Yesterday I listed off five new Pokémon that would be really radical to see in the new pair of Super Smash Bros. games, and y'know, once I get going on Smash Bros. there ain't no stopping me! Today I've traveled through the depths of time and the heart of seasons to bring to you five brand spankin' new warriors from the Legend of Zelda franchise. May they serve you well!
5. Dark Link
Dark Link technically showed up in both Super Smash Bros. Melee and its sequel Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In the first instance he was more accurate to his portrayals in games up to that point, but he wasn't a playable character and only appeared as an adversary of Link's in one of the more gruelling Event Matches. In the latter he appeared as an alternate costume for Link (along with a chibi version as an alternate for Toon Link), but didn't really look or feel much like himself. That's kind of a shame, because Dark Link is a lot more than an evil doppelganger. In fact, in his most iconic appearance to date in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Dark Link was hardly like Link at all. He had a shadow version of the Master Sword and could mimic all of Link's sword attacks, but he lacked any of the Hero of Time's unique arsenal. In the stead of boomerangs and Deku nuts he can materialize and dematerialize at will, and his athleticism seems to make Link look like a teetering toddler. He's skilled at immobilizing enemies by locking their attacks and quickly countering, and I think this combination of shadow magic and almost condescending, reactive swordplay has the potential to make Dark Link a truly cool character, and one who isn't just a simple clone.
4. Tingle
Tingle is the bizarre little fairy-man introduced as the high-flying map salesman in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Tingle is kind of the Zelda series' answer to Wario, being quite ugly, quite weird, and quite greedy. His solo excursions (oh yeah, did I mention he has his own franchise?) focus on the acquisition of either wealth or women, often at the sacrifice of former friends or Tingle's own reputation. He's a weird individual who believes that he is, in fact, a fairy, despite the fact that faeries in the Zelda world are tiny. The majority of fans are really torn on this character; either you love him, or you hate him. I think he fits the Smash aesthetic quite well, and his character is probably more suited to a number of Wario's strange attacks (as I feel that Wario should be taken a little more seriously than he has been). I also believe that, again like Wario, Tingle should represent his own spin-off franchise, with his series icon being the recognizable Rupee.
3. Phantom Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS (a game which is already getting a stage, complete with its specific incarnation of Link) Princess Zelda is actually straight up murdered! Don't worry though, because she returns as a ghost who accompanies the young Link on his journey. In this form, Zelda is able to possess temple guardians known as Phantoms--living suits of armor that trample dreams and carve a path of destruction to your nightmares. There are actually several types of Phantom which Zelda can inhabit, and each one offers a unique ability, such as teleporting or throwing fire. This gives her quite an arsenal to work with if a specific Smash Phantom is designed, something which is far from out of the question. A second incarnation of Zelda is long overdue, and I would be pretty thrilled if this more memorable, more active Princess was chosen for the role. Of course, she's not the only unique Zelda in recent memory...
2. Tetra
Meet Tetra, reincarnated Princess Zelda and great-grandmother to Phantom Zelda up there and perhaps the most unique version of the character to date. Unlike the others, this character's literal name is "Tetra", despite being a reborn Zelda spirit. She was supposedly set to show up in Brawl and is commonly thought to have been part of a Toon Zelda/Tetra team similar to Zelda/Sheik, and that's just how most fans like it! I'm here to say that I don't like that. Tetra is a powerful enough character to stand without her Zelda alter ego, which she originally detests. The character's immediate and lasting appeal, coupled with the upcoming Wiimake of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, makes her a prime candidate for a Smashing good time!
1. Ganon
Ganondorf is one slick badass, and his Ocarina of Time incarnation happens to be one of my all time favorite villains, but before he was born as a human to the Gerudo tribe, Ganon was a demon of only one form. While he has taken alternate looks in more recent years (often forms which had some relation to his appearance as Ganondorf), the Dark Lord has most frequently appeared as this menacing monster. While not too threatening on the surface (or in goofy 90's art), it doesn't take much imagining to realize what kind of a tyrant this beast really is. At his smallest he's as large as Bowser, and twice as tough. This unique, boar-like boss quickly climbed the ranks of my most-wanted Zelda characters. He's got an early Nintendo aesthetic, something I can never turn down, and there's a lot of potential for a cool and unusual move pool. This boorish brute's debut is long overdue, and with the direct sequel to A Link to the Past right around the corner, now is the perfect time to show off just what he's got.
5. Dark Link
Dark Link technically showed up in both Super Smash Bros. Melee and its sequel Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In the first instance he was more accurate to his portrayals in games up to that point, but he wasn't a playable character and only appeared as an adversary of Link's in one of the more gruelling Event Matches. In the latter he appeared as an alternate costume for Link (along with a chibi version as an alternate for Toon Link), but didn't really look or feel much like himself. That's kind of a shame, because Dark Link is a lot more than an evil doppelganger. In fact, in his most iconic appearance to date in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Dark Link was hardly like Link at all. He had a shadow version of the Master Sword and could mimic all of Link's sword attacks, but he lacked any of the Hero of Time's unique arsenal. In the stead of boomerangs and Deku nuts he can materialize and dematerialize at will, and his athleticism seems to make Link look like a teetering toddler. He's skilled at immobilizing enemies by locking their attacks and quickly countering, and I think this combination of shadow magic and almost condescending, reactive swordplay has the potential to make Dark Link a truly cool character, and one who isn't just a simple clone.
4. Tingle
Tingle is the bizarre little fairy-man introduced as the high-flying map salesman in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Tingle is kind of the Zelda series' answer to Wario, being quite ugly, quite weird, and quite greedy. His solo excursions (oh yeah, did I mention he has his own franchise?) focus on the acquisition of either wealth or women, often at the sacrifice of former friends or Tingle's own reputation. He's a weird individual who believes that he is, in fact, a fairy, despite the fact that faeries in the Zelda world are tiny. The majority of fans are really torn on this character; either you love him, or you hate him. I think he fits the Smash aesthetic quite well, and his character is probably more suited to a number of Wario's strange attacks (as I feel that Wario should be taken a little more seriously than he has been). I also believe that, again like Wario, Tingle should represent his own spin-off franchise, with his series icon being the recognizable Rupee.
3. Phantom Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS (a game which is already getting a stage, complete with its specific incarnation of Link) Princess Zelda is actually straight up murdered! Don't worry though, because she returns as a ghost who accompanies the young Link on his journey. In this form, Zelda is able to possess temple guardians known as Phantoms--living suits of armor that trample dreams and carve a path of destruction to your nightmares. There are actually several types of Phantom which Zelda can inhabit, and each one offers a unique ability, such as teleporting or throwing fire. This gives her quite an arsenal to work with if a specific Smash Phantom is designed, something which is far from out of the question. A second incarnation of Zelda is long overdue, and I would be pretty thrilled if this more memorable, more active Princess was chosen for the role. Of course, she's not the only unique Zelda in recent memory...
2. Tetra
Meet Tetra, reincarnated Princess Zelda and great-grandmother to Phantom Zelda up there and perhaps the most unique version of the character to date. Unlike the others, this character's literal name is "Tetra", despite being a reborn Zelda spirit. She was supposedly set to show up in Brawl and is commonly thought to have been part of a Toon Zelda/Tetra team similar to Zelda/Sheik, and that's just how most fans like it! I'm here to say that I don't like that. Tetra is a powerful enough character to stand without her Zelda alter ego, which she originally detests. The character's immediate and lasting appeal, coupled with the upcoming Wiimake of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, makes her a prime candidate for a Smashing good time!
1. Ganon
Ganondorf is one slick badass, and his Ocarina of Time incarnation happens to be one of my all time favorite villains, but before he was born as a human to the Gerudo tribe, Ganon was a demon of only one form. While he has taken alternate looks in more recent years (often forms which had some relation to his appearance as Ganondorf), the Dark Lord has most frequently appeared as this menacing monster. While not too threatening on the surface (or in goofy 90's art), it doesn't take much imagining to realize what kind of a tyrant this beast really is. At his smallest he's as large as Bowser, and twice as tough. This unique, boar-like boss quickly climbed the ranks of my most-wanted Zelda characters. He's got an early Nintendo aesthetic, something I can never turn down, and there's a lot of potential for a cool and unusual move pool. This boorish brute's debut is long overdue, and with the direct sequel to A Link to the Past right around the corner, now is the perfect time to show off just what he's got.
