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Thanks to N3ON for the awesome banner.
He's a character everyone will dig.
He hasn't been seen in 15 years.
He's defeated a Kangaroo, the Sun, a 100-ton Weight, a Giant Hedgehog, a Plumber, two Sumo Bros, a Snowman, and an Evil Farmer.
He's Muddy Mole.
Background
Now, Muddy Mole, for those of you who don't know, comes from a charming little Game Boy game called Mole Mania. Mole Mania was basically a Puzzle-Adventure Game where Muddy threw iron balls at gates to traverse the land looking for his family members, who were stolen by the evil farmer, Jinbe.
Now, Mole Mania got pretty good reviews, but it faded into obscurity once Pokemon came out and dominated the Game Boy market. Since then, Muddy Mole has yet to make any other game appearances.
Why Muddy Fits the Bill as a Smash Character:
Now, ever since Melee, Sakurai has added retro characters that people would either remember from the good ol' days, or scratch their heads at, going, "Who is this?"
In Melee, he added the Ice Climbers, and in Brawl, he added Pit (at the time he was retro, he's obviously not anymore due to Uprising.).
Now, Sakurai has stated in an interview (still trying to locate this one...) that character inclusion must follow 4 basic guidelines...
I'm just keeping this here for future reference. Now, Muddy Mole has an ability in Mole Mania that makes him a force to be reckoned with: digging.
This can easily translate well into Smash, which I'll get to later on. No other character can do this, so it is unique.
This may also make people want to play the game, as the new mechanic is bound to have fans.
One interesting fact about Muddy Mole is that he was made by Shigeru Miyamoto, i.e., the same man who made Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, Fox McCloud, and Captain Olimar. I'd say he fits into the style fine.
For the game balance thing, you can easily make Muddy powerful without being overpowered, but I guess Number 4 is the responsibility of the production team.
Now, you may ask as to why Muddy over other retro characters. Well, in Melee, Sakurai dismissed some retro characters: Excite Biker, Balloon Fighter, Bubbles from Clu Clu Land, Sukapon, and Urban Champion, for various reasons ("Unable" to find a way for him to fight on a bike or jump, Wonders what he'll do if his balloons are popped, Couldn't figure out a way for her to fight, too complex, and "boring", per say, respectively.) Many, if not all, of these characters were more popular than the Ice Climbers on the Melee poll. However, Sakurai chose them because he saw them as original due to their Tag-Team style. For this reason, Muddy could be in due to his "unique" style.
To illustrate, I will preview my Muddy Mole moveset.
[COLLAPSE="Possible Moveset"]
[/COLLAPSE]
Muddy Mole
A: Right Claw Swipe 2%
AA: Left Claw Swipe 3%
AAA: Alternating claw barrage. 2% per hit
A Side: Muddy does a small punch. Can be performed in quick succession. 8%
A Up: Muddy holds his hands up like a goal post and jumps up. 12%
A Down: Muddy gets low and kicks at the opponent’s feet. 14%
Dash A: Muddy does a leaping somersault forward. 13%
Smash Side: Muddy does a strong headbutt. 18%
Smash Up: Muddy spins upward corkscrewing his claws.22%
Smash Down: Muddy spins low to the ground kicking up a small wave of dirt to both of his sides. 20%
Air A: Muddy does a small midair cartwheel for weak damage. 5%
Forward Air A: Muddy slaps the foe weakly in midair. 4%
Backward Air A: Muddy roundhouse kicks in midair. 7%
Up Air A: Muddy sweeps his claws in an arc. 4%
Down Air A: Muddy kicks the opponent down with both feet. Meteor-Smash. 9%
Grab and Pummel: Muddy grabs the foe and knees them in the torso. 4%
Forward Throw: Muddy kicks the foe ahead of him. 10%
Back Throw: Muddy spins the opponent and throws them back, similar to Mario. 8%
Up Throw: Muddy digs under the foe and hits them with a tack from underneath, sending them upward. 15%
Down Throw: Muddy slams his foe into the ground, kicking up some dirt in the process. 12%
His Neutral B would be the iron ball. Press B once, and it spawns, and stays on the ground in front of you. You can keep it there, and it will act as an unbreakable wall. However, if you press B again when you are close to the ball, you can throw it at your opponent! It will be very slow and not very powerful at first, but if you hold B, Muddy will charge up the throw, increasing the speed, distance, and damage. However, if the opponent hits you during start up, you will drop the ball. The ball will eventually disappear if A.) Too much time passes without you throwing it, or B.) You hit the opponent. Only one Ball can be present at a time per Muddy Mole. It does 15% when pushed forward with no charge, 22% when charged. Going backwards, it does 20% uncharged, and 30% when charged.
His Side B will be the Hole Trap. Muddy would crouch low, dig a small hole, and then be able to leave the scene. The foe wouldn't know where the pitfall spot is, under normal circumstances. When it is stepped on, they fall into a pitfall. Muddy cannot get trapped by this move. So yeah, it's the pitfall item, essentially. Muddy can have up to two of these out on the stage at any given time. 0%
His Up B would be the cabbage jump. After Muddy Mole defeats a boss in his games, he saves one of his children, who pop out of a giant cabbage that falls from the sky, and leap up with a corkscrew-like jump. Muddy would essentially do the same. A giant cabbage would surround him, and he'd pop out using a Wario-like Corkscrew. If used in Midair, the cabbage will fall to the ground, potentially doing damage, and possibly a meteor-smash. When used on land, it disappears after use. I guess you can call it a mix between Wario's and Sonic's. 16% with the corkscrew, 10% if the cabbage hits you.
Muddy Mole's Down B would be Burrow. Going underground was key in Muddy Mole's adventures, so naturally Smash should reflect that. He would dig a hole, and go underground. If used on a passable platform, he'd fall through it. While underground, he can move around very fast, but at the expense of not being able to see where he is. By releasing B, he will pop out of the hole, causing minimal damage. However, you only have a three second time frame to stay underground, otherwise you are forcefully removed from the dirt. This would make up for Muddy's lackluster aerial game.
Finally, his Final Smash would be the Mole Family. When the Smash Ball is obtained, Muddy whistles loudly. His children and wife appear by his side and burrow into the stage. Going with Muddy's theme of stage control, his family makes the entire stage shake with violent tremors. To make matters worse, if the foe gets hit by one of the descending moles, they will be put into a Pitfall state. Every two or so seconds, the tremors cause 6% damage to any foe on the ground. Tripping is also slightly more likely. The effect only lasts for 15 seconds, but Muddy himself is free to move about and perpetuate the foe's agony by keeping them grounded. After 15 seconds, the family emerges. Muddy's wife puts the baby moles in their wagon, and they disappear.
Taunts: Up: He adjusts his sunglasses with a shine and smiles. (With the clichéd *ding* sound of course)
Down: He digs a small hole and pulls out a small cabbage. He proceeds to eat it.
Side: He holds out his paw and extends his claws.
Kirby Hat: Kirby dons a pair of shades and a handkerchief.
Codec Conversation: Snake: Colonel, who's the mole wearing sunglasses?
Colonel: That's Muddy Mole, Snake.
Snake: Never heard of him. He's probably no big threat.
Colonel: Be careful, Snake, Muddy here can do something that no one else here can do. He'll dig right beneath you and hit you from the other side.
Snake: That's pretty cheap, wouldn't you say?
Colonel: Coming from the man who's fighting a mole, while using a ton of explosives...just make sure to watch out, Snake.
Snake: What else is there to watch for?
Colonel: Besides digging, Muddy can also launch giant iron balls. And bombs, too.
Snake: ...Ugh.
Playstyle: Basically, Muddy Mole is your trap user to the extreme. Block off certain spots with the Iron Ball, dig underneath it, and hit the foes on the other side is a pretty good tactic. If time is running out on it, throw it for good damage. Being a mole, Muddy is best on the ground, of course. Many of his smashes and throws are powerful. That being said, if you’re playing Muddy in the air for any reason other than recovery, you’re using him wrong. Muddy is just plain bad in the air. Low fall speed, bad aerials, and semi-lightweight an aerial fighter does not make. All in all, Muddy is an interesting character to play as, and will leave the opponents guessing as to which move he’ll use next.
A: Right Claw Swipe 2%
AA: Left Claw Swipe 3%
AAA: Alternating claw barrage. 2% per hit
A Side: Muddy does a small punch. Can be performed in quick succession. 8%
A Up: Muddy holds his hands up like a goal post and jumps up. 12%
A Down: Muddy gets low and kicks at the opponent’s feet. 14%
Dash A: Muddy does a leaping somersault forward. 13%
Smash Side: Muddy does a strong headbutt. 18%
Smash Up: Muddy spins upward corkscrewing his claws.22%
Smash Down: Muddy spins low to the ground kicking up a small wave of dirt to both of his sides. 20%
Air A: Muddy does a small midair cartwheel for weak damage. 5%
Forward Air A: Muddy slaps the foe weakly in midair. 4%
Backward Air A: Muddy roundhouse kicks in midair. 7%
Up Air A: Muddy sweeps his claws in an arc. 4%
Down Air A: Muddy kicks the opponent down with both feet. Meteor-Smash. 9%
Grab and Pummel: Muddy grabs the foe and knees them in the torso. 4%
Forward Throw: Muddy kicks the foe ahead of him. 10%
Back Throw: Muddy spins the opponent and throws them back, similar to Mario. 8%
Up Throw: Muddy digs under the foe and hits them with a tack from underneath, sending them upward. 15%
Down Throw: Muddy slams his foe into the ground, kicking up some dirt in the process. 12%
His Neutral B would be the iron ball. Press B once, and it spawns, and stays on the ground in front of you. You can keep it there, and it will act as an unbreakable wall. However, if you press B again when you are close to the ball, you can throw it at your opponent! It will be very slow and not very powerful at first, but if you hold B, Muddy will charge up the throw, increasing the speed, distance, and damage. However, if the opponent hits you during start up, you will drop the ball. The ball will eventually disappear if A.) Too much time passes without you throwing it, or B.) You hit the opponent. Only one Ball can be present at a time per Muddy Mole. It does 15% when pushed forward with no charge, 22% when charged. Going backwards, it does 20% uncharged, and 30% when charged.
His Side B will be the Hole Trap. Muddy would crouch low, dig a small hole, and then be able to leave the scene. The foe wouldn't know where the pitfall spot is, under normal circumstances. When it is stepped on, they fall into a pitfall. Muddy cannot get trapped by this move. So yeah, it's the pitfall item, essentially. Muddy can have up to two of these out on the stage at any given time. 0%
His Up B would be the cabbage jump. After Muddy Mole defeats a boss in his games, he saves one of his children, who pop out of a giant cabbage that falls from the sky, and leap up with a corkscrew-like jump. Muddy would essentially do the same. A giant cabbage would surround him, and he'd pop out using a Wario-like Corkscrew. If used in Midair, the cabbage will fall to the ground, potentially doing damage, and possibly a meteor-smash. When used on land, it disappears after use. I guess you can call it a mix between Wario's and Sonic's. 16% with the corkscrew, 10% if the cabbage hits you.
Muddy Mole's Down B would be Burrow. Going underground was key in Muddy Mole's adventures, so naturally Smash should reflect that. He would dig a hole, and go underground. If used on a passable platform, he'd fall through it. While underground, he can move around very fast, but at the expense of not being able to see where he is. By releasing B, he will pop out of the hole, causing minimal damage. However, you only have a three second time frame to stay underground, otherwise you are forcefully removed from the dirt. This would make up for Muddy's lackluster aerial game.
Finally, his Final Smash would be the Mole Family. When the Smash Ball is obtained, Muddy whistles loudly. His children and wife appear by his side and burrow into the stage. Going with Muddy's theme of stage control, his family makes the entire stage shake with violent tremors. To make matters worse, if the foe gets hit by one of the descending moles, they will be put into a Pitfall state. Every two or so seconds, the tremors cause 6% damage to any foe on the ground. Tripping is also slightly more likely. The effect only lasts for 15 seconds, but Muddy himself is free to move about and perpetuate the foe's agony by keeping them grounded. After 15 seconds, the family emerges. Muddy's wife puts the baby moles in their wagon, and they disappear.
Taunts: Up: He adjusts his sunglasses with a shine and smiles. (With the clichéd *ding* sound of course)
Down: He digs a small hole and pulls out a small cabbage. He proceeds to eat it.
Side: He holds out his paw and extends his claws.
Kirby Hat: Kirby dons a pair of shades and a handkerchief.
Codec Conversation: Snake: Colonel, who's the mole wearing sunglasses?
Colonel: That's Muddy Mole, Snake.
Snake: Never heard of him. He's probably no big threat.
Colonel: Be careful, Snake, Muddy here can do something that no one else here can do. He'll dig right beneath you and hit you from the other side.
Snake: That's pretty cheap, wouldn't you say?
Colonel: Coming from the man who's fighting a mole, while using a ton of explosives...just make sure to watch out, Snake.
Snake: What else is there to watch for?
Colonel: Besides digging, Muddy can also launch giant iron balls. And bombs, too.
Snake: ...Ugh.
Playstyle: Basically, Muddy Mole is your trap user to the extreme. Block off certain spots with the Iron Ball, dig underneath it, and hit the foes on the other side is a pretty good tactic. If time is running out on it, throw it for good damage. Being a mole, Muddy is best on the ground, of course. Many of his smashes and throws are powerful. That being said, if you’re playing Muddy in the air for any reason other than recovery, you’re using him wrong. Muddy is just plain bad in the air. Low fall speed, bad aerials, and semi-lightweight an aerial fighter does not make. All in all, Muddy is an interesting character to play as, and will leave the opponents guessing as to which move he’ll use next.
I'd say it's unique enough for Smash.
As another note, Muddy Mole has been rumored to have been liked by Sakurai, being on the infamous "Brawl Poll." Recently in an interview, his game was mentioned along with StarTropics and Ice Climber as far as retro series that could get representation, with Sakurai replying with something along the lines of, "I'll do my best to give older games and series fair representation." At the very least, he knows of Muddy's existence.
He'd also potentially bring along a nice stage to call home.
[COLLAPSE="Possible Stage: Jinbe's Farm"]
That's right, a Mole Mania stage for none other than Muddy Mole.
Stage Name: Jinbe's Farm
Stage Icon: A cabbage.
Layout:
__u__-----____J____-----__u__
.........l_______________l.........
Basically, it is a simple stage with walk off edges. Overall, the stage would showcase the Wii U's graphical capabilities, as the foliage, trees, and rolling hills in the background would be in an high definition autumnal setting. Based on my poorly shown layout, the top row of underscores are the basic ground of the stage. However, if you break the plots of tilled land (marked as ---s) then an underground path opens up, connecting the two plots.
Jinbe (Marked as J) realizes what happened after a period of time, and comes to the foreground to fix the plots. If you get in his way, you get minor damage from his hoe.
Cabbages, marked as "u", can be hit with a smash attack to uproot them. If you push them underground, they explode, leaving behind a healing item. This is a reference to Mole Mania's gameplay. This angers Jinbe, who comes to the foreground and chases whoever hurt the cabbage with his hoe. If he hits you, you take 20% damage and a bit of knockback. Jinbe can be defeated pretty easily, however. When defeated, he angrily returns to the background and starts to tend to his other crops in the background.
Music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1GFp23dF6I Mole Mania - Title Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3yf3g_THRw Mole Mania - Forest Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A80dmIbJhX0 Mole Mania - Beach Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdTWVfN7ma0 Mole Mania - Snow Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlc43JuTdCk Mole Mania - Pipe Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfDFstihFZY Mole Mania - Boss Battle Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTMW0XPZM1g Mole Mania - Final Boss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vShfrlIQ6mA Mole Mania - Credits Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYr0MYUaF-0 Mario Kart Wii - Moo Moo Meadows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUoswjz79lo Wii Play - Charge! (SSBB Version)
[/COLLAPSE]
And of course Muddy should bring along an Assist Trophy for his series!
[COLLAPSE="Assist Trophy"]
Assist Trophy: Kangaroon
Now, Kangaroon is the first Boss of the game. He attacks Muddy by jumping and crushing Muddy under his large feet. Muddy needed to push tacks under him three times while he was jumping to defeat him. As an Assist Trophy, Kangaroon bounces around the stage, being a head and a half taller than Muddy. If someone is underneath him, they get crushed and stay in a Pitfall state. It also does 15% damage per hit. The whole shebang lasts for about 10 seconds.
[/COLLAPSE]Assist Trophy: Kangaroon
Now, Kangaroon is the first Boss of the game. He attacks Muddy by jumping and crushing Muddy under his large feet. Muddy needed to push tacks under him three times while he was jumping to defeat him. As an Assist Trophy, Kangaroon bounces around the stage, being a head and a half taller than Muddy. If someone is underneath him, they get crushed and stay in a Pitfall state. It also does 15% damage per hit. The whole shebang lasts for about 10 seconds.
Also, have some color swaps, courtesy of Splat, who colored Fryguy64's work, who based it off of Young Horsetail's drawing. I take no credit.
[COLLAPSE="Color Swaps!"]
The second row is a colored version of the blue, green, yellow, and black swaps,in case you prefer Muddy colored along with his neckerchief. The one at the end of the first row is the pixelated Muddy from his in-game sprite. [/COLLAPSE]
The second row is a colored version of the blue, green, yellow, and black swaps,in case you prefer Muddy colored along with his neckerchief. The one at the end of the first row is the pixelated Muddy from his in-game sprite. [/COLLAPSE]
Now, many detractors of Muddy say that the retro spot is exclusive for one or two characters per game. This is usually followed by "Why Muddy over other Retros? I think *so and so* is more likely!"
Now, I'm of the belief that it isn't that exclusive, and more can be added if so desired, but under the premise of "one only," I would still choose Muddy. Why, exactly? I'll go through the dilemmas that other retros face, and in the end show why Muddy may top them in Sakurai's eyes. Keep in mind that I would like to see many of these characters more, and these are just my reasons as to why I think Muddy is more likely. This is in no way meant to bash the other characters or their support base. :D
[COLLAPSE="Retro Debates"]
Vs Little Mac Little Mac Confirmed. However, he may be seen as this game's retro, worryingly.
Simply put, with the new game, Mac's no longer retro, and therefore not a threat to Muddy. I only put him here for those who believe he still counts. They could easily coexist even under the premise that we only get one retro.
Vs Sheriff
I've seen this fella come up a few times. Many say that his claim to fame is that he's Nintendo's first character. Now, I've yet to find one that came before him, but that's not what breaks him as a choice. It's more of a question of originality, as they need to add something to the game. This may be seen as a problem, seeing as all you did in the game was walk slowly and shoot. I mean, they could go for a Cowboy inspired moveset with a lasso, gun, spurs, etc., but why would you go for a generic cowboy when Nintendo has a cowboy that can offer much more in Dillon's Rolling Western? Muddy at the very least has other things to offer.
Vs Prince of Sable Prince of Sable Disconfirmed.
Prince of Sable is an interesting case. For one, he has low popularity in the US at first, but then much larger support came for him after the false "Universe Leak." The main thing holding back Sable is the fact that he's an obscure Japan-only character. Sakurai is very wary about adding Japanese only characters. The Fire Emblem characters almost didn't make it to the American Melee...even after that, the only Japanese only character added was Lucas, from a series that in itself wasn't Japanese only. For the Frog the Bell Tolls is a one-game series that, while a cult classic, is largely unknown and exclusive to Japan.
Vs Lip Lip Disconfirmed.
Now, I'll start by saying that Lip is a choice that I like. That being said, I do not find her likely. The reasoning behind this is that, well, she is also kind of Japanese only, but in an arguably worse case than Sable. Her game was released in the US, but she wasn't. Yep, they removed all traces of Lip and the other fairies out of Panel de Pon and renamed it Pokemon Puzzle League or Tetris Attack (TBH I don't remember which...). For this reason, I find her unlikely. And there's the fact that even Sakurai mentioned her obscurity...
Vs Mach Rider
Mach Rider offers a bit of competition to Muddy, no doubt. Sakurai stated that he was his favorite character for "Smash 2" (this was pre-Melee). We managed to get his theme in Melee, and a trophy, but nothing else. In Brawl, the song was carried over and his trophy was ditched. What happened to Mach Rider? One can only guess. Many theorize that he was the 20th character Sakurai was going to add, before he decided on the six clones instead. Many also guess that due to his similarities to Falcon, he was originally going to be the Falcon clone before Sakurai realized Ganondorf's popularity. My only guess is that since Sakurai never spoke of him again, he only saw him feasible off the bike as a clone of Falcon. On the bike, Excite Biker was decided against for being unable to jump, or something similar. I assume he thought the same of Mach Rider.
And now, this is confirmed to not happen.
[/Collapse]
While here, you can discuss his moveset, chances, playstyles, music, stage, Assist Trophies, Role in the Possible Story Mode, and generally rally support for this old character of Nintendo's past.
Muddy Supporters
(ask to be added/removed. These are people who commented in support of Muddy and/or that I know think well of him.):
1. Opossum
2. Arcadenik
3. Yani
4. Shinhed-echi
5. Cider
6. GoldenYuiitusin
7. Lobotheduck21
8. The Drilling Juggernaut
9. 8-Peacock-8
10. Muddy Mole (he came to the thread! :D)
11. NoPLo
12. Ember Reaper
13. Robotic Wind
14. Inawordyes
15. Powerstars
16. Propeller Toad
17. 3Bismyname
18. grizby2
19. Zombie Baki
20. Kikwi-Kiwi
21. vicgur
22. MaskO'Gears
23. Young Horsetail
24. Ariand/AEM
25. Second Power
26. Louie G.
27. SuperBrawler
28. fogbadge
29. Golden Icarus
30. Louie G.
31. APC99
32. Sobreviviente
33. Keybladeguy
34. Crap-Zapper
35. KiraYoshikage
36. Crooner Mike
37. Fortanono
38. RadRedi
39. Zzuxon
40. BluePikmin11
41. Chase
42. domokl
43. Captain Mac
44. jigglover
45. Con0rrrr
46. smashkirby
47. GunGunW
48. Lucimar
49. Lizardon
50. continuityOfficer
(ask to be added/removed. These are people who commented in support of Muddy and/or that I know think well of him.):
1. Opossum
2. Arcadenik
3. Yani
4. Shinhed-echi
5. Cider
6. GoldenYuiitusin
7. Lobotheduck21
8. The Drilling Juggernaut
9. 8-Peacock-8
10. Muddy Mole (he came to the thread! :D)
11. NoPLo
12. Ember Reaper
13. Robotic Wind
14. Inawordyes
15. Powerstars
16. Propeller Toad
17. 3Bismyname
18. grizby2
19. Zombie Baki
20. Kikwi-Kiwi
21. vicgur
22. MaskO'Gears
23. Young Horsetail
24. Ariand/AEM
25. Second Power
26. Louie G.
27. SuperBrawler
28. fogbadge
29. Golden Icarus
30. Louie G.
31. APC99
32. Sobreviviente
33. Keybladeguy
34. Crap-Zapper
35. KiraYoshikage
36. Crooner Mike
37. Fortanono
38. RadRedi
39. Zzuxon
40. BluePikmin11
41. Chase
42. domokl
43. Captain Mac
44. jigglover
45. Con0rrrr
46. smashkirby
47. GunGunW
48. Lucimar
49. Lizardon
50. continuityOfficer
[COLLAPSE="Some Nice Fanart of Muddy and Jinbe"]
By Boshi00
By fryguy64, the same guy who did the original color swap image.
[/COLLAPSE]
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