Banjo Pilot

[A Black Falcon]

Oh ABF, regarding the koopa shell skateboard, I wasn't making that up believe it or not. That's straight out of Mario 64. All the koopa shells in the game you can find, with no explanation, now act like skateboards (slow ones, much slower than they normally skid in the previous Mario games), and grant you invincibility (with the golden sparkles and music and everything). It was pretty cool, but you know, I was just using it as an example there.

How strange. The invincibility is the oddest part... as I said, since a Koopa shell doesn't stop moving, ever, once started (hey, just get one and kick it and you've got an instant perpetual motion machine!), it's not impossible... you just need to figure out how to stay on. :) But the invincibility is inexplicable.

Anyway, about the power shields, yeah I know OB1 said they are "obviously an item they got before the match", but I disagree to put it simply. Yeah, I guess it COULD be an item, but considering Japan, and the total lack of anything to support it being an item, I'll wager it was just a completely out of the blue new ability they added. But, ya know, whatever.

For the first SSB I kind of thought they were toys or something, based on that toybox and the characters that look like stuffed animals animated by the Master Hand... but it doesn't exactly have a story, so make up whatever you want pretty much. :)

Oh yes, that's one thing I didn't even think of, though I have before. Us as gamers ARE willing to just completely ditch all reasoning when it comes to Link loosing all his powers aren't we? Sure, when a whole NEW Link comes around, him being weak and itemless is expected, but from OOT to MM, or Zelda 1 to Adventure of Link? There's no explanation and it certainly doesn't fit the characters does it? In fact, only twice has anything been done about this very common thing. Once, in Megaman Legends 2, where it was addressed in a humorous fasion.

For Mega Man my best guess is that they're optimistic and disarm him after each battle, hoping there won't be another... but still, that doesn't explain why you have to start your health meter over each time (collecting the various kinds of health-increasing items the series gives you)... especially in X. There really isn't an explanation. Well, excepting X5... if you recall, in the beginning of X5 you can choose between Megaman, Zero, and (if you choose Megaman as your character) one of the armor suits from X4. But it's been weakened somewhat so even THERE it isn't quite the same... and of course you have to start over with your health meter and the weapons.

As I said, it's an extremely common thing. I'd say the fact that B-T DID deal with this is, as I said, a good part of why I'd want future Banjo titles to do the same... that, and how I always hope for a sensible story. I don't LIKE those inexplicable things! Sure it's done for gameplay, but at least explain why.

Of course, those explanation are often stupid and it'd be hard to come up with a good reason for why, for instance, Link gave up (somehow) all of this health after the end of each game... items I can understand, of course, but you have to start with 3 hearts again!

In B~T when you start a new game with all the B~K abilities it feels more like a sequel and not a 'conversion' of the first one, Banjo is slighty more responsive but not by much. In Mario Sunshine almost all your original abilities are gone except for tummy sliding and the Triple Jump. But Mario's entire responsiveness and control has become tighter, this is obviousely because Mario ate that entire cake and then bought some Sweatin' to the Oldies videos, a few laters later, BAM! More responsive Mario.

Because of how heavy the waterpack is, Mario can wall-jump over fences but can't longjump. No, it doesn't make any sense, does it...

Oh, and I'd love to see the Handstand from DK (GB) to come back! If you remember, he would flip over, walk (slowly) on his hands, and anything that landed on his feet (see: DK's barrels) would get deflected, instead of crushing him... :)