Super Smash Bros. Brawl Character Guides: King Dedede

Overview

Perhaps one of the most unusual characters in a Super Smash Bros. game, King Dedede is a slow but powerful heavyweight with some very interesting abilities. He has arguably the best recovery of any heavyweight in the game, his knockback is incredible, and the range of his melee manuevers is very impressive. He's also got a great projectile move, although the range is limited, and his aerial combat is actually nice for a heavyweight, which is definitely a rarity. Couple that with the fact that very few people seriously play as him, and your opponents won't be able to predict your playing style as well as they could against some other frequently played heavyweight characters, like Ike.

Now, even though he's a powerhouse of a character, he suffers from the curse of all heavyweights: terrible, terrible speed. If you want to use someone that can knock out other players with relative ease, you've got to sacrifice something, and Dedede's no exception. His running speed is just awful, a lot of his moves have atrocious ending or start-up lag, plenty of his moves are predictable, and he's a huge target. If someone's throwing an item at him, unless you're really quick with your air dodges or lucky with Inhale, it's going to hit him.

Ground Moves (Neutral and Tilts):

Neutral A: 6% damage on the first hit, 5% damage on the second hit, potentially 14% damage for subsequent hits.

This combo only targets the area directly in front of Dedede. The range of the first hit is minor, the second hit reaches further, and the third and consecutive hits go even further. This is a great, low-lag move that Dedede players should use frequently when fighting up-close. The damage for a completed combo is roughly 25%, and all you need to do is connect with an "A, A, A..." combo. This alone should provide proof of how powerful Dedede is in the hands of a competent player. There's virtually no lag when performing the first two hits, but the drill effect of the third hit has about a second's worth of lag if you miss with it. Use this move wisely, and it'll help you with racking up damage like crazy.

Forward A (Tilt): 4%-6% damage.

This is your "poke" move. The damage might not be amazing, but the sheer range of this move is insane. It extends only directly in front of Dedede, but it's perfect for outranging just about every other character's moves, including Ike's monstrous forward smash! When you need something to create some distance or interrupt your opponent's move while adding on damage, this is the move to rely on. It's probably the safest move that Dedede has at his disposal (except for his forward-B) since it keeps you at a safe range while picking away at your opponent's health.

Down A (Tilt): Roughly 10% damage.

This is, by far, one of Dedede's quickest moves and a really great way to start a combo. It comes out very quickly, has next to no lag, and can even be used as a knockout move against opponents whose damage percentages are in the mid-100s. In addition to being one of his quickest and safest moves, it also has a chance to trip an enemy while dealing damage instead of knocking them away, similarly to what a banana peel does to a character. That means that you shouldn't always rely on this move for your knockouts...not that you'd need to when he's got so many other powerful moves, anyway.

Up A (Tilt): Roughly 12% damage.

Dedede's Upward A move is, plain and simple, a headbutt straight upward. It's difficult to land this move against anyone on the ground, but for repelling characters attacking from above, it's just brutal. It comes out quick, has almost no ending lag at all, and actually has tremendous knockout potential. It has two flaws, though: one, the range on it is seriously lacking and the move comes out lightning quick. That means that you need to really gauge how your opponent is coming down and get your timing right, otherwise you'll attack too early and miss or attack too late, and get hit by their Downward A Aerial. The second flaw is that, for a ground move, it isn't very useful to use on characters that are on the ground. It's like a SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile Launcher). Very potent when used against flying enemies, but virtually worthless when they're standing right in front of you.

Aerial Moves:

Aerial Neutral A: Roughly 7 % damage.

Dedede's neutral aerial is a fast, relatively weak attack with fair knockout potential. It's not one of his greatest moves, but can be useful for clearing the area quickly if you're in a panic. The range of the move is pretty pathetic, though, so it's probably not something you're going to rely on too much. Plus, even though it's a body splash, it's a terrible move to use on grounded opponents. Tell me how that makes sense!

Aeriel Forward A: Roughly 15% damage.

This is your aerial knockout move. It's fast, has great knockback, has really good range. The attack doesn't exactly extend really far in front of Dedede, but it covers beneath him, in front of him, and even slightly above him. Couple that with the fact that almost all the rest of his aerial moves focus on racking up damage, not scoring knockouts, and you've got one of the best situational moves in his repertoire.

Aerial Backward A: Roughly 9% damage.

This move just isn't that great. Sure, the knockback can be pretty good if your opponent has already taken quite a lot of damage, but the range is just terrible. He throws a kick directly behind him, but it won't hit characters slightly above or below him. It's fast and a quick way to repel characters that are sneaking up behind you if you can't face them in time, but nothing you'll want to rely on too heavily.

Aerial Down A: 3%-12% damage.

When Dedede is coming back down to the stage, he's a massive target. Unless you're really, REALLY good with your air dodges, you're probably going to be up-smashed or up-tilted if you're landing right where an opponent is. Therefore, you want to give your opponent a reason to run, rather than try to dodge what they're throwing. Dedede's down aerial does just that. He extends his hammer beneath him, a bit outside of his hit box, and spins it like a drill for roughly 12% damage if all of the hits connect. If using it, though, get your timing down. You don't want to initiate it too early, have your opponent dodge, then land on the ground a little lagged out and begging for a forward smash. The wisest thing to do would be to land away from waiting opponents, like all characters should. But if that's not an option, use this instead.

Aerial Up A: 3%-19% damage.

Dedede's up A aerial is very similar to his down A aerial. While not able to cause much knockback at all unless you get a lot of hits from it, the amount of damage you can deal from a full combo of it is just ridiculous. 19% damage from a single aerial move that doesn't require a sweetspot is incredible, so make sure to use this move whenever you can. Remember, too, that Dedede can jump in the air four times. That means that you can jump up to meet an enemy, use this move, jump again, use this move, and repeatedly do so to keep comboing them before they even reach the ground! Dedede's ground game might be somewhat slow (though powerful), but his air game is where you can easily rack up excessive amounts of damage.

Smash Attacks:

Here's the part you've all been waiting for...

Forward Smash: 24%-33% damage if you land a good shot.

Holy... Look at that damage. This is the single most powerful move at Dedede's disposal. Yes, even more powerful than a fully charged Jet Hammer. The damage is just insane, the knockback's enough to kill light characters on a small stage in one hit even if they have 0% damage if the smash is fully charged, and the range is way out in front of him. The drawback, of course, is speed. While very, very powerful, everyone will know when you're going to use it. In a two-player match, you'll be lucky to ever connect with it, but where it really shines is in multiplayer. Anticipate when your opponents are going to come near you or be knocked toward you, and send them rocketing in the other direction. His forward smash is very effective in certain kinds of matches and you'll score a lot of knockouts with it, but you need to remember this always: No matter how tempting it is...DO NOT ABUSE IT. If your strategy only consists of using his forward smash and Jet Hammer, you're going to be very predictable and easy to beat. It's the people who use every skill at a character's disposal that are the most challenging, since their opponents can't anticipate what they'll use next. I can't stress this enough: Yes, it's a strong move, but don't get hooked on it.

Down Smash: 15% base damage -21% fully charged.

Dedede's down smash is lacking the power of his forward smash, but remains a very useful tool for Dedede players. The real benefit of this move is how quickly it comes out. It's difficult to dodge it at close range because there's almost no indication that it's coming. However, as nice as the damage, knockback, and speed of it is, it's got some pretty bad ending lag. At least it hits both to the left and right of Dedede. Technically it can be used to score some knockouts at fairly high percentages, but it works much better as a setup move for an aerial knockout or a way to clear the area of opponents quickly.

Up Smash: 14% base damage - 19% fully charged.

The damage is the lowest of all of his smash attacks. If you miss with it, it has a terrible ending delay. The knockback is okay, but nowhere near as great as his forward smash's. And yet, despite all of this, Dedede's up smash is arguably his best and most useful smash attack. The range of the move is INCREDIBLE, it comes out quickly when it isn't charged, sets opponents up perfectly for aerial juggling, and can strike people through low platforms! This is an all-around great move, but make sure not to whiff with it. If there's one thing that murders heavyweight characters, it's missed moves, because it's so easy to punish them when they're helpless...

Special Moves

Neutral B: Inhale - 10% damage when spit out, 16% damage if struck by a spit-out opponent.

If you need a move that will create some distance between you and your opponent, a well-timed Inhale will do just the trick. Inhale has a range that extends only directly in front of Dedede, and sucks a single enemy or item into his mouth. Pressing the B button again makes him spit out the enemy a fair distance, which deals 10% damage. If they collide with another enemy, though, the struck enemy takes 16% damage and the knockback can actually be pretty impressive if their damage was already fairly high. The move is also very useful for item control. Say a home run bat pops up on the stage when you're so close to knocking out some lightweight. Why bother picking it up and throwing it, when they could catch it and toss it back at you faster than you can react? Inhale it, and it's no longer a problem for anyone! I'm not going to talk about Dedede-cide, though. It's just too cheap for words.

Forward B: Waddle Dee Toss - Damage varies! Let me break it down for you...

Thrown Waddle Dee: 5% damage.

Waddle Dee, jumping or rolling and hitting someone: 8% damage.

Thrown Waddle Doo: 5% damage.

Waddle Doo's beam attack: Anywhere from 3%-31% damage if hit up close!

Thrown Gordo: 22% damage!

This move is the bane of every Super Smash Bros. Brawl player. It's so easily spammed, gives a heavyweight character a ranged move with potentially deadly knockback, and makes the battlefield hazardous. Truly, there are few more annoying moves than Diddy's Banana Peel, but this one manages to frustrate players with ease. The range on it isn't great, but it's perfect for stunning enemies that you don't want to close the gap. Remember, Dedede works best at mid-range, so use Waddle Dee Toss to get into that position.

Good opportunities to use this move include:

- When you're playing a Super Smash Bros. Brawl match as King Dedede.
- ANYTIME.

I can't really say anything bad about this move, either. It's useful for dealing damage, getting extra range on your attacks, stunning already attacking enemies, and just littering the whole area with little aggravations, plus giving you a chance to produce a capsule that could contain items instead. And get this, if a Waddle Dee or Doo is reflected by a move or badge, that Waddle Dee or Doo can't hurt you! Gordos, however, can be reflected back at you for an insane amount of damage... However, few other projectiles can make that claim...

Even in Sudden Death, a thrown minion is capable of knockouts from a single hit. They're perfect shields, too, able to absorb even spamming blaster attacks from Fox. Truly, there is no more useful a move in Dedede's repetoire than this, so use it and use it OFTEN.

Down B: Jet Hammer - 11-31% damage and extreme knockback.

The Jet Hammer is very similar to his Forward Smash, except a bit more versatile and time-consuming. Charging it for too long will cause you to take damage, everyone can see it (and hear it) coming a mile away, and it has a rather tiny hitbox. The perk of using this move, though, is the sheer power that's behind it... Fully charged, the knockback and damage of this single move is nightmarish. If you land with it, you're guaranteed to deal an insane amount of damage and potentially a knockout if your opponent was already fairly damaged.

Even though this move can be interrupted easily by any kind of attack, ESPECIALLY ranged attacks, it excels at creating a gap between you and your opponent. No one wants to get near a Dedede with a fully-charged Jet Hammer, because it's practically suicidal. The move comes out incredibly quick after a long charging period, making it that much more difficult to dodge. Also, unlike many other very powerful potentially OHKO (One-Hit Knock Out) moves, Dedede can move around while charging it, even jumping to hit characters that are coming back down to the stage! Use this move whenever you see an opportunity to, but if there's any distance between you and your opponent and they use ranged moves, don't bother...

Up B: Super Dedede Jump - 11-15% if near or under Dedede when he lands, 5% if hit by a star.

Besides his floating "jumps", this will be your main method of recovery as Dedede. It doubles as an offensive move, but I just don't think it's quite as useful as some claim it to be. The damage is fair for a somewhat easy-to-land Up B move, but it leaves you far too open to reprisal if you miss with it, plus long-ranged up smashes can destroy you when you're getting ready to land.

Now, I've seen a lot of people get killed while trying to recover with this move, so here are a few need-to-know facts about the Super Dedede Jump:

- While rising up or coming down from the Super Dedede Jump, you cannot grab onto ledges. You need to cancel out of the move with the down button before you can grab them again.

- When you initiate the Super Dedede Jump, you can't change the direction that you'll jump in. If you aim it straight up, you'll only go straight up, no matter what you press after that. To avoid this, make sure that you're moving in the direction you want to land BEFORE activating your Up B.

Hopefully that'll help all of you Dedede players recover a bit better. Just remember that you've GOT to press down on the control pad to cancel out of your Super Dedede Jump if you're trying to grab a ledge!

Final Smash - Waddle Dee Army

This final smash is, by far, one of the absolute best ones in the game. You can use it anywhere, at any time, even if you're almost completely falling off the screen. Dedede will literally stop in mid-air just to dance around and call forth his minions. Dedede is invincible when using this move, he summons Waddle Dees, Waddle Doos, and Gordos. Even if the Dees and Doos don't deal very much damage, they fly past the screen so fast that people are often swept off the screen with them. Naturally, this move is most useful on small stages where it's harder to escape all the enemies, but its ability to rack up damage quickly on larger stages without knockouts is very nice in stock matches.

Conclusion

Dedede is a powerful character when used correctly, but works best when he's used at a middle range. Get too close and you'll just constantly be juggled by smaller, faster character. Keep too much of a distance, and you won't be able to land your powerhouse blows and projectiles will come flying your way faster than you can throw Waddle Dees at them. Get in close enough to land your strong attacks, but not enough to be hit back frequently. Take advantage of their lag and the sheer reach of your moves, but try not to use moves that leave yourself too open.

I hope this guide's been helpful to you, and good luck dominating the competition with an oversized penguin.

Tourney Results and Game Night Rescheduling!

Rock Band 2 Tournament Results

Thanks to everyone who came out to compete in our Rock Band 2 and Halo 3 tournaments! You guys are awesome beyond what words can describe. Anyway, I know why you're here... You want to know the rankings, don't you? Of course you do.


Many bands competed for the gaming gold, but only one could win. We witnessed the debut of some powerful vocalists, hardcore drummers, and extremely skilled guitarists and bassists alike. These people poured their heart and soul into delivering the most awesome shows of skill and charmisa they possibly could...but ultimately, there could be only one winner. There may be others in the future, but this time, the band that topped the competition was none other than...

NEW GENERATION

These jean-clad, t-shirt wearing rockers delivered powerhouse performances of "Aqualung" by Jethro Tull, "Alive" by Pearl Jam, and finished with the difficult "And Justice for All" by Metallica! It was just the right combination of different song genres, and they rocked the stage while getting really high percentages. That's how Rock Band's done, guys, so great work!

Each competing band played three songs, but only their top scores will be compared to determine the order of their band rankings on the leaderboard. I'll put up an official leaderboard for it soon, but here are the high score standings for the four bands that participated, out of a possible 500 points:

1. New Generation - 426 points

2. Purple - 408 points

3. Quantum Physics - 359 points

4. Metal Nights - 358 points

Halo 3 Tournament Results

The Halo 3 results are still being worked out, but I'll have them up soon. I need to work some things out with that tournament's coordinator before I can assign points, but rest assured that we'll have an individual leaderboard for that game, too!

Game Night Rescheduling

This Friday, December 26, the Cape May County Library is closing early! Therefore, we're going to hold Game Night early too. Game Night will start at 2:00 P.M. and run until 4:00 P.M. that day. So that means that we won't see you until after Christmas... That being the case...

Happy Holidays from your Game Night Crew!

Rock Band 2 Tournament!

Hey, all our devoted gamers!


It's my pleasure to announce our next Game Night tournament, to be held on Saturday, December 20th at 12:00 P.M. until 4:00 P.M.! The game being played, obviously, is Rock Band 2. We'll provide the instruments and songs, you provide the talent. We don't normally state all of the rules and regulations before the event, but we'll make an exception this time.


- You can sign up for it by calling 463-6350 or at the front desk of the Cape May Court House Library. You can also sign up at the event, but try to call ahead.
- In order to compete, you've got to have a 4 person band. A "free agent" sign-up sheet will also be available if you're a solo player that needs to find a band.
- This is a double ranking tournament, meaning that there won't be any prizes... But all competing bands will earn double points for the leaderboard (plus obvious bragging rights). We know who the best players are at Brawl, but who rocks out the most?
- Bands will be scored by a panel of judges (Mike, Chris, and Jesse) on the following things:

• Percentage (NOT score) - Up to 100 points per band member based on percentage of notes hit.


• Stage Performance - Up to 15 points per band member. Chris, Jesse, and Mike will award each band member 1-5 points each for stage presence, energy, and overall enthusiasm, so give us a good show!


• Skill Level - 1 point per band member playing on Easy, 2 points for Medium, 4 points for Hard, and 5 points for Expert.


• Song Tier - Anywhere from 1-5 points depending on the overall Tier Level (difficulty) of the song. (The full list of songs and their tier difficulty can be found here: http://www.rockband.com/music/songs)

So, that means that each band can earn up to 500 points per song! That's SCORE points for the round, not leaderboard ranking points. Depending on the number of bands that sign up, each group will be allowed to play 1-3 songs per round. It's a bracket system again, so bands will be competing against bands. Brutal, but that's the way rock n' roll is...

Call now to sign up for it, either as a group, or freelance. If you sign up by yourself as a free agent, though, you're going to have to find a band that needs you at the event itself or at Game Night. Good luck, and we hope to see you there!

Follow-up! Apparently, one of our frequent Game Night gamers wants to host a Halo 3 tournament on the same day! No prizes again, but we'll apply the double ranking points stipulation to this one, too. If you want to compete, just show up at the Rock Band 2 tournament at 12:00 P.M. and following that, he'll get the Halo 3 tournament underway!

Game Night Cancellation!

Due to the "Wrap with the Staff" program that's scheduled from 2:00 - 8:00 PM on this coming Friday, December 5, we've got to cancel Game Night this week! Sorry again, folks. However, Game Night is still on for the week after that, Friday, December 12! Oh, and we've got a tournament coming up on Saturday, December 20, so stay tuned to Game Night Central for further details.

Thanks for your continued support, and check back soon!

Game Night Rescheduling!

Thanks to you guys and your amazing suggestions, we're going to have a Game Night this week! On Friday, November 28, from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M., we're holding Game Night as usual. I know most of you don't have school that day, so make sure to come early, because the library's closing at 4:30 on Friday! Tell your friends, too, if they don't read Game Night Central.

Oh, yeah! Guitar Hero: World Tour's going to be there, too, so don't miss out!

--Chris.

Game Night Cancellation!

First off, there's no Game Night this Friday, November 19! I'm sorry to disappoint all you hardcore gamers that've been making this little program of ours awesome, but I've got some good news. Even if you can't enjoy Game Night this Friday, Justin the Teen Librarian has arranged a wizard rock concert to be performed by The Moaning Myrtles. They're a Harry Potter-based band, and you're invited to attend FOR FREE! If you're not a teen, though, make sure you've got a parent with you!

Next! National Gaming Day was a huge success, and we want to thank everyone that came out to join us. We worked our way up to the semifinals in the Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament, but AADL (one of the very first gaming libraries with TONS of experience) beat us out. We'll get 'em next time, though... The Rock Band bands were amazing, too! I've submitted the scores to the National Gaming Day Committee, and they should be sending us our rankings as soon as it's all processed. I'll make sure to keep you all posted, so check back here at GNC every so often.

--Chris.

National Gaming Day!

First, there were Game Nights. Then, there were tournaments. And now...we present National Gaming Day!

There's no Game Night this Friday because...this Saturday, November 15, from 11:00 A.M. - 5:30 P.M., we'll be hosting this awesome event that commemorates gaming of all varieties. The creators of this event have a couple of neat things we're going to be able to do on that day, so please come and try your hand at any number of 'em!

- First, Hasbro has supplied all participating libraries with a copy of a board game called "Pictureka!", a puzzle game that's brand new and pretty fun, actually! This year, every library that's taking part in National Gaming Day is trying to get people to give this board game a shot...to break a world record. That's right. We've only got one shot here to have the most number of people play the same board game in a single day, so lend us a hand in making gaming history!

- Next, this is a Game Night event, too! So we're going to have all of our classic consoles running, so feel free to relax and rock out, brawl, race, or snipe to your heart's content.

- Now, since this is a Saturday gaming event, all of you hardcore Game Night veterans know what that means... It's tournament time. We're going to have two tournaments running on Saturday, a Rock Band full band score tournament and an online Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament against OTHER LIBRARIES! That's right. We're selecting our best players and giving them a chance to represent Cape May County Library to wreck the competition! Make sure to try it out, if only for a chance to help us claim the championship.

- This event's going to be pretty long, so we also decided it'd be a good idea to make this a Pizza Party! We'll provide your food and drinks for you, so don't worry about getting hungry and having to leave a match early.

- We'll also be giving out free Magic: The Gathering cards and teaching novice players how to play! Play enough matches, and you'll even get a free PROMO card, provided to us solely for National Gaming Day!

- Plus, we'll have Dungeons & Dragon Starter sets for use so that you can learn yet another fun tabletop game. I kid you not, Saturday is going to be so awesome... I'm glad I'm going to be there, so try to make it if you can!

Seriously, you won't want to miss this. It's the biggest gaming event we've ever held, so stop on by and have some fun!

Halloween Game Night Extravaganza!

Okay, maybe this post's a little over the top, but Game Night just happens to fall on a Halloween this year! So we're teaming up with Justin the Librarian's Teen Halloween Party, and putting Game Night and the party back-to-back. Come for the games, stay for the movies, candy, snacks, and costume contest! I'll just quote what Justin's saying on his blog. And it's not plagiarism because I received his permission to copy it! Remember to stick around after Game Night, because the video games are staying up even during the Halloween Party, plus there'll be all sorts of other cool things going on as well!


Quoted directly from Justin the Librarian:


We've got an evening full of events for you at the library next Friday, as well as a boat load of candy...First up...GAME NIGHT!

From 4:30-6:30 PM we'll be having our Game Night. Come enjoy some Rock Band II, Mario Kart Wii, and more!

Next up...TEEN HALLOWEEN PARTY!

From 6:30-8:30, we'll be holding our first even Teen Halloween Party!

Join us for a scary movie...either Arachnophoia or Young Frankenstein, as well as more video games, free pizza and soda, and TONS OF CANDY

....and finally: COSTUME CONTEST!

Dress up in your best costume for the night, cause we'll be voting on who has the best costume! The winner will receive FOUR FREE TICKETS to the movie theatre in Rio Grande.

GNC Reviews: Final Fantasy VIII

In 1999, Squaresoft, riding on the overwhelming success of its previous roleplaying game in the Final Fantasy series, released Final Fantasy VIII. While similar, since it was another 3-D game with turn-based fighting, the battle and character development system and storyline were drastically different. It was generally well-received by American consumers, though standing in Final Fantasy VII's shadow led to some criticism.

Storyline:

Without spoiling too much, the story revolves around a group of mercenaries whose involvement with an assassination mission eventually escalate into an international war. A sorceress orchestrates everything behind the scenes, so the mercenaries decide to restore peace and civility to a troubled world.

The characters of the game have very unique personalities, no two of them the same. Though their background stories are somewhat underdeveloped, it's very easy for the player to find a likeable, favorite character due to the diverse range of traits that each possesses. (I always thought Seifer was awesome, personally.)

While the main characters of Final Fantasy VII and VIII are similar in that they're often anti-social introverted people, the most pronounced difference between them is the presence of internal dialogue. While Cloud is silent and contemplative in Final Fantasy VII, Squall's thoughts in Final Fantasy VIII are actually visible to the player, to allow a better understanding of how he feels and what he's thinking throughout the course of the game.

The story tends to rotate more around the characters than their environment, unlike several other games in the Final Fantasy series. A love theme is prevalent, though it only really manifests near the later chapters of the game. Until then, it's a rather one-sided romance. Overall, the story's very impressive, though at times it's a bit unbelievable or not very well fleshed out. For instance, several of the characters conveniently forget important things about their pasts, and the only reason given is the existence of GFs, or powerful summons, that they use to fight. Additionally, the final villain's motivation is somewhat lacking, but the relationships of most of the other main characters are particularly compelling, enticing the player to complete the game and see where everyone stands after the last, most difficult ordeals.

8.6/10

Music

Nobuo Uematsu, famed composer of Final Fantasy I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII's music returned once again to produce much of the music used in Final Fantasy VIII, and he certainly didn't disappoint. Much of the music is very memorable and fits each situation nicely. Two songs in particular that really stand out are the game's opening theme, "Liberi Fatali" and the recurring love song, "Eyes on Me". "Eyes on Me" was actually the best-selling video game single of its time, trumped only by "Hikari" from Kingdom Hearts.

The battle music, character and town themes, and even chocobo tunes are quite memorable. Even the airship music is invigorating to listen to, similarly to the piece that played when soaring through the skies aboard the Highwind in Final Fantasy VII.

All in all, the music corresponds perfectly to each section of the game. Laid back, casual tunes play when the characters find themselves with free time (though that isn't often), pulse-pounding beats blare when undertaking crucial and difficult missions, and ominous music accompanies the moments of suspense and intrigue... Though not my favorite music of any FF game, VIII certainly doesn't disappoint in this department.

8.8/10

Controls:

The game controls like most Final Fantasy titles, and it's fairly straightforward. Outside of battles, you use the analog stick or directional pad to control your party's movement. The X button allows you to interact with your surroundings, and the O button opens your menu, which allows you to customize the skill sets of your characters, use items, take ranking tests, save, and all the advanced features that any RPG utilizes. VII used a different key to open the menu, though, so changing which key activated it threw me off a bit. However, the game allows you to reconfigure the controller at any time. Outside of those commands, the rest of the buttons seem to just control the camera angle, something any old-school gamer has got to appreciate. After all, how many good games have been ruined by a terrible camera angle?


In battles, the controls are still pretty simple. Final Fantasy VIII uses a turn-based battle system, so the directional keys and the X button are just about all you'll need. Pick an action, like "Attack", "Magic", "Draw", etc...and hit X to initiate it. Square's always been known for simplification of control schemes. Note: The below picture is a mini-game, and there's an American release of the game, so just ignore the Japanese characters...

9.6/10

Graphics:

To some people, graphics make the game. However, when the story's as entertaining as VIII's, graphics aren't nearly as important. Even so, Final Fantasy VIII has some phenomenal visual effects. The character models are drawn very realistically, something never before done in a Final Fantasy game. Their features are well-defined, though their facial expressions never change when you're in control of them.

However, during the computer generated scenes, a staple of every FF game, the game exceeds all expectations. Even during the game's opening, the full scale of the realistic look of the characters was enough to wow most audiences. By no means tacky, the vibrant artwork and flowing movement of every single thing was awe-inspiring to a generation of gamers that could only settle for blocky polygonal structures attempting to emulate emotion that preceded VIII's debut.

The locales in FFVIII are spectacular to behold, usually. Though there are some exceptions where the scenery is a bit drab, unappealing to look at, or stock, most of the places you can visit are detailed and absolutely beautiful. While you're not able to interact with everything, there's often much you can explore on every screen to either further the storyline, pursue a side mission, or even just learn more about the world which VIII's characters inhabit.

For its time: 8.8/10

Gameplay:

FFVIII is a roleplaying game, so it's heavily story-driven. The battles in the game are turn-based, and you need to strategize your movements if you want to win most battles. In essence, you outfit and equip your characters with weapons, magic, and summons before you venture forth, get into fights and progress the storyline (or not), and then use the new things you found along the way to make yourself stronger. Spells are no longer cast through a "Magic Points" system, but instead are stockpiled by "Drawing" them from enemies. Other methods exist to gain said spells, but the one I've mentioned is the most commonly used one.

These spells are then junctioned to your stats: HP, Str, Mag, Spr, Vit, Spd, and Lck. Depending on which stat they're junctioned to, it'll increase. HP affects the amount of hit points you have, Str affects physical damage, Mag increases the effectiveness of both curative and offensive spells, Spr affects your resistance to offensive magic, Vit increases your defense against physical damage, Spd affects how quickly your ATB (Active Time Battle) gauge fills up (which allows you to perform an action), and Lck determines several unmentioned things, but I won't go into it here.

In addition to your stats, you can unlock various other slots that you can put your magic in, which can increase your resistance to harmful spells or add elemental attributes to your physical attacks. The number of combinations you can use is staggering, and your choices can make boss fights incredibly difficult or a piece of cake. It's not easy to pick up at first, but within an hour, you should have the idea down pretty well.

However...repeatedly having to draw spells from enemies can get really tedious after a while. Add in the fact that the only way to get certain spells is by doing this, waiting on draw points, or having ridiculously rare items, and it sort of forces you to work really hard for some spells that'll just end up being depleted after a while. The system isn't without faults, but I still think it's an ingenius way to add in a lot of character customization.

7.7/10

If you ever get a chance, grab this game and try it out for yourself. If you're still fond of games that rely on excellent stories and very strategic gameplay, it's one you won't regret playing.

Final score: 8.7/10

One Little Cancellation and Other News...

Hello again, Game Night fanatics!

Chris here, and I've got some good and bad news. Let's get the bad news out of the way first. Next Monday, on October 13th, there will be NO GAME NIGHT because of Columbus Day. The Cape May County Library's going to be closed that day, so we can't even let our hardcore gamers in the doors...

Now, on to the good news. On October 20th, there won't be a Monday Game Night! Why's that good news, you ask? Because starting on October 24th, we're going to change the dates of our Game Nights to Fridays from 4:30 - 6:30 PM. We know how tough it is to juggle homework and gaming on Monday nights, but on Fridays, you'll have plenty of time to school people at Brawl, while still having the whole weekend free to prepare for your classes when it's over!

Stay tuned to Game Night Central for more news and gaming tips, everyone, and thanks for coming.

New poll on the right, by the way. Fill it out now! ----------->

--Chris.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Character Guides: Mr. Game & Watch

At the request of...one of our frequent Game Night visitors, I'm proud to present a playing guide to one of Brawl's more eccentric playable characters: Mr. Game & Watch. If you guys like these, I'll write plenty more of them for any character you want! I'll be covering the following aspects of the character: an overview, A-button attacks and tilts, aerials, smashes, special moves, his final smash, and an overall "how you should play him" section. Well, here we go!

Overview:

Mr. Game and Watch is a versatile short-range character, and he's significantly stronger than his Melee incarnation. Unfortunately, he's also incredibly light and lacks any real projectile moves, excluding Chef, which is really just an up-close randomized projectile, which sort of negates the point of HAVING a projectile. His KO moves are very strong, though, his recovery is fantastic, and he can pretty much shut down any character that uses projectile moves made of "energy", like Pit's arrow, Fox's, Falco's, and Wolf's blasters, and Pikachu's electric-themed moves. For an up-close character, though, his grab reach is pretty short. Additionally, his recovery move is sometimes blocked by the lips of stages, giving him a similar weakness to the recovery moves of the aforementioned Starfox characters.

A-Button Attacks and Tilts:

Jab and neutral combo: 3% for the first hit and 1% for every subsequent hit. -- It's a good combo, but better ones exist in the game. After repeated hits, it produces a slightly upwards knockback, making it impossible to corner someone with this move for long. Also, it has a terrible ending lag. Once you stop smashing the A button, expect to be hit back...hard. Try not to rely on this move too much.

Forward tilt: 10% -- This move comes out quickly, but if you miss with it, it also comes with a bit of lag as you just stand there with a chair in your hands. Save this move for on-the-ground edgeguarding, but it's not advisable to use it elsewhere, since it opens you up to a lot of counterattacking if you whiff with it.

Upward tilt: 8% -- G&W lifts a flag above him, hitting everything within a 45 degree angle to the front and back of him, as well as slightly above him. The knockback isn't great, but the lag isn't bad, and it's useful for creating a little distance between you and your opponent.

Downward tilt: 6% -- The lag isn't terrible on this move, either, and it comes out rather fast. It's a good combo starter at middle damage percentages, but this move really shines when used on people that are trying to climb back up from the edge of the stage.

Dash attack: 11% -- His dash attack isn't quite as good as most, forcing him to actually slow down to initiate it, making it that much easier to dodge successfully. The only practical application of the move is to use it against opponents that are hanging onto the ledge, since it acts as a powerful spike. Bear in mind, though, that the speed of the attack will probably clue them in on what you're trying to do.

Ledge attack: 8% -- G&W climbs back onto the stage and attacks with his bell for minimal damage and knockback. There's a lot of delay when using this move, so don't even think about doing it at high damage percentages.

Smash Attacks:

Forward smash: 18-25% (fully charged) -- This is G&W's second best smash attack, believe it or not. The knockback is incredible, and sends opponents flying away at a 45 degree angle. The startup lag is a little noticeable, but the range on it can't be beat. Not a lot of people know this, but the hitbox for the move actually extends a little bit beyond the tip of the flame.

Upward smash: 18-25% (fully charged) -- G&W has a lot of good moves, but this isn't one of them. The range of the move is pitiful and doesn't extend outside of his hitbox. The damage might be fair, but it's just too slow to have any practical value in a match. You're much better off taking to the air to score a knockout than relying on this move while waiting on the ground.

Downward smash: 13-21% (fully charged tipper) -- Without a doubt, G&W's best smash is his down smash. The range of the move is very long, it hits both sides of him simultaneously, does good damage, and can deliver knockback in any direction you choose, depending on how the opponent is hit. If you hit with this move point-blank, it delivers an incredible amount of horizontal knockback, but if you connect with the tip of the hammers, they'll fly in a directly vertical direction, making it easy to score KOs on stages with low ceilings.

Aerial Attacks:

Neutral air: 4-17% -- G&W's neutral air consists of four hits that likely won't score any knockouts, but sets up your opponent for other combos. The range of this move is incredible, and can hit in any direction except for directly below you.

Forward air: 16% and 6% -- This move is good or bad, depending on when you land it. If you connect with an opponent as soon as this move comes out, it'll deal 16% damage and incredible horizontal knockback. If you launch the move early and only get a glancing blow, it'll deal 6% damage and barely any knockback whatsoever. Be warned that, although it's a powerful KO move, it has a very long ending delay that will be taken advantage of if you miss. Aim carefully and stay close to the ground for quick recovery if you're attempting this one.

Backward air: 3-15% -- Believe it or not, the seldom used turtle is one of G&W's best moves. It's quick, well outside of his hitbox, eats shields likes crazy, and has an impressive amount of knockback. Even the priority beats most other aeriel moves, since G&W's reach often won't beat most sword-using characters or projectilists. Use this move whenever you can, because it's beautiful in every regard.

Downward air: 13-14% and 6% -- A favorite of most G&W players, the downward air is incredibly versatile. When first used in the air, it deals 13-14% damage when connecting with an enemy, but if used a second time and close to the ground, the area that he collides with once he touches the ground has a small, additional hitbox that deals 6% to anyone too close and minor knockback. There's virtually no lag time after you hit the ground with this move, unlike Link and Toon Link's similar moves, too. If you hold down after you launch this move, you'll actually fall slower than you would if you didn't press anything. It also has spiking capabilities, but only if you initiate the move as soon as you're very close to and above your opponent.

Upward air: 7% and 9% -- Since you can't rely on G&W's up smash, his upward air is the best move to use to score vertical KOs. It hits twice if pulled off properly. The first hit deals moderate damage, while the second deals slightly more and an impressive amount of knockback. The only drawback to this move is that it's very short-range. G&W seems to be played best when relying on horizontal knockouts, since aside from a tipped down smash, his upward-directed moves are average, at best. If it's near, but doesn't connect with your opponent, a small gust of wind will blow them upwards slightly, at least setting you up for another attempt at an aerial knockout.

Special Moves:

Neutral B: 9% (pan) and 4% (food) -- G&W's neutral B move has some interesting applications. If you're fighting an aerial attacker, hitting your opponent with any of the food produced by this move will instantly stop them in their tracks. It's a good defensive manuever, but don't spam it too much against ground attackers, since the ending delay is pretty huge. The pan itself has a downward knockback at roughly a 40% angle, making it very useful to use against people grabbing onto the ledge.
Forward B: If you've played G&W before, you know that the effects of this move are randomized. If you manage to secure a "9", then you're probably going to score a knockout. Other than that, though, the effects of the other attacks just aren't that great. It's funny to see what you'll get sometimes, but very unreliable. If you're trying to win a match, don't waste your time pressing your luck with this one.

Downward B: Various amounts of damage -- Ah, the infamous bucket. Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a player (except for Super Sonic) quite like this tool of destruction. It deals damage equivalent to the combined damage that the collected energy moves would have dealt multiplied by 2.8, and the knockback is incredible. Since the effectiveness of this move is circumstantial, though, don't count on it all the time. Eventually, projectilist characters will see what you're doing and try a new approach.

Upward B: 6% -- As an offensive move, G&W's Up-B is terrible. As a recovery method and means to spike people without worrying about dying, though, it's amazing. G&W has one of the absolute best recoveries in the game, considering the sheer amount of upward and horizontal recovery it provides. What's nice is that you can even launch attacks after using it, just like Snake's recovery. It's a little easy to get caught under the lips of stages, though, so aim very carefully when initiating it.

Final Smash:

Octopus: For seventeen seconds, G&W turns into an octopus and wreaks havoc while invincible. Touching any part of G&W during his Final Smash deals 16% damage and relatively minor knockback at low levels. Though he may appear to be flying, he needs to have land beneath him, or he'll fall through the bottom of the stage, resulting in a self-destruct. Opponents can take advantage of his relatively slow movement through platforms and the Final Smash is more easily avoidable on large stages.

How You Should Play Him:

Mr. Game & Watch is, first and foremost, a melee character. He's outranged by a lot of characters, so you need to accurately determine which of your moves work best against your opponent's moves. For instance, Marth's upward smash outranges G&W's downward aerial due to the length of Marth's sword. G&W's backward aerial outranges Marth's forward aerial, though, so you'd want to take advantage of it.

Against projectilists, the bucket is your best friend. Don't hold on to a stored bucket for too long, though, as you won't have a defense for their energy moves, since it can only hold three shots. Anticipate their laggy moves and empty the bucket on them when they miss and can't recover in time, not just randomly.

Against heavyweights, use your fastest moves, play defensively, and take advantage of their easy-to-dodge laggy moves. G&W is a light character, so he can't afford to take much punishment before he flies off the screen. Play smart, and don't leave yourself too open by trying to use lag-causing moves.

Against other melee users, it all comes down to gauging lag and taking the fight to the air. G&W can beat a lot of characters in terms of move priority when he's airborne, and his ground smashes are brutal as edge-guarders due to their ridiculous amounts of knockback.

Experiment with the guy a bit and see which moves work best for you. He's really powerful and hard to anticipate, but tough to completely master. Hope this guide helped, and good luck with your Brawling!

Remember, I'm always up for writing more character guides, so if you want more tips and tricks, just let me know!

GNC Reviews: Contra

Another one of our Game Night Crew members has written up a review for a timeless game that brought gamers of the NES generation years of enjoyment: Contra. Someone asked me to write up a character guide to a certain Super Smash Bros. Brawl character, by the way, but I'm still working on it. It'll be the next thing I post up, though, so hang tough until it's ready!

Taken right from the back of the box: “The universe teeters on the brink of total annihilation at the hands of the vile alien warmonger, Red Falcon. Earth's only hope rests with you, a courageous member of the Special Forces elite commando squad. Your mission: Battle deep into the deadly Amazon jungle, where the Red Falcon and his galactic henchmen have transformed ancient Mayan temples into awesome monuments dedicated to mass destruction. A multitude of weapons, from rapid-fire machine guns to high-tech lasers are at your disposal as you sweat blood, fighting past 3-D mazes, underground security systems, and tropical forests surrounded by giant waterfalls and alien cannons. This is the ultimate test for the ultimate guerilla warrior. And if you survive, Earth survives!”

Ahh Contra. The great old NES game where you’re some dude with a bandana and a huge gun and your mission is to run left and right and shoot what I think are aliens. They look like aliens. Wait…they may be robots. Nonetheless, you shoot them and they go bye bye.

It sounds so simple and stupid, but those two things it is not. Contra is a beautiful game that, despite its age, stands up as a gem amongst the crop of new games out there. It’s challenging, well crafted, and best of all, it controls really well. I seem to remember a lot of NES games having very clunky controls where if you hit the direction pad up you’d go down and usually that would mean shark infested waters and death. Not with Contra. The game controls like…butter? I guess so.

So yes, where was I? You’re one of two tough looking guys and you have a big gun. You use this big gun (which you can get many power-ups for, such as a flame thrower, spread shot, and much more) to kill stuff. Alien stuff. Robots. Who knows. You go through a bunch of stages doing this. Does it get old? Not at all. Not only do you have the typical left to right type stages, you also have these pseudo 3-D stages where you’re running through a base dodging lasers beams, electrical fields, and of course, aliens and/or robots.

In the end….Contra rules. Track it down, any way you can, and have some fun. But let me give you a little hint first.

Press Start after this, and you've got the famous Konami Code. Type in this code before the title screen fully loads up and you’ll get 30 lives. You’ll need them unless you’re some kind of mega Contra genius.

--Justin.

GNC Reviews: I Wanna Be The Guy

Back when I was first playing video games, no strategy guides existed. Unless you were lucky enough to have a Nintendo Power subscription or a friend who was a master of the exact same game that you were playing, you were on your own. I remember fondly all of the difficult challenges that game designers inserted into their games, and how many puzzles were just unsolvable except by random guessing or luck. Platformers were usually unforgiving and punished players for making the tiniest mistake. Everything was trial and error back then, except for a few lenient series like Kirby titles.

Last year, Mike "Kayin" O'Reilly released a beta version of a game which is notorious for its difficulty. Entitled "I Wanna Be The Guy: The Movie: The Game" or IWBTG for short, it pays homage to those ridiculously difficult challenges that so many familiar NES and Atari games used to provide. Since it's a freeware title, it doesn't cost anything to play it, and you can download it at the following address: http://kayin.pyoko.org/iwbtg/downloads.php

IWBTG is a 2-D platformer that puts you in control of "The Kid", who embarks on a quest to defeat "The Guy", in order to claim the title for himself. The story is quite simple, and like most NES titles, making sense wasn't a requirement. "The Kid" isn't able to do much in the game, save for jumping, running, wall-climbing, and shooting a tiny pistol which is insignificant against almost every obstacle in the game. The bosses in the game all reference old-school video game adversaries, and should be familiar to anyone who grew up while games were still being produced for the NES. Among them are such known player-killers as Mike Tyson from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, Mecha-Birdo from the Super Mario Bros. series, and Dracula from just about every Castlevania game.

IWBTG is filled with tricks and traps on every screen, and although seemingly impossible to overcome, can technically be beaten. Even though just about everything can destroy "The Kid" in one hit, the player is provided with infinite lives and some save points with which to record your progress. Truly, it's the kind of game that exaggerates all of the hours of mind-numbing aggravation we've all felt while playing difficult games, but I can't recommend it enough.

Give it a try sometime and see how far you can get. Don't say I didn't tell you it was really hard, though!

Final score: 8.8/10.

--Chris.