ItsRainingGravy
Smash Ace
Don't worry. This will be the last time that I talk about this. I just wish to see opinions on this idea, is all. If this topic gathers enough attention, I will delete my previous posts about it/it is not my intention to spam. My apologies to the mods in advance.
Back on topic:
Luigi is pretty good to use on the ground. His wavedash is iconic to both his Melee and Project Melee incarnations, and his low traction allows for some interesting applications when applied to his grounded attacks. However, despite being a better jumper than his older brother Mario, Luigi suffers much more in the air than his shorter sibling. His low falling speed and low horizontal airspeed leave Luigi extremely vulnerable in the air, and this makes it hard for him to recover in certain instances. More than likely, if you are in the air, you are going to get punished pretty hard for it. However, all of these traits are essential to Luigi's core character. Low traction, fall speed, and aerial horizontal mobility are all an essential part of what makes Luigi "Luigi". A faster falling speed would help Luigi become less vulnerable in the air, but it will not fix his ability to close in on his opponents...nor would it keep his opponents out of the air, so that Luigi can use his extensive wavedash shenanigans against his opponents on the ground. This leaves us with the question: What could be done that could keep Luigi's opponents out of the air, make Luigi less vulnerable in the air, and allow Luigi to exert more pressure upon his opponents so that he could get closer to them...all at the same time?
The answer is simple, at least in my eyes. Changing Luigi's Fireball. This would address all of the problems/questions I have asked in one single swoop, and the change made would be very easy to administer (I think). Not only would this change keep Luigi's core character traits in tact, but it could be used to further expand upon and make his existing tactics more effective and less punishable. What are the changes that I am hoping for? Well, with the introduction out of the way, let's get started. The following categories are a few possibilities that could be used to buff Luigi's Fireballs, and to help achieve the desired goals that I wish to see for the character (retaining his individual character properties but to make them more effective at the same time).
1) Superballs (Super Mario Land Fireballs): Holding/Tapping the B button will shoot a Fireball towards the ground at a diagonal angle. Not holding/tapping the B button would be used to shoot Luigi's fireball normally. Both versions can be done on the ground or in the air.
As some of you might know, Super Mario Land was the Game Boy game where Mario rescued Princess Daisy. And although Luigi wasn't the star of that game, he should have been. Not only that, but the properties currently existing withing Luigi's Fireballs within the entirety of the Smash series is more reminiscent of the Superballs than Mario's Fireballs would ever be. This brings up the question: Why not use these properties to Luigi's advantage within Project Melee? In Super Mario Land, the Superballs shot downwards at a 45 degree angle. The angle at which the Superballs are shot can be disregarded in favor of making an overall more versatile adaptation for Luigi's version of the Superballs. Giving Luigi the ability to shoot his fireballs downward at (ideally) a 25-35 degree angle by changing the way the player mashes the B button would be a great asset to Luigi's approach, anti-air, and gimping options. He could use this to mix up the way he shoots his fireballs on both the air and the ground, meaning that the opponent will have to think much more before approaching Luigi (especially if the opponent lacks the possession of a reflector). Luigi could use this to close in on his opponents from the air by shooting down upon them, or he could use this on the ground to make the fireball ricochet into the air to keep his opponents out of the sky. He could make it harder for his opponents to recover (Mario can already use his fireballs for this purpose), he could use these fireballs to help keep himself safe, and he could use these fireballs to both approach and keep away from his opponents. Overall, this one simple change could potentially buff Luigi in his entirety, WITHOUT changing his other mechanics as a character. Not to mention, the quirkiness of how this new fireball would suit Luigi's personality quite admirably, wouldn't you agree?
2) Anti-Air Fireballs: Holding/Tapping the B button, while on the ground, will shoot a Fireball at (ideally) a 15-25 degree angle into the air. Not holding/tapping the B button would be used to shoot Luigi's fireball normally.
This change would allow Luigi to exert pressure upon airborne opponents, and to try to force them on the ground where Luigi is. The difference between this change and the Superball change is that it is not nearly as drastic of a change from how Luigi currently plays in Project Melee. It would be used in a similar manner to a grounded Superball, but it would lack versatility in all other areas. This is a buff for players who wish for a smaller change to Luigi...at least in comparison with the Superball idea. The Anti-Air Fireballs would be far less useful for gimping opponents (as it aims up instead of down), Luigi would still be vulnerable if he enters the air (this version would only work on the ground), and lastly Luigi would be unable to use this version to exert offensive pressure on his opponents. The purpose of the Anti-Air Fireballs would be nothing more than a defensive measure to keep Luigi's opponents out of the air, and to potentially allow Luigi to force his opponents to fight him on the ground...where Luigi can use his wavedashes and ground attacks. It still could help Luigi out, it still fits within Luigi's character, and it is still an easy enough change that could very well be implemented into the game. Not nearly as crazy as the Superballs, but for people who wish to have a less crazy suggestion: this is for you.
3) Less endlag on fireballs (Ala Mario's new 2.6 change): This is for those of you who do not wish to see a new variation of Luigi's Fireball, but still wish for it to be buffed.
There's not really much for me to explain here. Less englag means that not only would Luigi be less vulnerable after shooting a fireball, but it also means that Luigi can both approach and keep away from his opponents more effectively. Luigi would still be vulnerable if he uses this in the air, due to his low fall speed and poor horizontal aerial movement, but he would be much less vulnerable than he is now (Plus he can waveland after an aerial Fireball). This is not an extravagant change, but it is far less controversial than my two previous ideas. Effective, simple, and familiar-yet-better: this is a change for those who don't want anything new at all for Luigi, but still wish for him to have smaller tweaks to his current arsenal in order to make them more effective.
Anyways, those are all of my ideas. Anti-Air Fireballs would only have applications for defense while the Superballs and Less Englag Fireballs would see MANY more uses for both offensive and defensive purposes. In closing: Which of the three ideas would you prefer to see? Leave your comments, suggestions, and ideas in the topic; and be sure to check an option on the poll above. Thank you for your time, and for reading my topic.
Back on topic:
Luigi is pretty good to use on the ground. His wavedash is iconic to both his Melee and Project Melee incarnations, and his low traction allows for some interesting applications when applied to his grounded attacks. However, despite being a better jumper than his older brother Mario, Luigi suffers much more in the air than his shorter sibling. His low falling speed and low horizontal airspeed leave Luigi extremely vulnerable in the air, and this makes it hard for him to recover in certain instances. More than likely, if you are in the air, you are going to get punished pretty hard for it. However, all of these traits are essential to Luigi's core character. Low traction, fall speed, and aerial horizontal mobility are all an essential part of what makes Luigi "Luigi". A faster falling speed would help Luigi become less vulnerable in the air, but it will not fix his ability to close in on his opponents...nor would it keep his opponents out of the air, so that Luigi can use his extensive wavedash shenanigans against his opponents on the ground. This leaves us with the question: What could be done that could keep Luigi's opponents out of the air, make Luigi less vulnerable in the air, and allow Luigi to exert more pressure upon his opponents so that he could get closer to them...all at the same time?
The answer is simple, at least in my eyes. Changing Luigi's Fireball. This would address all of the problems/questions I have asked in one single swoop, and the change made would be very easy to administer (I think). Not only would this change keep Luigi's core character traits in tact, but it could be used to further expand upon and make his existing tactics more effective and less punishable. What are the changes that I am hoping for? Well, with the introduction out of the way, let's get started. The following categories are a few possibilities that could be used to buff Luigi's Fireballs, and to help achieve the desired goals that I wish to see for the character (retaining his individual character properties but to make them more effective at the same time).
1) Superballs (Super Mario Land Fireballs): Holding/Tapping the B button will shoot a Fireball towards the ground at a diagonal angle. Not holding/tapping the B button would be used to shoot Luigi's fireball normally. Both versions can be done on the ground or in the air.
As some of you might know, Super Mario Land was the Game Boy game where Mario rescued Princess Daisy. And although Luigi wasn't the star of that game, he should have been. Not only that, but the properties currently existing withing Luigi's Fireballs within the entirety of the Smash series is more reminiscent of the Superballs than Mario's Fireballs would ever be. This brings up the question: Why not use these properties to Luigi's advantage within Project Melee? In Super Mario Land, the Superballs shot downwards at a 45 degree angle. The angle at which the Superballs are shot can be disregarded in favor of making an overall more versatile adaptation for Luigi's version of the Superballs. Giving Luigi the ability to shoot his fireballs downward at (ideally) a 25-35 degree angle by changing the way the player mashes the B button would be a great asset to Luigi's approach, anti-air, and gimping options. He could use this to mix up the way he shoots his fireballs on both the air and the ground, meaning that the opponent will have to think much more before approaching Luigi (especially if the opponent lacks the possession of a reflector). Luigi could use this to close in on his opponents from the air by shooting down upon them, or he could use this on the ground to make the fireball ricochet into the air to keep his opponents out of the sky. He could make it harder for his opponents to recover (Mario can already use his fireballs for this purpose), he could use these fireballs to help keep himself safe, and he could use these fireballs to both approach and keep away from his opponents. Overall, this one simple change could potentially buff Luigi in his entirety, WITHOUT changing his other mechanics as a character. Not to mention, the quirkiness of how this new fireball would suit Luigi's personality quite admirably, wouldn't you agree?
2) Anti-Air Fireballs: Holding/Tapping the B button, while on the ground, will shoot a Fireball at (ideally) a 15-25 degree angle into the air. Not holding/tapping the B button would be used to shoot Luigi's fireball normally.
This change would allow Luigi to exert pressure upon airborne opponents, and to try to force them on the ground where Luigi is. The difference between this change and the Superball change is that it is not nearly as drastic of a change from how Luigi currently plays in Project Melee. It would be used in a similar manner to a grounded Superball, but it would lack versatility in all other areas. This is a buff for players who wish for a smaller change to Luigi...at least in comparison with the Superball idea. The Anti-Air Fireballs would be far less useful for gimping opponents (as it aims up instead of down), Luigi would still be vulnerable if he enters the air (this version would only work on the ground), and lastly Luigi would be unable to use this version to exert offensive pressure on his opponents. The purpose of the Anti-Air Fireballs would be nothing more than a defensive measure to keep Luigi's opponents out of the air, and to potentially allow Luigi to force his opponents to fight him on the ground...where Luigi can use his wavedashes and ground attacks. It still could help Luigi out, it still fits within Luigi's character, and it is still an easy enough change that could very well be implemented into the game. Not nearly as crazy as the Superballs, but for people who wish to have a less crazy suggestion: this is for you.
3) Less endlag on fireballs (Ala Mario's new 2.6 change): This is for those of you who do not wish to see a new variation of Luigi's Fireball, but still wish for it to be buffed.
There's not really much for me to explain here. Less englag means that not only would Luigi be less vulnerable after shooting a fireball, but it also means that Luigi can both approach and keep away from his opponents more effectively. Luigi would still be vulnerable if he uses this in the air, due to his low fall speed and poor horizontal aerial movement, but he would be much less vulnerable than he is now (Plus he can waveland after an aerial Fireball). This is not an extravagant change, but it is far less controversial than my two previous ideas. Effective, simple, and familiar-yet-better: this is a change for those who don't want anything new at all for Luigi, but still wish for him to have smaller tweaks to his current arsenal in order to make them more effective.
Anyways, those are all of my ideas. Anti-Air Fireballs would only have applications for defense while the Superballs and Less Englag Fireballs would see MANY more uses for both offensive and defensive purposes. In closing: Which of the three ideas would you prefer to see? Leave your comments, suggestions, and ideas in the topic; and be sure to check an option on the poll above. Thank you for your time, and for reading my topic.
