Ashley noted.

"Huh, nice analysis!" Drake grinned before he continued reading. "Anyway, Saki fights mainly with kicks and is typically a charge-based fighter like Guile so she needs to plan her attacks ahead."

"Good thing she seems like a cool-headed person." Ashley nodded. His eyes widened in realization. "Wait… Don't tell me her default Arcana is the one of Ice."

"No, Lightning. And it specializes in zoning and clashing by sending out bolts of lightning from the sky and activating her power will cause a clash effect that will take the opponent off-guard, leaving them open for an attack." Drake explained.

"Heh. Cool-headed, quick kicks, zoning." Ashley said in awe. "She sounds like she may surprise some people."

"She should. She IS the "rival" character of Arcana Heart." Drake shrugged.

TERRA

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS

Drake's eyes widened at this. "Unholy crap! A Kingdom Hearts protagonist with meat on him? Is that even allowed?"

Ashley rolled his eyes. "Very funny."

"Also, isn't he the one who always believes everything villains tell him?" Drake asked.

Ashley slaps his forehead. "Oh, for the love of… Terra never believes every villain IMMEDIATELY! He is just willing to listen to them! It is not HIS fault he always gets the worst luck running into them before the heroes! SORA would have done the same thing!"

"Oh, he did much more than willingly listen to Xehanort!" Drake retorted, crossing his arms.

"Oh, come on! ERAQUS trusted Xehanort, even after the latter scarred his face!" Ashley scolded. "And you know how anti-darkness he is!"

Drake shook his head. "...I know never to judge a book by its cover, but how could everyone not piece everything sooner. The entire franchise wouldn't have happened otherwise."

Ashley just let out a deep sigh. "Anyway, Terra is the Mighty Glacier of the Wayfinder Trio. He hits hard, he tanks well, but his magic is subpar and he is slow."

"And of course, he uses earth magic." Drake noted.

Ashley nodded his head. "Despite what I said about his magic, he could use it to have an advantage of ground-based fighters. Which is a majority of the cast."

"And he at least knows who the villains are so he won't be tricked!" Drake grinned.

Ashley rolled his eyes.

SETH

NODE: STREET FIGHTER V

Ashley blinked twice. "Wait… Seth is trans? If so, then… Congratulations on her transition…?"

"Yeah, it is… Awkward to talk about, but Seth was never male or female to begin. They are non-binary…?" Drake shrugged.

"Oh, fair enough." Ashley nodded. "Regardless, villain or not, what they do with their body is their business."

Drake winced. "Yeah… About that body…"

"Um, is it okay that we will skip to the part where we talk about their status as a fighter. I.. Don't think I am going to like where this is going."

Drake just sighed. "Fine… Anyway, Seth's main thing is that they are a power copier."

"Like Kirby?" Ashley asked.

"Um, kinda. Like Kirby, they could copy their opponent's power, but they got some attacks from different abilities or in this case, people." Drake explained. "Like Edmund Honda, Demitri Maximoff and even Jotaro Kujo and Dio from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure!"

Ashley's eyes bugged out in horror at this. "Oh no!"

"That's right! It is a Jojo reference!" Drake smirked.

Ashley then slumped in his chair. "Good grief…"

"...You. Do know that you more or less did a Jojo reference?" Drake asked.

Ashley shook his head. "Whatever. Let's wrap it up!"

"Well, you know Seth's Yin-Yang stomach? He could suck people in when he doesn't want to go after them." Drake explained. "He was infamously a hard boss in IV so he should be a threat. But if he isn't, then… Yare Yare…"

Ashley then slammed his rod on Drake's head.

LITTLE MAC

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/PUNCH-OUT!

Ashley's eyes widened before looking at a smirking Drake. "Ah… So THAT'S what you meant."

"Mm-hmm. I actually have a lot to say about Little Mac, but I don't think I would do that much compared to the expert." Drake said. "Walls, do you wish to do the honors?"

The camera then focused on Wally looking proud, crossing her arms while Catherine looked happy for Wally.

"Do ya wish ta do the honors?" he asks. Like Ah would say no ta this." Wally said, crossing his arms.

"The floor is yours." Catherine smiled.

"Aye, thanks, Cat! Anyway, Punch-Out that is a boxing game that started out as an arcade game that is known its easy-to-learn yet hard-to-master control scheme and its exaggerated portrayals of the enemy boxers' nationalities." Wally started. "The story is simple. You are a short boxer who has a simple dream to become the world champion in boxing, even though he has to go through people much bigger than him."

"...Personally, I feel like the WWBA needs to have weight classes." Catherine noted.

"Considering who the main protagonists are, it didn't matter. Notice that I used plural for protagonists? Well, the very first isn't exactly Little Mac by a green-haired no-name bloke." Wally explained. "In the sequel, it was a blonde man by the name of Little Mac and the spin-off Arm-Wrestling had another unnamed green-haired person."

Catherine blinked twice. "Umm… Why…"

"Am Ah covering Arm-Wrestling. Because Bald Bull appeared in the game and the art-style is similar. That and real-life British boxer, Frank Bruno endorsed it!" Wally grinned. "The game finally made its console release on the NES where Little Mac actually made his debut. After that, the CEO of Nintendo at the time had seen Mike Tyson in a boxing match and wanted to capitalize on his popularity for the international release thus Mike Tyson's Punch-Out."

Catherine winced. "I… Heard about that. That was before he… Got involved with a lot of stuff."

"Oh, he did… Actually, Tyson's contract with Nintendo expired, but those charges didn't help." Wally sighed. "So in the next release, Mike Tyson was replaced with a white man called Mr. Dream who looked like Rocky Balboa."

Catherine frowned. "...I know that they wanted to distance themselves away from Mike Tyson, but turning a black man into a white man is not… The best way to do it…"

"Finally, after so long, we got a new game Punch-Out which brought the game into the world of 3D. It gives much personality to the likes of Von Kaiser, Super Macho Man and even, nay, ESPECIALLY Aran Ryan!" Wally grinned. "Doc Louis even got his own Wii-Ware fight!"

"Ah, yes…" Catherine winced. "Him and his leopard-print shirt."

"As you could see, Punch-Out is a Nintendo and boxing staple, setting the standard for other cartoony video games!" Wally grinned. "Trust me, Ah should know!"

The camera then went over to a grinning Drake. "Thanks, Wally! I KNEW we could count on you for this!"

"Indeed. Though I may sour the mood here, but isn't Little Mac the worst character in Super Smash Bros?" Ashley asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. In Super Smash Bros, a PLATFORM FIGHTER where recovery and aerial moves are important, Little Mac is lacking in both." Drake frowned. "Despite his of course having his incredible strength, skill AND speed, he is always bottom-tier…"

"Ah…" Ashley frowned. He then lit up. "But this is NOT a platform fight!"

"Exactly! Especially when the ring is bigger than before for obvious reasons!" Drake grinned. "And if he gets thrown off, he is definitely gone. But… So are nearly most fighters?"

"Indeed. Now I see that Super Smash Bros' gameplay may work against Little Mac, but now it is in his home element, the ring!" Ashley beamed.

VANESSA

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS

"Huh. From one boxer to another." Ashley noted.

"And instead of being the poster boy for video game boxers, we have the NESTS saga token boxer." Drake added.

Ashley looked at Drake with a raised eyebrow. "Wait. What do you mean "token" boxer?"

"Well, for some reason, when the KoF series is done with a saga, they usually don't take the boxing character to the next saga." The vampire frowned. "Heavy D! From the first saga, Vanessa for NESTS, Shen Woo for the Ash saga and now, Nelson."

"But I thought Vanessa was in XIV." Ashley said.

"Yeah, and a DLC character…" Drake corrected. "She WAS in XI, so she may be the exception."

"Ah. So as a boxer, how does she differ from Little Mac?" Ashley asked.

"Well, she is agile like Little Mac, but doesn't hit as Little Mac, even though she is a powerhouse in her own right." Drake noted. "She could go punch so hard that she could send back projectiles at its users."

"Really? Wow, that sounds like a godsend for a close-range fighter!" Ashley mused.

"Indeed. Like Little Mac, her moveset is limited, but what she lacks in quantity, she definitely makes up for quality." Drake noted.

DARK SAMUS

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/METROID

Ashley shuddered at the sight of Dark Samus. "She… Definitely fits the "evil" clone look."

"Well, what do you expect? The Metroid series is known for its unsettling atmosphere!" Drake shrugged. "What do you expect from the villains?"

"True…" Ashley gulped. He then realized something. "Wait… Dark Samus is an Echo Fighter, right? What do we do?"

"Well, we already covered Samus Aran's basic moveset, but there ARE some things that Dark Samus has that the original doesn't." Drake reminded. "For starters, while you don't notice in gameplay, Dark Samus could float."

"Oh, yeah… She could potentially be an aerial fighter." Ashley mused.

"Also, if she has the means, she could use her attacks from her time as an Assist Trophy." Drake offered. "Where she either sent out a barrage of plasma shots, sent out homing plasma balls or slam her fist on the around to summon plasma tendrils if her opponent is too close."

"Ah, right, I actually forget that Dark Samus used to be an Assist Trophy." Ashley mused.

"I don't blame you. When I saw Ridley get into Smash, I didn't expect another Metroid fighter to get in." Drake added. "But she did and while she is not exactly one to be excited, she is going to show that she always wanted to be in Smash."

K'

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV

"From the token boxer of the NESTS saga to the main character of said saga!" Drake grinned.

"Yeah, even I know that they do that every season." Ashley noted. "So K' is a Kyo clone?"

"Um, yes and no." Drake mused. "He was embedded with Kyo's DNA and because of that, he could use pyrokinesis, but he is NOT a clone in combat."

"Oh? Do tell." Ashley offered, crossing his arms.

"Well, it is hard to tell…" Drake said. "He focuses on controlling the neutral with Ein Trigger which is considered his main move before he could use so many follow-ups like an anti-air, a projectile or a dash."

"Oh, he definitely sounds like a tricky fighter to face." Ashley winced.

"Oh, who could forget his Chain Drive where he literally throws his sunglasses at his opponent before following it up with a devastating rushdown." Drake noted.

"Oh, so THAT'S why he is always wearing sunglasses?" Ashley asked.

"No, he is just an edgelord." Drake said, matter-of-factly. "Not the worst one in fighting games, but still."

Ashley blinked twice. "...Oh."

BAYONETTA

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/BAYONETTA

"Oh, hell yeah, Bayo!" Drake grinned.

"Definitely the… Boldest female fighter on the roster." Ashley noted. He then paused. "...Why didn't Mai come after her?"

Drake just shrugged. "She is too blinded with rage to hear her announcement or see her come in. That and the spot of rage-filled fighter Bayonetta have to face has already been filled by Bambi."

Ashley just groaned. "Anyway, Wally, Catherine, you are up again."

The camera then focused on a grinning Wally. "Oh, don't ya worry, Ah am sure ta cover ta with great detail! Bayonetta is a third-person hack-and-slash game developed by Platinum Games. And as you know, those games are known for their over-the-top spectacles."

"It is about an over-the-top witch called Bayonetta who somehow wears her hair as her clothes and guns for feet!" Catherine beamed.

Wally turned to Catherine, confused. "Um, isn't this the part where you protest about how over-sexualized Bayonetta is?"

"Yeah, but she is so badass that she actually manages it out because while she doesn't get angry, she can and WILL make any dudebro her bitch!" The pink-haired girl grinned. "That and the creator of her is female so…"

"Should have known…" Wally muttered, rolling his eyes. "But anyway, there were two clans of magicians. The Lumen Sages and the Umbra Witches. However, the two of them had a forbidden love affair and this resulted in a civil war and either being hunted down by angels, humans and even their fellow Umbra Witches."

"Five hundreds later, Bayonetta, the illegitable love-child of said love affair, wakes up with no memory of their past. So she goes in search of the "Right Eye", the second half of her tragic trinket. There, she meets equally-colourful characters!" Catherine explained. "And things get crazy from there."

"And while the story is intense, the way focuses on the over-the-top fighting scenarios Bayonetta gets in and what she does to combat it. She has so much at her arsenal." Wally explained. "Guns, various weapons, the hair on her body, and torture devices! Oh, did we mention that use the hair on her body."

"Yes… It is just not her weapons, it is her takes-no-shit attitude towards her enemies! To them, they are just her playthings and they are to her!" Catherine smirked. "She is so cool! Not surprisingly, it had gotten a sequel and she appeared in Anarchy Reigns."

"We would also mention the third game, Bayonetta 3!" Wally grinned. He then snarled. "If it ever comes out!"

Catherine shook her head. "Anyway, Bayonetta is one of the same level as Dante from Devil May Cry, she is THAT iconic! Here's hoping that 3 will come out before this tournament is over… Back to you guys."

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

"Now Bayonetta has much more than she is allowed in Smash. However, let's face it. She will be OP if she is allowed all of her items." Drake explained.

"To be fair, she is that much of a threat without it." Ashley noted. "Her guns, her Wicked Weaves, her Witch Time and who could forget that she is the queen of the aerial combo."

"Yeah, she DOMINATED the 4 scene." Drake nodded before smirking. "...To not-so-positive results."

"So I heard… Well, hopefully that she wouldn't cause that much… Controversy compared to 4." Ashley said.

ZARINA

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV

"Remember when we did Laura Matsuda?" Ashley asked. "Well, we have another spicy Brazilian woman."

"Um, actually Zarina is Columbian." Drake corrected.

Ashley looked surprised by this. "But she looks more Brazilian!"

"Yeah, I know. And so do several other people…" Drake said with a deep sigh.

Ashley winced at this. "S-So about Zarina."

"She is a Capoeira fighter." Drake explained before pausing. "First off, we have done thus far, I think?"

"Oh, even though I am not into martial arts, I appreciate the fighting style for being so fluid and rhythmic!" Ashley smiled.

"Oh, she is. She is also a herbomancer, but only in certain attacks." Drake said. "And said power comes out in yellow flowers."

"So that is her motif? That seems fitting. Even from here, I could tell that she is a cheery, friendly person." Ashley said.

"Oh, she is. But do NOT mistook that for weakness." Drake warned. "She once kicked Antonov in the nuts to get him to help endorse protecting the home of her pet toucan, Coco."

Ashley winced at this. "N-Noted…"

LUCAS

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/MOTHER 3

"Hoo boy… It is one of the Mother boys." Drake muttered, rolling his eyes.

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You ran into a lot of spammers online."

"Oh, did I ever!" Drake grunted, rolling his eyes. "I'll rant about it, but I'll do it after Wally and Catherine's part."

Ashley just smirked. "If you say so. Guys?"

The camera then focused on an exasperated Wally. "...You wouldn't be smirking if you actually play more online, Ash."

Catherine just sighed. "Anyway, the Mother series is an Eastern RPG, created by Japanese writer and media personality, Shigesato Itoi. This series is actually special because Shigesato had mostly, if not ALL control over the story of the game."

"Aye, he wanted to use the game medium to tell a story. He named the series "Mother" as a tribute ta John Lennon and his song "Mother". Wally explained.

"Now the series… Hoo boy… It is tough to talk about… Especially of how WEIRD the games are." Catherine noted. "It has a crude-yet-iconic art style, freaky enemies, several fourth-wall breaks and other stuff."

"But DON'T think that this is a light-hearted series because it is HOO BOY, there are a lot of DARK moments!" Wally winced. "Mother 3 is a prime example of that."

"Oh god, Mother 3!" Catherine said, closing her eyes. "God, so many people, ESPECIALLY the main character had gone through so much heartbreak. Having mother killed in the first hour and the game and… Well, you should already know this…"

"Anyway… the gameplay is turn-based with the characters using psychic powers to either for offense, defense or support. Seems simple enough there are some changes." Wally said. "Like do ya know that the main protagonists are actually tanky healers?"

"Yeah, usually they are the "Fighter" or whatever. And the "girl" characters are the offensive ones." Catherine noted before smirking. "Heh. Girl Power!"

"There are three games in the series. Even though the first one keeps getting neglected in favour of the other two." Wally frowned.

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Catherine said, rolling her eyes. "And not welcome is the brilliant advertising of the second game "Earthbound sucks"."

Wally paused. "Ah… Think it was trying ta be ironic."

"Well, they could do it WITHOUT turning away its customers!" Catherine snapped. "If it wasn't for Ness appearing in the very first game, the series wouldn't have been recognised."

"R-Regardless, it manages to get back some traction and now people are flocking for the series!" Wally grinned. "Ness and Lucas both appeared in Super Smash Bros, after all and Porky even appeared as a boss in Brawl. It is safe to say that it is a niche, but still valued series."

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

Drake then took a deep breath. "Okay, Lucas, and Ness, for that moment have unorthodox specials. He could telekinetically send a cast of ice towards an opponent, send a spark forward towards opponents, resulting in a burst of fire knocking them away and send a bolt of electricity towards his enemies multiple times."

Ashley smirked. "You sound salty!"

"Of course I am salty! Those players spam those spells multiple times online!" Drake growled. "It is almost impossible to approach them! What is worse is that they could ABSORB PROJECTILES for health! Which in this tournament is a Draculasend!"

"So they got their bases covered." Ashley noted. "At least their recovery could be easily interrupted. They would be sitting or in that case, floating ducks."

"Yeah, but their opponents are not quick enough, Lucas will literally crash into them with electricity around them for a powerful attack!" Drake snapped. He then let out a deep sigh. "I am sorry, I like the kids in terms of personality, but they are SO annoying to fight against."

"Well, regardless of how you feel about their fighting style, if they move to be a driving force, we have no choice, but to congratulate them." Ashley offered.

Drake rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. Rah, rah, shish-boom-bah and all that."

XANADU

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV

BIG GUY ALERT!

Ashley yelped when he saw Xanadu's face. "GREAT SHANE!"

Drake just let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, this guy would be an oddball even in Night Town…"

Ashley looked at Drake in disbelief. "THAT is Chang and Choi's new boss?"

"Unfortunately…" The vampire muttered. "And his personality and fighting style is just as freaky as his appearance. Just listen to his official bio!"

"Um, okay…" Ashley gulped.

"Hobby: Fusion. Personal Treasures: Vortexes. Favourite Food: Proteins. Dislikes: Big Rip. Forte in Sports: Air Olympics!" Drake said.

Ashley blinked twice. "Umm, what?"

"Yeah, no one knows what he is planning because no one knows what he is saying!" Drake exclaimed. "Oh, and upon his fighting style: It involves flailing his arms like a child, cradling his opponent in his arms, shouting loudly, it is just like him! All nonsense!"

Ashley gulped nervously. "He sounds… Unpredictable."

"Yeah, even YAMAZAKI looks sane compared to him." Drake said with a deep sigh. "I feel sorry for the poor sap who have to fight him.

LUCARIO

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON

"Ah, even if I am not a hardcore fan of Pokemon, even I know how Lucario is." Ashley smiled.

"Yeah, you would think that besides Charizard and of course, Pikachu, HE would be the mascot of Pokemon!" Drake added.

"What I don't get is how he is Part-Steel." Ashley piped up. "Sure, you could say that the spikes on his chest and hands made out of steel, but usually Steel-type Pokemon are… Steel all over."

Drake just shrugged. "I don't get it either. But speaking of types, Lucario is also a Fighting type so he should feel right at home here."

"I don't doubt it. Especially since he not only appeared in Super Smash Bros, but also Pokken Tournament." Ashley added.

"And we can't forget his aura powers. The more he gets hurt, the more powerful he becomes." Drake said. "That type is a godsend in a tournament like this."

"Yes, but until then, he will be relatively weak, right?" Ashley questioned.

"Perhaps, but what he lacks in strength, he makes up for it in skill and speed." Drake noted. "Fighters will take note of that because the longer he lasts in the ring, the harder it is to get rid of him."

JOE HIGASHI

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV/FATAL FURY

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Weird to see HIM of the final fighter."

Drake just shrugged. "Probably because of the numbers, but even if that is the case, it still matches up with the recent King of Fighters XV trailers."

Ashley looked at Drake in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, after Iori Yagami's trailer dropped, everyone thought that the next two fighters will be Kyo Kusanagi or Chizuru Kagura or Vice or Mature." The mayor shrugged. "And NOPE, it was Joe."

Ashley's eyes widened at this. "Wait… Jou showed up before KYO?"

"Yeah, even if Xero didn't plan this, I still liked to think that this is fate, seeing that Kyo wasn't the final fighter in his debut section." Drake smirked.

"I… Guess." Ashley said, blinking twice. "So about his fighting style."

"Yeah, Joe is a Muay Thai practitioner. He has the usual stuff. Elbows strikes, kicks and knees strikes." Drake explained. "He even has his own Tiger Knee, similar to Sagat."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "But he is not simply a Sagat clone, right?"

"Right, for starters, while Sagat is a zoner, Joe is definitely a rushdown fighter." Drake explained. "Also, he could create tornados by doing uppercuts."

"Interesting…" Ashley mused. He then paused. "...Do you think he could help curb Mai's fury?"

Drake let out a mirthless laugh. "Joe may be a goofball and always ready for a fight, but he is not stupid!"

Ashley just sighed. "True…"

"Anyway, that is everyone!" Drake grinned. "Remember, there are forty fighters so you will have to give TWENTY live votes and TWENTY die votes!"

"Also, Maleficent, Mojo, Zeus, Daimon and Xanadu are Big Guys so TWENTY-FIVE people will be eliminated." Ashley explained.

"Also, for the side battles, we actually have THREE of them." Drake offered. "First is Dexter and Grim from Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, Eliza from Skullgirls, Stitch and Mushu from Kingdom Hearts and Donkey from Shrek against Ridley and K. Rool from Super Smash Bros, Father and Vilgax from Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, Mz. Ruby from Sly Cooper, Gnasty Gnorc from Spyro the Dragon and Heihachi Mishima from Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. WHEW!"

"The next one is Blastoise from… Super Smash Bros?" Ashley asked before turning his head towards Drake who just drank from his water.

"It is STILL the Squirtle from Super Smash Bros so he still counts." Drake corrected.

"T-True… And the last one is Kisshu from Tokyo Mew Mew versus Splash Woman from Megaman." Ashley explained.

"There are going to be a LOT of chaos in this section so you may need to vote if you want to see your favourites go through!" Drake grinned.

LINK TO SECTION: archiveofourown / works / 25531129 / chapters / 73644036