Challenger Approaching: Lone Survivor

Long ago, the world was nothing more than an endless sea cloaked in a boundless sky, reaching as far as could possibly be imagined. Then two great titans came into existence. The Bionis and the Mechonis. The titans were locked in a timeless battle. Until at last, only their lifeless corpses remained. Eons have passed. Now, our world, this vast land stretching across the remains of the Bionis, is under attack by a relentless force known as Challenger Approaching!

Welcome to another round of Challenger Approaching. The only TAY series that looks at potential additions to the Smash Bros roster. The opening paragraph was a dead give away, but let’s take a look at…

Name: Shulk

Notable Appearance: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii, 2012)

Bio: Shulk may not be a classic Nintendo hero or one who is easily recognisable by the masses, but his background makes him the perfect candidate for the Super Smash Bros series. Though Xenoblade Chronicles found to Japan as early as 2010, it took an entire fan campaign to get the game released in Europe and North America. Unfortunately the game was a GameStop exclusive and it didn’t circulate long before it was gone. It currently sits as the second most valuable stand alone Wii title to date (just behind Metroid Prime Trilogy). Shulk himself has quite the back story. Shulk is the lone survivor of an expedition to find the legendary Monado, a mythical sword said to be used by the gods. Shulk’s current residence, Colony 9, is attacked by the ruthless Mechon and he must use the Monado to defend his home. You should really play the game if you have the chance. It’s easily one of the Wii’s best titles.

Attack Plan: See that huge glowing sword Shulk is wielding? I think he should use that. Though some characters in the Smash Bros universe are handling some large weaponry it’s hard to beat a sword like the Monado. The legendary blade actually gives the one wielding it the power of foresight. I’m not sure how that could come into play, but it would be fun to see. Prehaps Nintendo could give Shulk the ability to slow down other opponents so he could avoid or sabotage their onslaught . Or maybe they could just give him some fantastic counter attacks (much like Marth, Roy, Ike and Lucario). Shulk has a wonderful list of maneuvers and attacks to choose from including – Back Slash, Stream Edge, Shadow Eye, Turn Strike, and many more. Shulk is a valiant fighter and he would be the perfect fit for a game like Super Smash Bros.

Odds of Being Added: 6/10

Though Xenoblade was a Nintendo exclusive the developers behind it, Monolith Soft, don’t make titles exclusively for Nintendo platforms. Not that this is a huge issue, obviously Sonic and Snake have been on other consoles, but Monolith Soft would have to give Nintendo the “ok” to include Shulk. That being said, Xenoblade was a huge hit with critics and players alike, so including him as a challenger might be a smart move.

Want to yell at me for picking a undeserved character or suggest one that I havent featured yet? Post in the comments below or hit up my twitter! I love feedback.