6 December 2018
MK
Dear Diary,
The injuries Mario and I sustained in June have almost completely healed. We try not to worry too much about what happened. Instead, our focus is on the new Smash tournament, which will begin tomorrow.
Mario and I spent the entire day preparing. We went over our checklists more than once to make sure we had everything. Our alarm clocks were set for early tomorrow morning. We'd meet up with our Princesses, DK, Diddy, Rosalina, and Koopa and his brood at Peach's Castle, where the Miis would pick us up. Now, I'm getting ready to take a nice, relaxing bath, and then I'll brew myself a cup of tea to further soothe myself. But tomorrow just won't come soon enough.
The tub's almost full. I'll check in with you later!
Luigi
7 December 2018
Smash Mansion
Dear Diary,
Mario and I woke up before our alarm went off, tended to our toilette, dressed and took the Warp Pipe to Peach's Castle, where everyone else already waited. We all sat around and enjoyed the breakfast provided for us, and then we got a text message, saying that the Miis were on their way, and that we should head outside at this time. So, we did.
Our ride pulled up at the castle at 7:45a.m., and we all hopped inside. One of the Miis popped in a CD of Top 40 hits, and we simply relaxed, singing along to our favorite songs to liven up the drive to the Smash Mansion.
"Welcome back," said the Mii manning the checkout window when we arrived. "Hey, Mario—I heard your proposed to Peach. How did that go?"
"Er—not too great," said Mario, "but better luck next time."
"I like your style, always keeping a sunny attitude," said the Mii. "Right this way, if you please."
We were directed into the newly remodeled Main Hall—which now had a menu we could order from, rather than the same old sandwiches and appetizers. But the food would have to wait—we had old faces to reunite with!
Heck, as soon as we walked in and saw our old friends, we all wound up in a huge, hugging heap on the floor. With that out of our systems, we sat around in groups, chatting and catching up. I spotted Falco, and I saw the regret and longing in his eyes. Did I overreact in that restaurant that day? Had he truly turned over a new leaf? Should I take the risk and renew our friendship? The theme of this go-round was "Everyone is here", so I was bound to spend a lot of time around him. I resolved to at least get situated in Ultimate before making any moves regarding the avian.
Since I wasn't one to brag or boast, Young Link, Pichu, the Ice Climbers, Snake and Wolf had to coax my encounter with Master Core out of me. Of course, I had to give Pichu and YL a crash course on Tabuu first. They didn't believe my story initially. But then I guess they thought that if I could face down the Master of Illusions, then I could face down a malevolent black swarm.
"Yikes—I thought we whipped Tabuu's [bleep] through and through," said Wolf.
"We all did," I said. "But he was smart—and crafty. He created Master Core for the sole purpose of attacking Smash 4."
Snake nodded. "You saved a lot of lives that day," he said. "Respect."
"I had no time to think—I just acted. Because—Mario was there," I said. "Tabuu had a personal vendetta against us because we landed the killing strike."
"Your loyalty knows no bounds," YL said wisely. "We need more younger siblings like you."
Now that the euphoria had died down somewhat, we began ordering from the menu provided to us.
Halfway through our meal, Master Hand and Crazy Hand teleported in. We stopped what we were doing and turned to face Ultimate's hosts.
"Good morning, Smashers," said MH.
"Good morning, Master Hand," we said.
"Welcome, all of you, to Super Smash Brothers Ultimate," boomed MH. "True to my word, everyone—is—here!"
We cheered.
"To all of you who have been here since the beginning, all who joined in Melee, all who joined in Brawl and all who joined in Smash 4, Crazy Hand and I are glad to have you back," MH went on. "I'd now like to ask our newcomers to line up."
The newcomers obliged.
"Introducing first from the kingdom of Sarasaland, I present to you the tomboyish Flower Princess—Daisy!"
I was the first to rise to my feet, cheering.
Daisy laughed and spun around. "Hi, I'm Daisy!" she said.
"I love you, Principessa!" I called to her.
"I love you, too, sweetie!" replied Daisy, gliding over and kissing me on the nose. Little hearts came bursting out of me.
"Next, please welcome the ruler of the Kremlings—King K. Rool!"
We applauded respectfully as K. Rool sauntered forward and struck a pose. DK made an "I'm watching you" gesture at his old rival.
"Hailing from the Metroid franchise is the Cunning God of Death and the leader of the Space Pirates—Ridley!"
I clenched my fists and glared at Ridley as he unfurled his wings and made taunting gestures at Samus. The Space Warrior put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"Also from Metroid is Samus's Phazon-corrupted clone—Dark Samus!"
Dark Samus hovered forward and gave us an ominous half-salute.
"Up next, we have the Wrestling and Fire-type Pokémon—Incineroar!"
Incineroar ate up the applause, posing like a wrestling heel.
"Here's Chrom, from Fire Emblem Awakening!"
Chrom drew his sword and did a few quick flourishes. "Anything can change!" he cried.
"Please, welcome the Inklings from Splatoon!"
The squid kids struck a team pose before playfully splattering us with ink. "Woomy!" they laughed.
"And let's hear it for Ken Masters!"
"Yeah!" cheered Ryu as he waved to his old friend.
Ken performed a few spin kicks before giving us a "bring it" gesture. "C'mon!" he said.
"From the Castlevania franchise are the heroes of the night—Simon and Richter Belmont!"
Simon was a muscular hunk of a man with blonde hair, holding a long whip consisted of a spiky ball attached to a chain. Richter was a brunette with a significantly—shorter—whip.
"And last but not least—the Mayor's faithful assistant from Animal Crossing—Isabelle!"
Isabelle looked so happy when we cheered for her. "Thank you! Thank you very much!" she said gleefully.
"A little bit about Ultimate," said Master Hand. "We still have the types of battles you know and love. One-on-one, Team Battle, free-for-all. But you will have the opportunity to specify whether you want the stage hazards on or off. Bracket-style elimination battles will be organized weekly. And I'm pleased to announce the introduction of Squad Strike. In Squad Strike, you will be in a team of three or five players. If one member of your team is defeated, then the next will take their place. The last team standing wins. The Fighting Mii Team returns for Multi-Man Smash—and there's also an All-Star Multi-Man Smash, in which you continuously fight the entire roster in the order of their debut game."
"A few more fighters are on the way," said CH. "Piranha Plant is expected to arrive in February of next year. And I'd also like to take the time to announce another upcoming addition—Joker, from the Persona universe! He'll be ready for action next April."
We all applauded.
"All right—you know the drill. Veterans and newcomers, form two separate lines and prepare to receive your room assignments," said MH.
Daisy and I got adjoining rooms, which I was quite pleased to find out. This time, when I went to take a shower, she joined me, which meant that the shower took a bit longer than usual. After promising to slip into the other's room at night for a little fun, we joined the others in lounging around and bonding. The customary lull before the [bleep]-kicking and name-taking commences the next day.
It occurs—starting tomorrow, I'll have to fight Daisy. Oh, boy…
Luigi
8 December 2018
Smash Mansion
Dear Diary,
Luckily, Daisy wasn't my very first match in Ultimate. K. Rool, however, was. And he was a very tough customer, seeing that I wasn't as nearly as strong as DK. The Kremling King attacked with palm strikes, claw swipes, kicks, sumo-style moves such as body slams, uppercuts and even his own crown. He'd pull out one of the boxing gloves he'd worn during his fight with the Kong family in 1999 and use it to deal out a painful straight punch. His special moves were his Blunderbuss, throwing his crown like a boomerang (a move he liked to spam), his Propeller-pack, and using his armored belly to counter my attacks.
Luckily, I was a tough customer, as well. And I also had some new moves up my sleeve. Brandishing my Poltergust G-00, I fired a plunger at K. Rool, hitting him square in the belly and snaring him in a grab. Then, I slammed him backward, giving myself some breathing room. I smiled. Having a tether grab was so awesome! During the first four tournaments, my grab range was so awful that my opponents could simply dance just out of my reach. Having an improved grab range meant that I had a better chance of pulling off throws, and by extension, combos.
K. Rool had his brute strength, but as with all heavyweights, he was slow and sluggish. In contract, I fought with enviable swiftness, sticking with quick and long-ranged attacks at first, my body smarting from the blows I'd endured. If need be, I'd just snag him with my plunger on a rope and slam him forward or backward. Or, I'd aim my vacuum at the sky and forcefully eject him. The Kremling monarch was slowly being overcome by a plumber wielding a ghost vacuum. That should give the DK Crew something to laugh at him over.
Thank goodness my reliable Smash attacks remained the same. After throwing K. Rool, I'd usually assume an offensive stance, attacking with more powerful strikes. But I also had to look out for that belly, that crown and that Blunderbuss—he'd already surprised me countless times with those moves. And to make things worse, my Cyclone had taken a hit; the new mechanics drastically decreased the maximum vertical height I could reach using it. Whenever K. Rool knocked me offstage, I had to rely more on my uppercut for recovery or pray for a Misfire. Otherwise, I was f—ed.
I saw Mario, sitting at his usual spot, his eyes bright as he watched me battle K. Rool. Peach was seated to his left, and to his right—was Daisy. Spirited shouts burst from her lips, telling me that I could do it and to show this croc who's boss. Her feisty nature was just what the doctor ordered, and I faced my opponent with newfound energy and strength. Her voice rang all around me as the fight went on. That was my super-armor.
Needless to say, I won over K. Rool. He reluctantly clapped for me when my victory was announced, gave me a lukewarm handshake and then stomped away. But then, Daisy leaped into my arms, and we kissed, slow and sweet.
I got to see her in action later that day, in a free-for-all against Marth, Wolf and Snake. Her fighting style was similar to Peach's, except that, well, daisies were her motif, rather than hearts. As I'd suspected, mixing it up with the big boys came naturally to her. She could more than hold her own against an Altean prince, Star Fox's archnemesis and a FOXHOUND operative. Ultimately, she placed second, but neither of us minded—she gave her opponents quite a rumble beforehand!
"You did great, Daisy," I said afterwards.
"Thanks, L," smiled Daisy.
I'd love to narrate all of my fights today, but that would take way too much room. Generally, the day was all about exploring my new tether grab. It worked great for pushing opponents away when they weren't within its grabbing range. And it was also a nifty z-air, as well. But I couldn't tether onto the edge of the stage with it! My offensive game was buffed, but my recovery was nerfed.
Speaking of offense, I could now use my old combos, along with my new ones! My down throw hadn't changed—it was still a Ground-Pound, but I just had to make sure I didn't hit myself in the face with my vacuum. I pulled off such old treats as a string of f-airs, but there was also this intricate new combo I could do to easily take a stock or a point. Down throw to d-air, fastfall into n-air, jump, d-air, land, d-air and finish with my Super Jump Punch. It was powerful enough to knock people out of the ballpark, even at 0%! I practiced it over and over in the Training Area, first with a Mii, and then with another Smasher, smoothing over all of the rough edges and getting the timing perfect. Down throw to d-air to fastfall n-air, jump into a d-air, land with another d-air and finally an up-B. It could be just me, but my up-B seems to have grown more powerful and aesthetically pleasing during the transition from Smash 4 to Ultimate. I certainly found it more satisfying.
Once I'd built up enough damage on a foe, or if I was faced with a heavyweight, I discovered that I had to modify the combo. In these circumstances, I added in another d-air to n-air before the two d-airs and the Super Jump Punch. The percentage windows for which this combo was viable, however, tended to be very small. Once my opponents' percentages were outside that window, all I could do was combo my down throw into a d-air, then another d-air and finally an up-B. I sometimes tossed in a couple of pummels or a u-air, but despite the improvements, my combos could still run hot and cold. And of course, select Smashers didn't like the fact that I had a new combo tool. Sigh.
But Ultimate is a clean slate. I smile and let the complaints roll off my shoulders and razzle and dazzle the spectators on the battlefield. Stages we hadn't seen in years made their grand return, like Saffron City. This was more than just a tournament—this was a love letter to Smash as a whole. But I digress.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the Butters in the Spectator Area, cheering me on. Gavin held Nelle in his lap, his pointer finger in her tiny fist, and she gazed at the scene before her with wide eyes—her mother's eyes. She was almost two months old—can't you believe that? Just like Gavin, Nelle had begun to develop her mom's freckles, but her hair had taken on her dad's deep, red color, albeit with her mom's looser curl. And next to Gavin was Miranda, the two of them exchanging I'm-so-in-love-with-you looks when Grace wasn't looking. Ah—young love.
Also present were Joan, Julian, Jackie, Jas and Jake—and Jas was heavily pregnant! She looked ready to pop any minute now! Slight discomfort was on her face, and a hand was on the swell of her belly, but the twins' kicking around and fighting was soon forgotten as she watched me take on the likes of Dark Samus, Incineroar, Chrom, the Ice Climbers and Dorf. By the way, Dorf could now use his greatsword in battle. Sounds like fun.
"I probably won't be able to make it after today," Jas said later, "not until after the twins are born. I almost wanted to sit this one out, but seeing this is your first official day…"
"I wouldn't have minded," I said. "Do what you have to. Rest—get ready for the big arrivals. You can stream my matches online as well as watch them on TV."
After obtaining permission, I placed a gentle hand on Jas's belly and felt the twins kick.
"Hey," I said softly. "Are you two getting along in there?"
"They are—they're just running out of room to play around," said Jas.
"I can't wait to meet you," I said. "Just—try not to cause your mom too much discomfort until then, all right?"
The twins kicked in response.
Jake eventually took Jas home so she could get more comfortable, but Joan, Jules and Jackie spectated the last of my matches, wishing me the best before they, too, headed home.
The first official day of Ultimate had drawn to a close, and I was left more exhausted than in the previous tournaments. We all ate dinner in one of the new restaurants established in the Smash Mansion before retiring to our respective rooms. Some of the edge was taken off the exhaustion after I dozed for a bit, so if Daisy decides to pay me a visit or vice versa—
I think I'll stop here.
Luigi
15 December 2018
Smash Mansion
Dear Diary,
I got to fight Ridley today. I've always wanted to trade blows with him since the day I watched him—incapacitate—Mario on TV. The fact that it didn't actually happen didn't lessen the impact at all. By squaring off with him, I hoped to discourage Ridley from attacking Mario for real.
Ridley's fighting style was brutal and animalistic. He slashed with his claws, stomped with his feet, lashed out and stabbed with his tail and sliced with his wings. He'd grab me and grind me—or at least try to grind me—against the stage. He'd also breathe out large fireballs in a manner resembling a certain reptilian nuisance. There was his Wing Blitz, which consisted of a flying tackle, and his tail-skewering move which could obliterate shields. But there was another new mechanic I forgot to tell you about—parrying! We now had the ability to actually block the opponent's attacks, similar to a more traditional fighting tournament. Some projectiles could be parried, as well. So, instead of trying to shield against Ridley's heavy attacks, I parried them and quickly retaliated. Everyone expected the fight to be over in minutes, in Ridley's favor, but they were wrong. I was able to keep my fury in check as Ridley taunted me about how it must've felt for me to watch Mario get skewered or pulverized and other nonsense. If the man himself hadn't been in the stands—
However, I kept my breathing steady and my mind off of Ridley's taunts and that trailer, maintaining my focus. If there was any indication that I was p—ed at Ridley, then it was in the power behind my strikes and my meticulously cautious approach to the fight. And I comboed him over and over until I was winded—I continued pulling off combos even as I grew breathless.
The entire house cheered when I claimed the victory, and Ridley silently slunk away. Message sent, message received. If he tries something else, then I'll be ready.
The rest of the day passed without incident. Except the fact that Koopa hasn't bothered Peach lately. Did MH have him under supervision? Or did that turtle have a new plan taking shape in his diabolical brain?
Luigi
20 December 2018
Smash Mansion
Dear Diary,
DK was right—Koopa and K. Rool immediately struck up a friendship. I'd see them hanging around with Dorf and Wario, the beginnings of a truly evil clique. My next guess is that they'll try to get on Ridley's good side, but I don't know if they'll want to be friends with Ridley. Koopa has a few redeeming qualities—his love for his kids and his affection for Peach, twisted as it may be. K. Rool is still rather cartoonish, and all he's wanted to do was take DK's bananas. Dorf wants control over all of Hyrule, but he respects Link as a worthy opponent and shows no interest in trying to subjugate Zelda. And Wario—he's just greedy. Ridley, however, is a hardcore villain who doesn't give a care in the world what he has to do to get what he wants. If he wants to, then he can really hurt Mario, along with anyone else standing in his way. The thought makes me put my guard up whenever the Space Pirate and I are in the same room.
Today, I encountered Ken in the Training Area, and he challenged me to a one-on-one spar. After hooking up my phone to the stereo's Bluetooth component, I accepted. Confronting each other in the middle of the room, we exchanged handfuls of attacks, and then I took off my shirt, and we really went at it. Ken's fighting style was similar to Ryu's; they shared the Shoryuken and Hadoken. At first, my opponent tossed off quips as we duked it out. "You hit pretty hard—for a plumber," he said after I landed an especially impressive hit on him. However, after I kept coming back from everything he threw at me, the quips grew less and less until they stopped altogether, a sign that he was beginning to take me seriously as a fighter.
In between sparring, the two of us took breaks. During one such break, I saw the crowd of Smashers gathered outside, Mario, Peach, Daisy and Ryu at the forefront, their hands braced against the window frame. Exchanging a nod of understanding with Ken, I strode over to the exit, opened the door, and gazed out at the other Smashers.
"Are all of you guys cheering me on?" I asked.
"Well—most of us," said Daisy. "Ryu here still thinks Ken could win."
"No offense, L," said Ryu.
I nodded. "None taken."
Daisy walked over to me and wiped some of the sweat off my face before kissing me on the lips. "You're doing great so far," she said. "When they told me that you were going a few rounds with Ken, I was a little nervous. This is a guy who can go toe-to-toe with Ryu, and you know how powerful he is."
"I battled Ryu, too, you know," I said.
Daisy nodded distractedly, and I knew that she was checking me out—hot and flushed and sweaty, wearing a pair of overalls and no shirt.
"Tell you what," I smiled. "I'm gonna go back in there and show him why they call me the Lean Green Fighting Machine."
"Kick his [bleep], L," said Daisy, capturing my mouth a second time.
I flashed her a big smile before heading back inside the Training Area and facing Ken. We engaged each other, and I allowed my body to weave as I parried and blocked and then slammed precise blows into my opponent. I could knock the air from him, but not for long, and I was reminded that my speed helped me as long as Ken didn't land one of his strikes on me. But I kicked from the ground, got back up and kept on fighting.
At one point, I stopped my current playlist and put on "Guile's Theme", because it goes with everything—especially this. Guile just so happened to be an Assist Trophy in Ultimate, but that's not the point. Ken silently agreed with the song choice, and our contest became more intense than ever; he was trying to outlast me, and I was trying to outlast him. I rounded my mouth and streamed out slow, deep breaths, while Ken wisely saved his breath for fighting, rather than trying to quip. We paused only to open some windows, and then our duel continued all about the Training Area, Smashers and a few others beginning to jam the hallways and opening the door a crack so they could record the action and stream it on Facebook or YouTube for their out-of-town friends and family members to view. Let them. Let them see the man in green trade punches with THE Ken Masters and see what they think of my fighting capabilities then.
Our spar ended in a draw, but at that point, it didn't really matter. Ken beamed as he shook my hand and told me that he looked forward to facing me in a real Smash battle.
"You're right," I heard him say to Ryu. "He's very good."
The two of us received hugs and high-fives from all of the spectators, and half of them wasted no time calling relatives and telling them about the action-packed fight they'd just witnessed.
It's almost lights-out, and I'm still pretty wired. Hopefully, a nice mug of tea will do the trick.
Luigi
31 December 2018
Smash Mansion
Dear Diary,
It's a lively scene in the Smash Mansion's front yard. Isabelle is helping the Villagers pass around bottles of champagne. K.K. Slider is performing his greatest hits on a stage. Mario's off sharing a romantic moment with Peach, and there's more romance (or bromance) between Ness and Lucas, Ryu and Little Mac, Cloud and Reflet and Samus and Falcon. In less than twenty minutes, we will bid farewell to 2018.
2018 has been a year full of twists and turns. A Smash tournament ended, only for another one to begin. One friend experienced the joys of parenthood a second time, and her son became a big brother and began a romantic relationship. Another of my friends is about to welcome twins into the world. A tennis tournament was disrupted by a malevolent, manipulative force, but Mario and I managed to beat it back. The prayers of longtime fans—and certain Smashers—were answered with the addition of several newcomers to the roster. The Mushroom Kingdom—and the Internet—were turned upside down when millions saw the Mario Bros. presumably killed before their very eyes. And Master Hand brought all of the Smashers, past and present, back together under one roof.
Now, 2019 is stretched before us like a winding road, ready to be explored. We don't know what we'll find or who we'll run into along the way. But one thing is certain—we'll tread down that winding road together.
Luigi