LINK TO SECTION BELOW
TRIGGER WARNING: TALK ABOUT NAZIS BEFORE.
We now return to complete darkness save for the floating, glowing crystal balls showing Cacey's face.
"Welcome back… If you're just tuning in, I was about to talk about the theme for the next section of the second Tournament of Kikai." Cacey explained.
She then held up a crystal ball, showing Marvin the Martian's face.
"Marvin has gotten the top slot so he gets to choose." Cacey said. "Being the galactic conqueror is, he requests the 'You're The Boss' card. Believe it or not, it is arguably the simplest theme yet. Whoever selects the card will automatically be the Big Guy. However, if an existing Big Guy selects it, they become a REALLY Big Guy and the top slot fighter of the next section can potentially get THREE eliminations in one section.
She then smiled.
"But Xero, for better or for worse, was never one for simplicity so he has a little challenge for the fighters, if someone could eliminate the Big Guy from You're the Boss, they would get a prize." Cacey explained. "HOWEVER, if the Big Guy survives the section, THEY get the prize."
Suddenly, a second crystal ball floating up right next to her, showing the King of Dinosaurs.
"However, the King of Dinosaurs, the latest Safe Zone Challenger, decided to show off his prize from the Challenge." Cacey announced. "The Auto Big Guy Pass. As you would expect, it only works on Big Guy-related themes. Like You're The Boss or Big Guy Blocker. If it is used on 'You're The Boss', you will simply become a Big Guy OR a Really Big Guy. Though now the fighters only have to eliminate one of the Big Guys that are one only for a section to get the prize."
She then raised an eyebrow.
"What is really interesting is the Big Guy Blocker. Nothing changes that much except one thing." Cacey said. "The person who uses the Auto Big Guy Pass will be the ONLY Big Guy. I… Think that is a first, even for the Tournament of Kikai. Not a big change, but still interesting."
She then put her hand on her chin.
"ESPECIALLY since it brings up what Monika would do. Remember while originally putting in for Junko to vote someone to be killed, part of the reason for this was to make sure that no one gets more than one elimination." Cacey mused. "Seeing that SOMEONE has to get two eliminations, even if it is just one, how does Monika intend to temporarily exile fighters from the arena once they get an elimination?"
She shook her head as she held up the crystal balls showing the faces of Marvin and the King of Dinosaurs respectively.
"...I am sure that question will be answered when it comes up. But yes, as of right now, Marvin and the King of Dinosaurs are Big Guys for this section and this section only." Cacey said. "With two extra Big Guys AND semi-spoilers: Another surviving section, there is a strong chance there would be FIVE Big Guys for this section so while the theme isn't special, the amount of Big Guys would make up for it. Barry, Rinky, if you may."
The lights then turned on when Barry and Rinky smirked and nodded.
"Thanks, Cacey!" Barry grinned.
"You can always count on five Big Guy rounds to make things interesting." Rinky grinned. "On one hand, it makes harsher cuts than usual. On the other hand, you would see people who rarely get more than one elimination survive."
"Indeed. I am still in awe that Axl Low of all people has gotten two eliminations in the third Battle of the Luminaries." Barry nodded. "Well, this may be a more 'normal-ish' round, but these next fighters would do more to prove otherwise so let's not waste any time."
PUDDING FONG
NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 50
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4
"Huh. Pudding sure has come a long way since losing her closest ally, Chowder." Barry noted. "Even now, she is going strong as the longest-lasting fighter."
"To be fair, that is because she more or less has a new ally to have crazy talks with." Rinky corrected before smirking. "But that doesn't make her streak of her eliminations of Shun'ei, Nakoruru from King of Fighters XV, E. Honda from Street Fighter and Brick from the Powerpuff Girls any less impressive."
BEAST
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 82
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"He may be a beauty at heart, but he is a beast on the battlefield!" Rinky smirked.
"Indeed, Beast, or Adam depending on how you wish to view him, has proven that with his previous elimination of Lily from Street Fighter V." Barry nodded. His face then fell. "...His elimination of Ushi from Fighters Destiny… Not so bad, but hey, at least he is doing a decent job keeping his temper."
BUGS BUNNY
NODE: LOONEY TUNES: WORLD OF MAYHEM
ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 92
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Unlike Bugs who went in swinging and had a lot to show for it with his time in the ring!" Barry smirked. "Not even did he eliminate the Panda King from Sly Cooper but got revenge on Mewtwo from Pokemon."
"...Huh. I just noticed that his two eliminations were with people he already interacted with in the FIRST Tournament of Kikai." Rinky noted. "I think Bugs, being the showman that he is, already knows this, but even if he still manages to make it fresh, he should look for newer targets to face."
KING OF DINOSAURS
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XV
ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 93
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
(TEMPORARY) BIG GUY ALERT!
"Okay, so let's not pretend that the King of Dinosaurs didn't exactly have a stellar first impression." Rinky frowned. "Not only was his elimination of Penelope from Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem a completely clumsy one, but the Safe Zone Challenge was the least fun yet. Sure, I love the occasion Pooh Sticks match as much as the next guy, but as a challenge in the middle of a FIGHTING TOURNAMENT?"
"Regardless, he WAS chosen to be there, albeit barely, AND he did spice up the next section by adding a new layer to a previous theme from the first tournament." Barry offered. "So he has a chance to turn this around."
BANDANA WADDLE DEE
NODE: KIRBY
ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 94
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Coming all of the way from the very first Battle of the Luminaries and Bandana Waddle Dee is STILL a pint-sized powerhouse!" Barry smirked.
"Granted, he didn't get off to a decent start with Royal Highness from Tokyo Mew Mew." Rinky admitted. "But his next one of Pichu from Pokemon makes up for it. AND he has a Smash Ball."
ISABELLE
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/ANIMAL CROSSING
ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 95
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Poor Isabelle. Having her friend and close ally, Penny, kidnapped by Marx from Kirby and the Devil from Cuphead right in front of her." Rinky frowned.
"At the same time, she also knows that Penny would want her to keep fighting on." Barry offered. "So we are sure to see her fighting her hardest."
MARVIN THE MARTIAN
NODE: LOONEY TUNES: WORLD OF MAYHEM
ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 98
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
(TEMPORARY) BIG GUY ALERT!
"He may be deluded, but Marvin IS fighting like a galactic conqueror." Barry noted. "Especially with his double elimination of Yang from Street Fighter and Patrick from Nickelodeon All-Stars."
"AND he is actually a Big Guy, even if it is only for one round so he is going to go big and go home back to Mars!" Rinky nodded.
AUDREY RAMIREZ
NODE: ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE
ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 100
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Fixing up the competition just like she fixed her machines is Miss Number Hundred, Audrey!" Rinky grinned.
"She has already proven to be quite the threat for fellow Disney girl, Ariel from Kingdom Hearts." Barry smirked. "And she is far from done!"
TINO TORTELLINI
NODE: DISNEY TELEVISION AFTERSCHOOL ALL-STARS/THE WEEKENDERS
ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 101
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"From one Disney youth to another, is Tino. Unlike Patti, HE managed to survive the section, albeit barely." Barry said.
"His elimination of Chrom from Super Smash Bros is less of him succeeding and more Pudding and her ally which we will talk about later messing up, but hey, he DID take his sword." Rinky shrugged.
QUEEN TYR'AHNEE
NODE: DUCK DODGERS
ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 103
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Marvin may be not only the main Mars Martian AND Big Guy, but Tyr'ahnee is the QUEEN!" Rinky smirked.
"Indeed, she didn't get as many eliminations as Marvin, nor is she a Big Guy." Barry nodded. "But she DID eliminate Ron from Disney Television Animation All-Stars, showing her progress. But you know who IS a Big Guy AND a monarch?"
K. ROOL
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/DONKEY KONG COUNTRY
ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 106
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
BIG GUY ALERT!
"THIS guy!" Barry smirked. "K. Rool is making up for his poor performance in the last Tournament of Kikai with his elimination of Blanka from Street Fighter."
"Granted, in the Battle of the Luminaries, he only got one elimination as well, but maybe he would flip the couch from that tournament?" Rinky asked.
BUCKY KATT
NODE: GET FUZZY
ENTERED IN: Section 5; Number 107
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"And last of the surviving fighters, but not least is Bucky aka the placeholder for the Mystery Reserves!" Rinky grinned. "Even ORANGE was surprised to see him survive."
"And it shows with his elimination." Barry said, rolling his eyes. "His elimination of Korra from Nickelodeon All-Stars was a result of him trying to make him seem cool and failing miserably. At least he has gotten Wolverine claws from the wheel, but we have to see how that goes. Until then, let's focus on the new fighters
HEFFER WOLFE
NODE: NICKELODEON ALL-STARS/ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE
"Ooh, looks like Maurice is finally getting a cow in the main roster WITHOUT needing a Mystery Fighter." Barry smirked.
"Steer, Barry." Rinky corrected.
The bear looked down at Rinky, confused. "Huh."
"Yeah, a common thing is that Heffer doesn't like to be referred to as a cow, but a steer." Rinky explained.
Barry blinked twice.
"So wait… Let me get this straight. Does that mean Heffer is canonically CASTRATED?" Barry asked.
Rinky looked up at his friend, confused. "Castrawhatnow?"
Barry frowned. "Um, well, a steer is…"
"Um, excuse me? Sure, you may be the main host for this section, but that doesn't mean you get to hog ALL of the spotlight!"
Barry let out a sigh while Rinky just blinked twice. The camera then went to the side to reveal Ashley looking frantic and Drake… Just looking exasperated.
"I-In any case, this is the first new node to cover in this section so let's not waste any more time!" Ashley said.
Drake rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure… Rocko's Modern Life is one of Nickelodeon's most famous Nicktoons, mostly due to it being the 4th one overall after the big three of Doug, Ren & Stimpy and Rugrats. It was created by illustrator and cartoonist Joe Murray."
"The story is about Rocko, an everyman wallaby, NOT kangaroo from Australia, trying to, well, modern life in the hectic metropolis of O-Town." Ashley explained. "It sounds like your standard Slice of Life cartoon, but trust me, Rocko's Modern Life is anything BUT."
"Most of Rocko's days always end up in his words, 'very dangerous days'. A simple plot like going to the laundromat or just trying to keep his job is met with bad luck and other weirdness." Drake winced.
"Soon, Rocko's friends, dimwitted yet friendly steer who was literally raised by wolves called Heffer and Gilbert, a neurotic turtle along with dealing with their cranky neighbour Ed Bighead and his more nicer wife, Bev." Ashley explained.
"The writers had an amazing talent for getting away with a lot of risqué material, even for a time making The Ren & Stimpy Show's attempts look amateur and obvious by comparison." Drake said.
"...Then again, Ren & Stimpy focuses on shock value sooo." Ashley muttered.
"In fact, two episodes, 'Leap Frogs' and 'Heff in a Handbasket', were banned after their original airings for their raunchier-than-normal content and certain episodes like 'Road Rash', where Rocko and Heffer encounter a shady motel ran by a stereotypical Asian had scenes that were cut from broadcast."
"I wonder why." Ashley said, rolling his eyes. "The cartoon ran for three years, but it DID get released on DVD in 2013 with ALL of the episodes, even the banned ones. The cut scenes were still cut though."
"Rocko's Modern Life even had a Netflix revival movie in 2019 called Static Cling which is a direct sequel to the series finale, Future Schlock." Drake explained. "Basically, said episode ends with Rocko, Heffer, Filbert, oh and Spunky, the former's dog stuck in space for twenty years."
Ashley rolled his eyes. "Sounds like a Rocko's Modern Life ending. But yes, they came back to find O-Town in the late 2010s. They then experience a new kind of modern life such as constantly updating smartphones, radioactive energy drinks, food trucks and coffee shops on every corner. Heffer and Filburt were ecstatic."
"Rocko, on the other hand, isn't attempting to get his favorite television show, The Fatheads back on the air since it is the last remnant of his past and to do so, he must go on a quest to find the show's creator who he thinks was Ralph Bighead." Drake said.
Ashley then smirked. "But he is actually now a she: That's right! Rocko's Modern Life gave us a trans character!"
"Rocko's Modern Life also had a platformer for the SNES, a comic book series from Marvel, a comic book series from BOOM! Studios AND a sequel." Drake added. "And of course, there are the crossovers like Nickelodeon Kart Racers, Attacks of the Toybots and of course, both Super Brawl Universe AND All-Star Brawl! Back to you guys!"
The camera then went to a nodding Rinky. "Nice one, guys!"
"Now how do we cover this?" Barry asked, rubbing his chin. "I mean obviously Heffer is in the Super Brawl Universe so he at least knows the basics of the punch and kick."
"AND he takes advantage of his girth, attacking with a belly bump." Rinky added. "And his Final Smash for that game is putting a whole bag of Pasture Puffies in his mouth before shooting them out through a straw like a peashooter."
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Anything else?" Barry asked. "Sure, Luna Loud made it work in the last tournament, but still."
"Hm. No, nothing in terms of combat capabilities." Rinky mused, putting his hand to his chin. His eyes then lit up. "Oh, Heffer had grown up to be a responsible adult."
Barry blinked twice. "...Heffer?"
"Yeah, he was supposed to be the scoutmaster for Camp Lazlo, but Lumpus had kidnapped him and stole his spot for the entire series." Rinky explained.
Barry continued to look stunned. The camera then went to Drake and Ashley looking just as stunned. Then, to Cacey and finally back at Barry and Rinky.
"...Rinky, Camp Lazlo is a CARTOON NETWORK show!" Barry said.
"Yeah, about that, Heffer was actually supposed to be in the Camp Lazlo finale. But because Cartoon Network didn't want to be sued by Nickelodeon, they shaved Heffer completely to avoid legal troubles." Rinky explained.
"...But how do you know that it WAS Heffer?" Barry asked.
"...He had Tom Kenny's voice and preferred to be referred to as a steer and not a cow." Rinky muttered.
Barry merely blinked twice. Suddenly, Rinky went wide eyed.
"Hey, do you think Heffer is going through trauma from being locked up for an entire summer?" Rinky frowned. "Oof… Here I thought we would kick off the new fighters with energy but instead I installed worry into everyone."
Barry paused before looking at the camera.
PRINCESS PEACH TOADSTOOL
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/SUPER MARIO BROS
"Ooh, perfect timing!" Rinky grinned. "We needed a bubbly presence to make up for the surprisingly depressing turn
"Well, that's not inaccurate." Barry said before stifling a cough and smiling. "And it seems that Peach isn't even going to hesitate and come out swinging with her outfits from Princess Peach Showtime!"
"Can't say I blame her! While Super Princess Peach wasn't… Bad, it definitely pales to other platformers, main or spinoff." Rinky said. "But Princess Peach Showtime, that is definitely a highlight!"
"In that case, let's not hesitate in getting Peach's transformations with the help of her ally in that game, Stella." Barry smiled. "There is Swordfighter Peach where Peach dons a Musketeer-like outfit and takes down her enemies with graceful, precise strikes with a rapier, Kung-Fu Peach where she goes full Bare-Fisted Monk and takes down foes with strength and balance and Ninja Peach where she is stealthy, agile and fight opponents with swift strikes from her kunai."
"Cowboy Peach where she wields a lasso to grapple opponents or use it to throw items at people, Dashing Thief Peach where she is admittedly less direct with her attacks but still has a grappling hook!" Rinky grinned. "Oh, and there is Mighty Peach that turns her into a superheroine with super-strength AND flight!"
"There is also Detective Peach where she hunts down clues, Patissiere Peach where she makes sweets, Figure Skater Peach where she is a beautiful, graceful ice skater and Mermaid Peach where she sings and has fish help her." Barry concluded.
"...Why do I have a feeling that the last four are going to be the least used?" Rinky snarked.
"Normally, I would agree, but considering this type of tournament." Barry said, rolling his eyes.
"True." Rinky said before brightening up. "Hey, do you think Radiant Peach, the final transformation, would be her Final Smash in this tournament?"
"I don't see why not. Not only would it not be the first time a Final Smash would be changed, but seeing that Peach is going all in on Princess Peach Showtime." Barry noted.
"Still, that is no reason to ignore her OTHER abilities." Rinky said. "Like obvious her Smash powers where she could summon Toad to take and counter attacks or deflect projectiles for her, throw turnips, have a literal explosive hip attack and could float for a bit."
"She is also a very skilled White Mage like in Super Mario RPG and a supportive tank in both Mario Rabbids games." Barry said. "Speaking of the latter games, her main weapon is a parasol with a shotgun attached to it."
"But we can't forget about her OTHER parasol, Perry from Super Princess Peach! AND her Vibe Powers!" Rinky added. "Having a literal fiery aura of anger, weaponizing ocular gushers and flying in the air while happy."
Barry gave a descending whistle. "Do you think she will be better than the last tournament?"
"I don't see why not. Even before Princess Peach Showtime came out, she not only did well in that tournament, but as of right now, she is the main MVP for the third Battle of the Luminaries." Rinky noted.
"...I mean you are not right, but I attest to that more that she was determined to show everyone that she is not the princess in Shadow's little… Number." Barry winced.
"Also true." Rinky chuckled. "But yeah, at worst, Peach should last at least a couple of sections."
Then, the Mystery Fighter Alarm went off.
"Woah, it is Mystery Fighter time already!" Rinky grinned.
"This one already has a lot of competition coming off of Peach." Barry said. "Let's see if it is worth the hype."
STARFIRE
NODE: TEEN TITANS
"STARFIRE!" Barry and Rinky cheered.
"I am SO happy that despite Xero taking out DC Comics from the main roster, he still decided to bring back Starfire!" Barry grinned.
"But of course, she was a big character in the last tournament!" Rinky reminded. "So out of everyone that was in the roster that DIDN'T make it into Multiversus, or in the case of the Joker and Raven, Multiversus' beta."
"Yes… It is hard to think that so many fighters that were in the first Tournament of Kikai are in the game now." Barry said in awe. "Not only with the Joker and Raven, but the Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack AND Beetlejuice."
"Hate to be THAT guy, but wasn't the Beetlejuice invited to the first tournament based on the cartoon." Rinky reminded. "The Beetlejuice invited to Multiversus is based on the movie."
Barry raised an eyebrow. "...I am assuming that this is based on you watching the comic dub of the Beetlejuices from the movie, cartoon AND the musical interacting with each other."
"Ha, you know me too well!" Rinky chuckled. "But we are getting off-topic. This is about Starfire."
"But before we could talk about Starfire, we should talk about her node!" Barry grinned.
The camera then went to a grinning Drake. "Right, you are, Barry! But before we could talk about Teen Titans, we should talk about DC Comics first!"
"Indeed, DC Comics, Inc. are one of the Big Two comic book publishers active in the UStoday with the other being Marvel Comics. The publishing unit of DC Entertainment, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warner Bros and it's one of the largest, oldest, and most well-known comic book publishing companies in the world." Ashley nodded.
"Most of its material has relied steadfastly on 'The World's Greatest Super-Heroes' throughout its history like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, who we WILL cover later." Drake smirked. "This along with an enormous supporting cast of allies, rogue's galleries, task forces, crime syndicates and many others."
"While DC Comics is the default name, its full name is actually DC Universe, created in 1934." Ashley explained. "It is responsible for establishing the concept of the super-hero in popular culture as a whole. There is actually so much to talk about, but DC Comics is self-explanatory so I think we could think this brief."
"Next is Teen Titans. Not the 2003 cartoon, but the comic where it all started. The famous team of teenage superheroes." Drake grinned.
"But NOT the first, believe it or not." Ashley piped up. "That would be the Legion of Super-Heroes which had Superman as… Superboy."
"The Teen Titans started in the Silver Age comics with a one-shot of respective kid sidekicks of Batman, the Flash and Aquaman." Drake said. "Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad respectively."
"However, the one-shot did great and soon it became a series with Wonder Girl and Speedy, the sidekicks of Wonder Woman and Green Arrow respectively." Ashley said before pausing. "There were a lot of kid sidekicks in the old days, huh. There is a lot to cover, but let's go to what Starfire is clearly based on."
Drake put his fist to his mouth to stifle a cough. "When there's trouble you know who you call, Teen Titans! From their power, they can see it all!"
"I still can't believe Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi sang the theme song to that as WELL as getting their own show on Cartoon Network." Ashley said in awe.
"Yeah, out of all groups, I never think THEY would make it big." Drake noted. He then brightened up. "Anyway, the Teen Titans, particularly the 2003 cartoon, based on the New Teen Titans made by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez."
"The Teen Titans goes as follows, Robin, the normal but skilled, straight-laced leader, Starfire, the adorable but strong, Tamaranian princess, Cyborg, the boisterous and tech-savvy… Cyborg, Raven, the moody, mysterious sorceress and Beastboy, the fun-loving, quirky animal-shifter." Ashley explained.
"The show follows a standard episodic superhero story, though every season follows an arc with the closest thing to a main antagonist is Wade Wilson aka Deathstroke who was renamed Slade because the executives think that Deathstroke is 'inappropriate'." Drake said, rolling his eyes.
Ashley blinked twice. "...What is with people and saying the word die?"
"I have no fucking clue. But yeah, along with villains like Trigon, the Fearsome Five, and Mad Mod, but also new ones like Red X and Control Freak." Drake said. "The series spawned not only five seasons, but also had a made-for-TV movie called Trouble in Tokyo, a comic book series based on the cartoon and three console video games."
Ashley then frowned. "It also spawned… Teen Titans Go…"
The two then paused for a moment. They then looked around, confused.
"...Oh, that's right. Wally isn't here." Drake said. "No buzzer."
"Huh. Yeah, even without a buzzer, we shouldn't have to tell you that Teen Titans Go." Ashley sighed. "It is basically a lighter and softer version feeling more like a wacky slice-of-life with a superhero flavour. The problem is… Nearly EVERYONE is Flanderized."
"To be fair, in this type of setting, that is to be expected." Drake groaned. "But to say that they are heroes is an insult. Like, I like being immature too, but they take it to new levels. Especially the boys."
"And yet, despite it being hated, it managed to be THE longest-running show on Cartoon Network AND get several movies AND a lot of different comic series AND a few games!" Drake said in disbelief." Ashley said.
"And it keeps getting all of these crossovers: Freakazoid, Space Jam, Beetlejuice!" Drake muttered.
"Look, I admit I was on the boat where I hated it for its juvenile humour." Ashley said. "But now I hate it because it JUST. WOULDN'T. DIE."
"At least the Raven in Multiversus is not the one in Teen Titans Go." Drake sighed. "...But credit where credit is due: The version of her and Starfire are tolerable, we can hang."
"Yeah, in COMPARISON." Ashley groaned before sighing. "Back to you guys."
The camera then went to the frowning faces of Barry and Rinky.
"Good grief, Teen Titans Go isn't THAT bad." Rinky scolded.
"Yeah, I am just going to cut Starfire's abilities before Rinky starts a flame war." Barry muttered. "Starfire is as TVTropes puts it, a Flying Brick. She has super-strength AND super-toughness, but she could also fly."
Rinky glared at Barry for his comment, but otherwise chose to ignore it. "She could use Starbolts which is green energy that she could shoot from her hands AND her eyes.
"It also helps that not only this wasn't her first rodeo, but she was actually a major character in the Tournament of Kikai, forming a trio with Min Min and Supergirl." Barry explained.
"I think Starfire should do well." Rinky said. "But what about Supergirl? Do you think SHE is coming back?"
"Well, considering the DCU is so big, as long as they possibly debut in Teen Titans, ANYONE is on the table." Barry said. "Just like with Queen Tyr'ahnee."
"True. But for now, I want to see how well Starfire does." Rinky smiled.
CYNDER
NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON/LEGEND OF SPYRO
"I am still stunned that all of the possible characters Xero could add to the Spyro roster from the second Battle of the Luminaries, he went with someone from a spinoff." Barry said in awe.
"Well, at least she is not alone as she now has two nodal companions by her side." Rinky smiled.
Barry blinked twice. "Um, Rinky, said two nodal companions are VILLAINS. One who brainwashed her and made her do horrible things."
"Yeah, so?" Rinky said, rolling his eyes. "There is literally a hero/villain imbalance in the villain's favour."
"Not… Wrong." Barry said. "Regardless, it is a new subnode so we are going back to Drake and Ashley."
The camera then went to a beaming Ashley. "Thank you, Barry! The Legend of Spyro is a continuity reboot trilogy of video games based on the Spyro the Dragon franchise. Though in comparison to the lighthearted and literally-colourful world of the original Spyro, the Legend Trilogy had a much darker atmosphere."
"...At least they didn't go the Bomberman: Act Zero route." Drake muttered. "But yeah, while the original trilogy had more of a simple story, it had a complex story spanned over three games."
"Indeed. Spyro grew up adopted by a dragonfly family having a relatively normal life until he realises his destiny: He is a legendary Purple Dragon, a rare breed that can use all the elemental powers of every other breed of dragon." Ashley said. "Soon, he must find out what he is and realise his destiny."
"Sooo they turn Spyro into Frodo Baggins." Drake snarked.
Ashley glared at Drake. "Anywayyyyy, the game's genres changed from platformer to more of a beat-em-up, normally using his attacks with the various elemental breaths of fire, ice, lightning and earth."
"Like we said, the Legend of Spyro is a trilogy, but the first game also had a DS game and three animated shorts based on the second game." Drake said. "Also Cynder, of all people, is the only Spyro character, besides the Purple Pyromaniac himself to show up in Skylanders!"
"So yes, Xero is onto something when he invited Cynder to the last tournament." Ashley said. "Back to you guys."
The camera then went to Rinky rubbing his chin. "Hmm, I wonder why Cynder, Malefor and Gaul are here and not any Skylanders."
Barry frowned. "Maybe because in Skylanders, Spyro seems more like an excuse for new players to try out Skylanders."
"Well, SOMEONE doesn't have any faith in their franchise if that's the case." Rinky snarked.
Barry shook his head. "Anyway, Cynder is playable in the third Legend of Spyro, and seeing that that series is a beat-em-up, she basically knows close combat despite being a quadruped."
"She also has four elemental attacks on her own." Rinky added. "Fear, poison, shadow and… Wind?"
"To be fair, brainwashed or not, she WAS on the dark side." Barry said. "What I want to know what wind has to do with darkness."
"...Maybe the dragons of the wind element got so salty that the other elements were given more attention and went rogue out of jealousy?" Rinky asked.
"That… Wouldn't suck as a plot… In general." Barry said, blinking twice.
YASHIRO NANAKASE
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS
"So the first member of CYS has made his way into the ring." Barry said.
"I still can't get over how they and their Orochi forms are basically the same person." Rinky noted. "You would think that their normal forms are a facade, but no. Their intros in XV confirmed that yes, they are more or less two sides of the same coin."
"Yes, Orochi Yashiro seems gung-ho about relaying Orochi's will, but Yashiro just wants to have fun and maybe get revenge on Iori for his band seeing their gig." Barry mused.
"...I am still stunned that IORI is in a band aka a GROUP." Rinky snarked.
Barry snarked. "Regardless, Yashiro is most likely going to be playing for keeps. His normal form is simple yet effective with a lot of powerful and swift punches."
"His Orochi form is also simple yet effective, turning him into a geomancer. Though instead of actually fighting like Mukai, Kukri or Dolores, he just turns into a grappler and slams them into the ground." Rinky added.
Barry chuckled nervously. "Well, technically that IS using the earth sooo."
WOODY
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/TOY STORY
"Ooh, looks like Xero actually came through with his promise of not treating the audience like idiots." Barry noted.
"Yeah, I…" Rinky started.
"Um, guys?"
Barry and Rinky looked off-screen.
"I know that you are the main hosts for this section, but can I have this one?"
Rinky rolled his eyes, but otherwise gestured towards the camera to move to the side. It then went to Drake and Ashley.
"Okay, sooo… For those who didn't know, in the last Tournament of Kikai." Ashley said, rolling his eyes. "Because of the, for lack of a better word, rules, toys couldn't be seen by non-dogs. Unless they are animals."
"To be fair, it makes sense in Toy Story." Drake said before frowning. "But…"
"But we literally have people shooting fireballs out of their hands, magical girls with animal features, superheroes, hell, even GODDESSES." Ashley said. "Whatever rules they have, are pointless! A walking, talking toy is considered NORMAL."
Then, a phone rang. Ashley got out his phone and he immediately frowned.
"Oh, of COURSE." Ashley muttered.
"...I am surprised that YOU didn't call him instead of the other way around." Drake muttered.
Ashley rolled his eyes before answering the phone. "You are on speaker, Xero."
"Look, you must have watched at least ONE Toy Story movie." The bunny's voice scolded. "That is how the world works there."
"So find a way to cut the screening from that particular node." Ashley snapped.
"Okay, why are you being so pissy?" Xero asked. "I, and Maurice by the way, are the ones who didn't get to announce the final fighters despite it being OUR tournament!"
"You deserved it." Ashley said without missing a beat. "You used us to distract everyone so Woody could enter the ring."
"Which would be perfectly fine if you called us and said 'Hey, guys, could you distract the audience so Woody could enter'?" Drake asked. "But nope, you, and Maurice for some reason, acted like asses to us."
"Alright, alright, alright. Look, I still stand by what I did, but at the very least I promise not to do that anymore." Xero sighed.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Because you know that not even your dangerous imagination could think up unique ways to distract the audience from the toys forever?"
Xero paused. "I think this conversation is over."
"Hey, you called US. But yeah, maybe or maybe not we will find something to talk about later on in the section." Ashley sighed. "See you later."
With that, he hung up.
"Feeling better?" Drake asked.
"Yeah, I just wanted to get it at least once." Ashley sighed.
Drake shook his head before stifling a cough. "You have a friend in me! You have a friend in me!"
"Toy Story is a tetralogy…" Ashley smiled.
Suddenly, it faltered before picking up his tablet and reading it.
"PENTALOGY!? You gotta be kidding me." Ashley muttered.
Drake chuckled. "While it is definitely a Disney movie, it is actually produced by Pixar. "It is the biggest milestone of the Renaissance Age of Animation ANDbeing THE first fully-computer animated feature film AND the first feature film for Pixar!"
"Shrek is reeling." Ashley chuckled. "This story takes place in a somewhat normal world, except for one thing. The toys are actually alive. The first movie which started it all is about a cowboy doll called Woody who is concerned about being replaced by the more futuristic action figure, Buzz Lightyear."
"AKA a social commentary on the status of sci-fi toys in the slightest. Long story short, Woody got jealous and tried to put Buzz out of commission. And by that, I mean he tried to get him stuck behind the desk, but ended up knocking him out the window." Drake frowned. "Even though it was an accident, the toys thought that he did it on purpose. To be fair, Woody kinda deserves it."
"Yes, but again, while fueled by jealousy, he still managed to feel sympathy for him unlike the original design for Woody." Ashley muttered. "I still can't believe that the Black Friday reel was almost CANON."
Drake shook his head. "Long story short, Woody and Buzz ended up in the car of a family that loves destroying toys and they must work together to get back to their human boy's Andy house before they move."
"They didn't stop there as they continued the story and expanded the universe with 2, 3, 4… And apparently 5?" Ashley asked. "Do they need to make a fifth movie? Even to this day, I felt like the story ended at 3."
Drake merely shrugged. "Of course there is more than the movies. There are several shorts, books, comics, even a freaking PINBALL game."
"Kinda off-topic, but am I the only one stunned that pinball got its own section on TVTropes?" Ashley asked.
"...It is only a matter of time before Waluigi gets his own pinball game that isn't just a race track, sports arena or minigame." Drake sighed. "But hey, Buzz Lightyear even had a spinoff cartoon series and a movie. And we WILL talk about them. Later. But for now, I think this is a solid place to end things off."
The camera then went nodding at Barry. "Aight, thanks, guys!"
Rinky frowned. "Okay, so Woody, and by extension, Buzz, don't have to worry about constantly hiding from everyone so that is an advantage over the last time they entered. But in the end, they are still toys."
"True. At least Buzz has his lasers, but all Woody has is his pull-string as a flail AND lasso. But that could only go so far." Barry frowned. His eyes then lit up. "Oh, but he DOES have a Mirrorverse form."
"Really?" Rinky asked.
"Yes, and it is actually ADULT-sized." Barry added before fiddling with his tablet. "Just give me a moment and…"
With that, he pushed a button, replacing Woody's picture with his Mirrorverse one. Barry's eyes widened.
"Oh, wow, Woody looks so cool! It is right to be edgy without looking unrecognizable!" Rinky grinned. "Now how does he fight?"
As Rinky grabbed his own tablet, Barry continued to look stunned.
"Now Woody, also known as the Heavy Hitting Cowboy, fights using the Good Old' Fisticuffs for normal attacks, but has a gun that shoots out sheriff stars, not unlike the Boys of Moo Mesa." Rinky explained. "And his special attack is an energy lasso which he uses to copy Scorpion's spear attack. Good thing the current Scorpion is Kuai Liang."
Barry paused.
"But yeah, even then he can't rely on that forever. But who knows maybe he will surprise us." Rinky said.
"...I think I am bi." Barry said, finally.
Rinky looked up at Barry, confused. "Wait, what?"
BILLY
NODE: THE GRIM ADVENTURES OF BILLY & MANDY
Barry's face immediately twisted with disgust as Rinky raised an eyebrow.
"Huh. I know that Billy & Mandy had its own Power Stone-styled game and they were separated characters, but it is still weird to see those two apart." Rinky noted.
"Yes, Mandy was the definition of a necessary evil." Barry muttered. "I think she is the only one who could control him."
"I don't think that is a fair statement seeing that Mandy is evil incarnate." Rinky frowned, oblivious to Barry's discomfort. "Then again, Mandy is definitely nicer to him than literally everyone else. Not that is a high bar to go over but still."
"Now because Billy has appeared in TWO platform fighters, he knows the basics of the punch and kick." Rinky explained. "He is described as an all-rounder, though he focuses on speed."
"Must be all of that sugar." Barry snarked.
"He also has a wooden mallet, hot cocoa-filled socks AND snot balls for projectiles and even a fiery fart for a Final Smash." Rinky explained.
"Charming." Barry said, sarcastically.
"Being one of the three titular characters of the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, he is sure to do well." Rinky grinned.
"Greatttttttt." Barry (along with Drake, Ashley and Cacey) groaned.
Rinky paused. "...So THIS is what it feels like to be the professional one. Seriously, it is not like Billy is a dictator."
COLONEL RADEC
NODE: PLAYSTATION ALL-STAR BATTLE ROYALE/KILLZONE
BIG GUY ALERT!
Rinky frowned. "Speaking of which…"
"A part of me wants to try to dissociate from the Helghast First Army from the Nazis, but it is really hard to do so when it is clear to do so." Barry said, shaking his head.
Rinky turned towards Barry. "I don't get it. Why didn't they just use someone from ISA?"
"To be fair, the only villains in Playstation All-Star Battle Royale besides Radec are Heihachi, Evil Cole, Sweeth Tooth and Zeus." The mob boss sighed. "AND Radec's appearance is more distinct compared to the rest in ISA."
"True… But still, is Killzone really that popular to warrant an inclusion." Rinky asked.
"Well, there is only one way to find out." Barry said. "Drake, Ashley, you know what to do."
The camera went to Drake and Ashley. Though they don't look that happy to talk about a certain subject.
"Yeah, you are right. Killzone is a series of first-person shooters developed, Guerilla Games, a company in the Netherlands." Drake said.
"It is known for taking classic war tropes and aesthetics of various stuff like the both World Wars, Vietnam and The Gulf War and adding a sci-fi twist to it." Ashley said.
"The series is set in a space colonisation where the Helghast Empire was recovering from their curb-stomp in the first Helghast War which is basically the worst aspects of Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia and North Korea." Drake frowned.
"They launched a blitzkrieg against the I.S.A. also known as the Interplanetary Strategic Alliances on their colony planet, Vekta. Normally, they had their Strategic Defence platforms protect them, but they mysteriously failed to work during the first assault." Ashley said before frowning. "As you would expect, a war starts and you must play as one of the four protagonists, Jan Templar, Shadow Marshall Luger and Gregor Hakha to stop the Helghast and save the I.S.A."
"The story differs from game to game, but apparently there are SIX of them?" Ashley asked in disbelief.
"To be fair, Thorgi's Arcade revealed that quite a few people actually played and LIKED Killzone and wanted a sequel." Drake said before shrugging. "Then again, we are not interested in the realistic shooter genre. Give me Hero Shooters any day of the week."
"And honestly, let's be fair, while admittedly we wouldn't be any more hyped, we would probably try a little harder if the selected person was one of the protagonists." Ashley said.
"Yeah, also true." Drake sighed. "Back to you guys."
The camera then went to a frowning Barry. "Thanks, anyway, guys."
"Well, like we said, he is from a shooter so he is a zoner." Rinky said. "He has shotguns, rifles, grenades, grenade LAUNCHERS and flamethrowers."
"He also has a knife for close-range AND he is a skilled strategist." Barry explained.
"He is almost the most broken character in Playstation All-Star Battle Royale, topped over by the God of War himself, Kratos." Rinky explained.
"I don't know… Again, THOSE types of people are unpopular to put it mildly so I don't think he will do well." Barry frowned. "And frankly, I don't WANT him to do well. Even the Joker, as in DC Joker, hates Nazis."
"...Thankfully, we only have one more fighter before we switch back to the Megamix Tournament." Rinky sighed. "Let's face that the final fighter for this update clears the air for this.
GADGET HACKWRENCH
NODE: DISNEY TELEVISION ANIMATION ALL-STARS/CHIP N DALE RESCUE RANGERS
Barry and Rinky's eyes lit up at this. "GADGET!"
"Now THIS is definitely a palate cleanser!" Rinky grinned.
"Yeah…" Barry said before frowning. "But did she always have that mech?"
Rinky looked at Barry in exasperation. "Dude, this is Gadget we are talking about. The only reason why she DIDN'T build a mech in the cartoon is because she probably needed at least a week to build it."
"True…" Barry mused. He then smirked. "But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Sing it, Drake!"
The camera then went to a grinning Drake.
"Ch-ch-ch-chip 'n Dale rescue rangers! Ch-ch-ch-chip 'n Dale, when there's danger!" Drake sang. "No, no, it never fails, once they're involved! Somehow, whatever's wrong gets solved!
Ch-ch-ch-chip 'n Dale!"
"Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is one of the cartoons made for the Disney Afternoon block of the late 1980s into the 1990s." Ashley explained. "It took established Disney shorts characters, Chip and Dale and put them in a new setting."
"Instead of being little troublemakers, Chip and Dale are amateur crimefighters with them even wearing costumes based on action heroes with Chip dressed like Indiana Jones and Dale dressed like Thomas Magnum." Drake explained.
"However, they are not alone, they also have an Australian, tough, at least for his size, mouse who has a weakness for cheese, Zipper, Monty's best friend and flier of the group and Gadget Hackwrench, the Gadgeteer Genius and clear fan-favourite of the team." Ashley said, rolling his eyes. "Like guys, she could literally barely fit in the palm of your hands in real life."
"Like THAT is going to stop them." Drake snarked. "The team, called the titularRescue Rangers, operate from inside a tree in a local park and regularly take on a rogues gallery of unusual villains like the feline crime lord Fat Cat and megalomaniacal human inventor Norton Nimnul, along with similar one-shot criminals.
"The show is interesting because it was animated by FIVE different studios from all over the world." Ashley said. "22 episodes from Walt Disney Japan, 16 episodesWang Film Productions in Taiwan, 13 episodes in TMS Entertainment in Japan, 12 episodes in Sunwoo Entertainment in South Korea and 2 episodes in A-1 Productions, also in South Korea."
"You would think we would see more Eastern influence in the artstyle." Drake noted. "True to any early piece of media, it got a couple of video games AND a comic book series. Unfortunately, the latter only ran for eight comics being discontinued."
"They went radio silence for a while, but they DID appear in the Ducktales reboot, albeit for only one episode." Ashley said. "However, there WAS young adult novel series called the Mouse Watch which had an older Gadget being the leader of a spy organization."
"Then, there is the 2022 movie." Drake said before wincing. "Hoo boy. Where to even begin?"
"Basically, in a way, it is a spiritual successor to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, with all of these cartoon characters crossing over like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny." Ashley said. "In fact, it even managed to outdo that. Along with the aforementioned Disney cameos like Baloo from Talespin and Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast, but it had a wide array of cameos like the aforementioned Roger Rabbit, live-action Batman, SORA from KINGDOM HEARTS."
"Then, it gets weird. Like Tigra from the Avengers: United They Stand. Remember THAT cartoon, I sure don't and the movie made it clear that nobody did!" Drake frowned. "Also, Ugly Sonic aka Sonic's original live-action character design."
"Also, I never liked the somewhat cynical feeling of the world. Sure, there were a few things that I genuinely liked to a certain extent but yeah." Ashley said.
"Also, regardless of how you feel about Peter Pan, aging him up and making him a creepy loser and villain, doesn't sit well with me." Drake winced. "Also, spoilers if any cares, Gadget and Zipper got MARRIED?"
Ashley did a double-take. "Wait, WHAT!?"
"Yeah, and does Zipper speak in a deep, intelligent voice and he and Gadget actually had a bab…" Drake started.
"Ugh, stop!" Ashley groaned, holding his face. "I could see why Wally is on negative talk duty."
"Alright, alright, sorry for ending this talk negatively." Drake frowned. "Like I don't think the movie is COMPLETELY bad, but at the same time, there are so many things that make me go 'Um, okay, but why'?"
The camera then went to Barry and Rinky with the former looking exasperated and the latter looking confused.
"...How did Gadget and Zipper manage to have a ba…" Rinky started.
"NO." Barry said without missing a beat.
Rinky winced as the two glared at each other for different reasons.
"Sooo, how do we do this?" Barry asked with a sigh. "Like it is totally in-character for Gadget to use a mech, but how do we even talk about this?"
"True: It doesn't give us much to work with." Rinky said, rubbing his chin. "But isn't that the point?"
"Huh?" Barry asked.
"I mean think about it, Gadget could create nearly, well, gadgets to save the world. She just needs the right materials." Rinky said.
"Right, if there is one thing she is good at, it is being resourceful." Barry noted, rubbing his chin. "The sky's the limit with her."
"What I'M concerned about is how the other Rangers could fight." Rinky said. "Sure, Gadget has her mech, but at the core, it is the combined efforts of the team where they managed to topple their foes."
"True… Then again, Chip N Dale had experience with bigger foes and Monty IS a Pint-Sized Powerhouse to an extent." Barry shrugged.
"Well, regardless I know Gadget would set the bar!" Rinky grinned.
"Well, that is two thirds of fighters, we will cover the next ten. But first, the two thirds of SSBFREAK'S Megamix Tournament will be covered." Barry said.
"Also, Roxas had updated HIS tournament and there is only a bit of time for you to vote for the Second Chance so if you like to vote for someone to go back in, go to his story on AO3 or ." Rinky added.
"But until then!" Barry smiled.
"Now let's talk about Zipper and Gadget…" Rinky started.
"NO." Barry (and Drake, Ashley and Cacey) said.
Rinky grumpily crossed his arms.
LINK TO SECTION: works / 47547247 / chapters / 157395253