INTRODUCING SUPER SMASH STRATEGIES FAN CHOICE!

Greetings from Cullination!

We are proud to say that our newest series, Super Smash Strategies (or S3) has been quite successful so far. Round of applause for Shawn everyone!

In fact, we feel like it is catching on enough to bring you a Fan Choice for S3 so that you can choose the next character to be featured! If you have been keeping up with the series to date, you know that Lucario, Link, and Mario have been featured so far.

RULES

- Check to see who has already been done if you aren't sure BEFORE you post your request

-ANY Super Smash Bros character from any of the three games is admissable, as long as we haven't already featured them (eg. Pichu from Melee is allowed even though he isn't in Brawl)

-Most votes wins!


Cool, but how do I vote?

Thought you'd never ask! The voting system will be exactly like that of Poke-Focus Fan Choice. All you have to do is place your comment with your selection at the bottom of this article, and that's it!

We want your opinions guys, let us know who you want featured next and have your voice be heard! LET THE VOTING BEGIN!

WE ARE...CULLINATION!

Week Of Colors!

Like comic books?  Like comic book reviews?  Well, you're in luck!  Next week (starting Monday)  Cullination is going to start "Week of Colors"  Three different comic reviews will get published on Cullination that are from Marvel's Color origin stories.  All articles will be authored by the Comic Book Reviewer on Cullination, Scott.  They will be published as followed:

Monday: Daredevil Yellow




Wednesday: Spiderman Blue




Friday: Hulk Gray

Super Smash Strategies #3: Mario

SUPER SMASH STRATEGIES #3:  MARIO


GAMES FROM
Mario Bros. and almost anything owned by Nintendo

HOW TO UNLOCK
Starting Character

INTRODUCTION

Everyone knows who this guy is!  No matter what age you are, young or old, you recognize this short and chubby red hat and blue overalls wearing man.  It's Mario!  First appearing in the Donkey Kong games, Mario has become Nintendo's flagship character and "go-to guy" whenever they just needed someone.  Mario is one of the characters that has appeared in all three of the Super Smash Bros. games.  In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario is the most balanced character.  Though most people do not choose him as a character, his balanced stats makes him easy to use and is not too powerful nor too weak.

MOVES

STANDARD ATTACKS

SMASH ATTACKS

THROWS (all of which are performed after you grab someone)

AIR ATTACKS (all of which perform while in the air)

SPECIALS

STATISTICS

PROS AND CONS

PROS:

Mario is a very balanced character to use.  

His Final Smash is almost an instant kill

CONS:

Because he is so balanced, He is not a good character if you want super speedy or super strong.

Though he has two projectiles, neither of them are that good.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS
note: because Mario is such a balanced character, he is ranked about the same as a lot of characters.

STRENGTHS:

Mario is so much quicker than Donkey Kong.  However, DK is stronger up close.  This is a small factor though because Mario has his projectiles like fire balls and F.L.U.D.D.  

Peach is not very powerful with up close attacks.  In addition to that, Mario has better projectiles than she does.

Wario is slower than Mario is.  Just use more projectiles.  If Wario uses his motor cycle move, just get out of the way.

WEAKNESSES:

Fox is so much quicker than Mario is and that is a huge disadvantage.  Mario's projectiles are not very powerful either.  So Fox could attack him up close as often as he wants to and Mario will not be able to do much to get away from him.

Zelda and Sheik are more powerful than Mario is up close and quicker than he is too.  Zelda also has a powerful projectile move, which Zelda can control and that leaves Mario at a huge disadvantage.

Mario is not a very good fighter in the air.  Because of this, Meta Knight has a huge advantage against him.  If using Mario, stay away from the air.  The ground is your friend.

Ike has such a longer reach than Mario does.  Ike is also much more powerful than Mario is.

TIPS

Learn how to use Mario's cape move properly.  It reflects projectiles and comes in handy.  

Mario's smash attacks is where his real strength lies.  Use more smash attacks up close.

Mario's fireballs are better than Luigi's because they incorporate gravity and can move and they also go farther than Luigi's.  Use Mario's fireballs if your enemy is being a coward.

Grab an opponent, hit them with a basic combo move twice, throw them towards the ground, then jump and perform an upwards punch move.  This is a good combo move.

When your opponent does a move that makes them vulnerable, use FLUDD to push them towards the edge.

STAR FOX 64 REVIEW

Note: This is a review of Star Fox 64, NOT Star Fox 64 3D (the reprised version for the 3DS)

Nintendo really pushed the technological boundaries of the 16-Bit era when it released the original Star Fox. Coupled with the FX chip (a software coprocessor enabling the usage of 3D polygons on the SNES), Star Fox was a console game that looked like no other at the time. While the polygon-look was very primitive compared to the ones on computer and arcade games, it was still extremely cutting edge for the console market (whose processors lacked the muscle to create convincing 3D worlds) and garnered much praise from fans for its uniqueness.

Defying (if not shattering) the laws of physics, Star Fox 64 is the proverbial second lightning strike. While pretty much following the original's format of being a rail-shooter, Star Fox 64 still manages to present itself with a fresh new style and energy. Star Fox 64 is not a game with any particular strengths or weaknesses. Instead, it is a game so equally complete in virtually every aspect (from graphics to gameplay), it is simply a thing of beauty.

Gamers are once again thrusted into the role of mercenary pilot, Fox McCloud, in his battles against the forces of Andross. While mission levels are structured well around the ongoing plot, there's nothing groundbreaking in the 'kid-friendly' story.

Examining the game from a more traditional view reveals that it is heavily sculpted in an arcade fashion. The action is quick and frantic and I found playing the game's dynamically routed 8 levels to be a rather short experience. Another flaw that bothered me was the limited arsenal of weapons (just a laser and a lock-on laser). However, Nintendo alleviates both of these preceding problems by injecting many other elements of substance in the game.

For example, the game may be short, but the ride is a wild one. Playing out like a festival for the senses, it assures you won't feel slighted at the end. The graphics are amazing, the sound/music is on target, and the control (enhanced by the mildly stimulating and entertaining rumble pak) is tight. Offering alternate routes and goals throughout the levels also gives a more dynamic feel to the game. A workable 4-player competitive mode was also added to ensure play-life.

In the case of its limited weapons, Star Fox 64 draws attention away from that by giving the Arwing more capabilities like barrel rolls, somersaults, and U-turns (in some levels). Players are also offered either a mini-tank or submarine in certain levels. The inclusion of the "team" element, in which comrades fly around offering you their assistance and, more often, requesting for yours, also helps to draw attention away from the lack of weapons. In other words, it's not how many weapons the player is given that's important, but the many uses and situations you are afforded with them that keeps things interesting.

SCORING



Being a liability is fun!

GRAPHICS: 9.0  For the N64 and even more so for the time period, Star Fox 64 is right on target. Nothing too advanced, but not too much of a primitive feel, either.

AUDIO: 9.0  Classic Star Fox music from start to finish. Enough said.

GAMEPLAY/PLOT: 9.5  Sure, the game is so short that you could easily beat the entire storyline 5 times in a day. However, the action that is packed into that timeframe leaves the gamer with a roller coaster feeling every time. As Fox, you are flying a fighter plane and shooting things with lasers...can it really get better than that? Actually, it can. The only reason this score isn't a 10 is because you can't blow Slippy the freakin' Toad out of the sky.

DIFFICULTY: 8.0  We love Star Fox. We really do. But in all honesty, the game just isn't that difficult. That said, it sure as hell didn't stop me from beating it approximately 600 times as a kid.

MULTIPLAYER/ONLINE PLAY: 8.5  Very workable. It is nothing short of awesome to dogfight with up to three of your friends. You can even run your own little mini-tournament if you wanted. Doesn't get old too quickly, and that's what scores the points here.

MISCELLANEOUS: 9.0  Really nothing to speak of here, just solid gameplay at every turn.


OVERALL: 9.0

Ultimately, Star Fox 64 is pure harmony. Its minor flaws are more than proportionally corrected by its many great features and almost all of the elements (story, graphics, gameplay) come together to form one of the most artistically cohesive video games in recent times, and a second strike of lightning in an already wildly entertaining series.

Cullination Royalty: Funky Kong Part 2

PART 2: WHY SHOULD YOU LOVE HIM?

This above picture should say it all.  Funky Kong is beast!  Funky Kong is awesome!  He invents a bunch of awesome gadgets and tools!  Coconut shotguns, missile launchers, even Diddy's peanut shooters are his inventions.  

Funky Kong appeared in many games.  However his first playable appearance came in the game DK: King of Swing.  In the game, he partners with Dixie Kong.  He has very high strength but bad jumping ability as the other characters.

After his appearance in King of Swing, Funky Kong made numerous more appearances such as Mario Kart Wii and Mario Super Sluggers.  My question is this: why is Funky Kong a playable character in only a few games and they are only small games?  Funky Kong deserves a lot more.  I mean, he is an ape that loves to surf!  Try finding another ape in this world that loves to surf!  

Come back on Friday as Funky Kong's royalty continues!

FAN CHOICE: POKE-FOCUS #11: TYPHLOSION

Introduction

The big new draw for Typhlosion this time around is Eruption. This move has a killer base 150 power at full health, and with Typhlosion's great Special Attack and Speed, plus some help from a Choice Scarf, it can easily trailblaze its way through teams. Of course, it has other Fire-type attacks to play with, and is a decent choice on its own, but Eruption is what really brings it out of mediocrity.

Capture/Training

It's a starter. Pick it, or trade for it. Soft-reset if you want a female or one with a good nature. That's all for getting one.

Cyndaquil evolves into Quilava at Lv. 14 and into Typhlosion at Lv. 36. Strangely enough, there is no difference in the levels Quilava and Typhlosion learn moves, so just evolve them as soon as possible.

Statistics

78 HP, 84 Atk, 78 Def, 109 Sp. Atk, 85 Sp. Def, 100 Spd

When it comes to abusing Eruption, you need two things: you need to be powerful, and you need to be fast. Typhlosion nicely covers both those bases. Base 109 Special Attack and Base 100 Speed are great at doing what they need to do: hit hard and hit fast before your opponent can strike to weaken your Eruption. That said, Base 84 Attack isn't horrible, either, and gives Typhlosion an alternate outlet for damaging special walls.

Stat distrubution, then, needs to go to make these two stats even better. A Choice Scarf-user doesn't strictly need the Speed as the Scarf will boost that up nicely, so if that's the plan, throw some EVs into Attack to run a mixed set, and use a defense-stat-hindering nature if possible. Otherwise, max Special Attack and Speed, and try going for a Modest or Timid nature.

Moves

For a primary Fire attack, look no further than Eruption. At full health, this move has a whopping 150 base power. Of course, as you get hurt, that power decreases, forcing you to switch to other Fire attacks, making Typhlosion a case where having two primary Fire attacks is justified; good thing Typhlosion can learn practically every single Fire attack in existence.

Flamethrower and Fire Blast both work in this regard, depending on whether you want power or accuracy. Lava Plume is yet another new option for Typhlosion; its main draw is a nice 30% chance of inflicting a burn. Overheat is another great option for low-HP Typhlosion, especially with a Blaze boost, at which point the move becomes even stronger than Eruption. It works best on Choice-item sets.

Heat Wave is best in 2-vs-2 battles. With all these options, Blast Burn is almost a non-option as Eruption has the same power (at full health) and much less drawback, while Overheat is almost as powerful at low health without turning Typhlosion into set-up bait. If you really want physical Fire attacks, Typhlosion has those too, namely Fire Punch and, probably more importantly, Flare Blitz.

As for other options, there aren't a whole lot. Solarbeam is a neat option, and works best on a Sunny Day set. Focus Blast is horribly inaccurate, but could hit some opponents. Extrasensory is a cute little attack that it gets as an Egg Move in HGSS, and works best when it is facing Fighting and Poison types, particularly the Fire-resistant ones. That's it for special attacks, really, aside from Hidden Power of course. Swift might be an option if in-game evasive foes are giving you headaches.

Typhlosion has a nice physical moveset, and while it shouldn't go completely physical, a couple of physical attacks to complement its special attacks can help keep it from being walled. Earthquake rears its earth-shattering head once again, while Focus Punch works great with proper prediction. Other than that, there's Thunderpunch, Rock Slide, Return, Quick Attack, Shadow Claw, and Low Kick. Pick one if you need it. A utility Typhlosion can Covet items from foes, if you wish.

There aren't too many other moves to support Typhlosion's attacks, but what ones there are tend to be particularly helpful. Sunny Day works like a charm for boosting both its Fire attacks and Solarbeam. Substitute combines well with the above as well as a generally good way for it to lower its HP safely into Blaze range. It can also cripple foes with Will-o-Wisp, if it doesn't want to take chances with Lava Plume. Howl can work on a mixed Typhlosion. That's about it, really.

Moveset 1: Choice Eruption
- Eruption
- (secondary Fire attack)
- (secondary physical attack)
- (secondary attack)/Howl

This set works best with a Choice Scarf. Mixing physical and special attacks allows Typhlosion to strike at any special walls that try to stop it. It also works great as a lead. At any rate, watch as your opponents cower in fear of base-150-power STAB Eruptions, then as they manage to attack you down past the 33% mark, Blaze activates and your secondary fire attack starts tearing through your opponents just like your Eruptions used to. Secondary attacks are recommended to keep Typhlosion from being stopped by Fire-retardant foes.

Moveset 2: Sunny Day
- Sunny Day
- (primary Fire attack)
- Solarbeam
- Substitute/(secondary attack)

There are two ways to play this set. One way is very traditional. Use Sunny Day, and strike. The other way is: use Substitute, throw in a Sunny Day when you can, then once you get below 33% and activate Blaze, start burning things up. Bonus points if you use a Petaya Berry for extra oomph.

Items
Choice Scarf works best with set 1, making sure Typhlosion strikes first and allowing you to devote some EVs to Attack to help its physical strikes. Choice Specs could work for an all-Special set, but Typhlosion doesn't really have that many Special Attacks.

Petaya Berry was mentioned as going with Substitute on the Sunny Day set. Otherwise, Leftovers is a solid choice.

CONCLUSION

Out of the three Johto starters, Typhlosion could quite possibly rival Feraligatr in the most improved discussion. Typhlosion certainly possesses the most firepower of the three, more utility, and overall is one of the best choices out of all the starters from EVERY region.



That's a wrap on Cullination's very first Fan Choice Poke-Focus segment! For those of you that voted for Typhlosion, feel free to coment your thoughts. The next two Poke-Focus updates will be Cullination chosen. You can vote for the next Fan Choice Poke-Focus by commenting on this post. Whichever Pokemon gets the most attention in the comments will be featured in the next Fan Choice!


WE ARE...CULLINATION!

BANJO TOOIE REVIEW(IE)

In Banjo Tooie's prequel (if you will), Banjo and Kazooie triumphed over the malevolent Gruntilda, managing to bury her under a big boulder. The peace of Spiral Mountain is shattered with the appearance of Gruntilda’s sisters, Mingella and Blobbelda, who rescue their sister and start causing havoc. They developed a machine that sucks the life force out of living things and they hope to use it to restore Gruntilda to her original bulk. Banjo, Kazooie and, everyone’s favorite shaman, Mumbo Jumbo must team up to save the world, collecting Jiggies, Jinjos and music notes!

Banjo-Tooie is a good example of how to make a sequel: keep everything that made the first game so much fun and add features that people asked for. This feels like Banjo-Kazooie, but it's a distinct entity. There are a few little touches noticeable right from the start. For one, Banjo's backpack bounces up and down. This is a polish that many sequels would have overlooked. But, there are huge improvements in gamelplay and character control as well, such as the ability to control Banjo or Kazooie individually at certain times.

Thankfully, this time out Banjo has access to warp pads within levels and silos outside the levels that make getting around the Isle o’ Hags a simple matter. They are a huge improvement over the warp cauldrons of the first game, especially the warp pads within the levels. Some of the levels are really big and occasionally you’ll get turned around or lost. Finding a warp pad to reorient yourself is very helpful considering there’s no auto map. The camera has been held over from Banjo-Kazooie and acts fairly well 94% percent of the time. The remaining 6% of the time there’s something in the way, 1% of that at a very critical moment. This is about the same as the first game.

Also held over are the many moves that Banjo and Kazooie can perform. New moves are learned from Jam Jars, the brother of Bottles, who is a military mole. There are a lot of new moves. Banjo learns to (finally) grab onto ledges and pull himself up. Kazooie can perform the Bill Drill, a super-powered Beak Buster, which can obliterate rocks. 

Some of the moves are character specific since Banjo and Kazooie can now separate. For example, Banjo can fit into his own backpack and Kazooie can fly around on her own. Separating is handled well, much like the Fly Pads, or any other Pad. The separating pads are usually located in convenient spots so you don’t have to cross half a level just to complete a task. Remember trying to get each friggin’ Jinjo again and again? It’s in the past now. Once you’ve rescued a Jinjo (and you save your game), it stays rescued! Ditto for musical notes.

The most startling difference from its predecessor is the first person shooter sections. For gamers that experienced Goldeneye and Perfect Dark (both Rare games), getting into the groove is no problem, the controls are much the same. The newbie gamer may be left behind. During the FPS sections Banjo holds Kazooie like a gun, and instead of firing bullets Kazooie shoots eggs. There are different types of eggs to get, including a fire egg that provides some neat lighting effects in dark areas these eggs can also be used outside the FPS levels). The FPS sections aren’t difficult but it provides a little break from the usual.

Since Banjo-Tooie falls into the adventure genre, puzzles abound and most are very well executed. A lot of the puzzles require player switching. For example: in Mayahem Temple you must get control of Mumbo then head down the hill to a buried gold statue where Mumbo can employ a powerful spell to resurrect the gold man. Once the giant gold man has been activated you get to control him for a limited time. His moves are limited, jump and kick, but he’s essential to accessing other areas of the level. It’s all about teamwork! Also present is the chance to be transformed courtesy of Humba Wumba, a new female character and bodacious shaman on the Isle o’ Hags. The transformations range from wild to crazy. My favorite is the Daddy Rex. Make sure you’ve got your sound system cranked to get the most out of the roar.

SCORING

GRAPHICS: 7.5  The graphics are a minor improvement from the previous entry, which for the time was very well done. Still a few visible flaws, and the tendency to air-hump ledges and walls kicks the score down at least a point.

AUDIO: 8.5  The classic noises and music are just as amusing as ever, though not many improvements were made. Then again, why fix something that isn't broken?

GAMEPLAY: 9.0  Gameplay has definitely seen some improvement between entries. The vast array of moves would be enough for many players, but the inclusion of new egg types and even the ability to individually control Banjo, Kazooie, and even Mumbo adds so much more to the mix.

MULTIPLAYER/ONLINE PLAY: 8.5  No, the multiplayer isn't exceptional, but it is enough to be entertaining for a little while. After a small push from fans to include some type of multiplayer mode, Rare delivered. But, it will never amount to much more than an appeasements to fans.

DIFFICULTY: 9.0  In terms of collection, Tooie is not quite as lengthy as its predecessor. The baddies are the same for the most part, too. Probably the difference-maker keeping Tooie afloat from a comparitive perspective is the addition of boss battles, something Banjo Kazooie did not have (excluding the final fight). Overall, though, Tooie just isn't quite as difficult as the first installment.

MISCELLANEOUS: 9.0  No real changes or improvements on the original in terms of glitches and malfunctions. By no means do they make Tooie a worse game...if anything they make it more enjoyable. I mean, who doesn't love getting stuck to a wall like glue in midair? I know I do.


OVERALL 8.7

Overall, Banjo Tooie is a slight improvement on an already stellar game. From gameplay to collection, the Banjo series rivals and even surpasses Mario 64 in some cases. Rare definitely came to play with both of these entries, although it more than flopped in the Nuts and Bolts entry for the 360. Despite the competition for platformers at the time of its release, Tooie was still able to shine all the while bringing gamers like myself back for more even 12 years later.

Cullination Royalty: Funky Kong Part 1

I'm back!  I hope you all enjoyed Joe's take on Royalty for the week (I needed the break) But now the original writer of Royalty is back and going to kick some butt!

FUNKY KONG: PART 1

Funky Kong (obviously) is a member of the Donkey Kong family!  He first appeared in the game Donkey Kong Country in 1994.  Since then he hasn't done very much.  That fact is an outrage!  Sure, he appears in a bunch of other games but is usually just in the background or has a small part.  

In most games that Funky Kong appears in he invents gadgets to help the player out.  He is even the brains behind Diddy Kong's peanut shooter. 

"You're welcome, Diddy.  Did you even say thank you?"
-Funky Kong

Funky Kong is the only Kong that matches Donkey Kong's strength and abilities.  So while the famous ape known shortly as DK is appearing in fighting games, sports games, his own games, and party games, what does Funky Kong get?  He gets to appear in the background of Mario Kart games and Mario Super Sluggers.  Why is he in the background?  Funky Kong deserves a lot more!

I dream of a world where every man, woman, and monkey can be treated equally!  I am not a number! I am a free man!  

Thank you...

Come back on Tuesday as Funky Kong's Royalty continues!

Super Smash Strategies #2: Link

SUPER SMASH STRATEGIES #2: LINK

GAMES FROM: The Legend of Zelda

HOW TO UNLOCK

Starting character.

INTRODUCTION

Link has had a career in the video game world since 1986 (appearing in the first Legend of Zelda game).  Since  his debut, Link has become a household name.  Everyone knows who this green wearing, sword wielding, elf-like ears man (or boy) is.  The character has become so popular that Nintendo has never stopped making The Legend of Zelda games and every Zelda game is both a challenge and entertaining game all the way through.  In the Super Smash Bros. games, Link has been a playable character in all three of the games.  Many people love to select him as a character of choice, as others try to avoid him for obvious reasons.

MOVES

STANDARD ATTACKS

SMASH ATTACKS

THROWS (all of which applied after a grab is applied) 

AIR ATTACKS (all of which applied while in the air)

SPECIALS

STATISTICS

PROS AND CONS

PROS:

Unlike most characters, Link is a good choice if you want a character that has powerful attacks with up close combat as well as strong projectiles.

Using the grappling hook as his weapon to grab causes him to have a longer reach for grabbing than others.

Final Smash is almost an instant kill.

CONS:

Link has very poor jumping and double jump ability.

Certainly not the quickest character with running or attacks.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

STRENGTHS:

Bowser and King Dedede are very slow characters but strong up close.  Use a lot of Link's many projectile attacks.

Link could easily avoid Donkey Kong's ground hammer attack with a projectile.  With close combat, Link is also slightly faster than Donkey Kong.  Just avoid his charge punch.

Pokemon Trainer's three pokemon all have about the same speed as Link with up close combat.  However, there are a few moves that Pokemon Trainer does that are slower than Link.  While Charizard is doing his rock smash attack, just hit him with a projectile or slice him before he does it (since it takes a few seconds for Charizard to do this move).  Ivysaur could spam with his vine whip up close.  Fortunately, this move also moves his enemy which leaves the door wide open to slice him or hit him with a projectile.  While fighting Pokemon Trainer, Squirtle is the one you need to watch out for.

With up close combat, Link is quicker and more powerful than Peach and the Ice Climbers.  In addition, Peach and Ice Climbers also pushes their enemies out of the way while up close, which means Link has time to retaliate with a projectile.  While fighting either Peach or the Ice Climbers in the air or far away, Link can also kick their ass.

Link is better than Ganondorf (irony?)  Link obviously beats Ganon with speed, which is a huge advantage.  Another huge advantage is that Ganon doesn't have projectiles which means Link could stay away from him and destroy him!

Wario is slower than Link and also has no projectiles.  Just watch out for his chomp attack.

With Lucario's slow jumps, it is difficult for Lucario to avoid Link's projectiles.  This also goes for Pikachu.  Not for him being slow, because Pikachu is kind of quick, but because Pikachu is only a threat up close.

WEAKNESSES:

Kirby and Jigglypuff may not have stronger attacks up close but they are quicker.  With Kirby's and Jigglypuff's floating, they could easily avoid Link's projectile's.  Another disadvantage is their size.  Because Kirby and Jigglypuff are so small, they could avoid some of Link's projectiles just by standing there.

Fox's speed is a huge disadvantage for Link.  Link would be lucky to get an attack on Fox.  You have to time every attack perfectly if you want to beat Fox.  Link could use more projectiles against Fox, but with his deflector move, attacks would bounce back and hit Link.

Diddy Kong is quicker up close and could easily spam his enemies.  Link could try to just shoot projectiles at him, but Diddy also has a decent projectile move with his peanut shooter.  Try more hit and run moves against Diddy.

Zelda is stronger than Link.  Why doesn't she just save herself?  She is definitely seeking attention.  Zelda's projectile is a powerful move, plus she can control it while Link cannot control any of his projectiles.  Up close combat, Zelda is also quicker and a bit more powerful.  Use Link's Low Slash move to sweep her off her feet.  We know Zelda would just love that!

Sheik is also quicker up close than Link is and could also spam.  She has an okay projectile move, but the problem with it is that you can barely see it and with Link's poor jumping it makes it difficult to avoid it.

Ike is a little bit quicker and stronger than Link is up close plus he has a longer sword, which means he has a longer range for attacks.  Link could try to use projectiles against him, but Ike could quickly get up close to him again and start pummeling Link.

Link has an advantage with Snake up close.  However, with Snake's projectiles and explosions it makes him a threat to Link.  In addition, Snake has moves up close that pushes his enemies away from him.  This means that Snake has the opportunity to unleash on Link with his many range attacks.

Ness doesn't have a very strong projectile move, but he can control it.  Up close, Ness is quicker than Link. What makes Ness a threat to Link is his PK Fire move with his baseball bat combo.  

TIPS

Don't use Link's spin attack too often.  When he uses it and doesn't hit anyone, it leaves Link very vulnerable to his enemy's attacks.

Master the Ending Blow move and Axe Slash move.  From personal experience, these two moves help me out a great deal when I use Link.

If an enemy is avoiding you and being a coward, just jump up and use your Gale Boomerang to lure them in.  When they get up close just slice them.

Grab an enemy and throw them in the air.  Then jump up and use Upward Thrust.

If you want to fight an enemy in the air just use Link's low slash move and watch them go flying.

Cullination Royalty: Cyrus Part 3

WELCOME TO THE THIRD AND FINAL PART OF CYRUS' ROYALTY!

PART 3: A SUGGESTED GAME OR STORY TO MAKE THEM MORE POPULAR

STORY

In the games Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, Cyrus and team Galactic attempts to destroy the universe in order to create a perfect world. I mentioned in the first two segments this week that none of the other Pokemon criminal syndicates could even come close in terms of their plots or their execution. Wouldn't it be an AWESOME game if the player could control and command Cyrus and Team Galactic in a battle for supremacy among the other criminals in the Pokemon universe? We think so.

GAMEPLAY

The player would be in control of Cyrus during the game they want to control. Then, similar to other Pokemon games, an adventure would ensue, and the player would have to thwart the enemy teams' plans along the way (such as Team Magma, Aqua, and Rocket). 

Cyrus would have to give orders to his minions, raise his own Pokemon, and eventually battle the other leaders, Giovanni, Archie, and Maxie. Perhaps even gym battles could be involved, so that Cyrus can take control of entire regions at a time.

The other criminal teams would not stand for this, however, and have their own plots to conquer the world. Team Magma wants to once again reawaken Groudon to shower the land in volcanic ash, while Team Aqua wants to flood the land with Kyogre's unrelenting rain. Team Rocket seeks to monopolize the world's economy and take over with Giovanni as the supreme dictator. Cyrus, of course, wants not only to thwart their plans, but to awaken the legendary dragons to remove the "evil" from the world.

 Along the way of Cyrus' journey, the player will have to capture the legendary Pokemon of the lakes (while temporarily controlling Team Galactic Admins like in the storyline of Diamond and Pearl) and even raid the hideouts of the rival teams.

Towards the end of the game, after defeating all of the other teams' bosses, they would each awaken their respective legendary Pokemon. The player would then have to go on a side quest to awaken their own legendary in order to do battle. After having defeated all of the other criminal syndicates, your team Galactic would have the ultimate power to create your coveted new world!

After being barely defeated the first time (by the player in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum), Cyrus is determined, and will finally unleash the true power his character holds. Never again will he be doubted, underestimated, or taken for granted. Cyrus reigns surpeme.

Shawn will be taking the reigns back on his masterpiece for next week. I have really enjoyed this experience being Shawn for a week and authoring the Royalty segment. It has been a lot of fun, and I actually learned quite a bit. Hope everyone enjoyed my take on Royalty this week!

Well everyone, that does it for Cyrus' week of Royalty! Check back on Sunday for the start of Week 6 and the unveiling of who will take the Cullination Crown next!