Blog Quest 2: Design your game item

Have you ever found yourself wishing for non-existent items in your favorite games?

I recently played and beat Outlast, a horror game that pits you in an asylum gone awry with nothing but a camcorder. There were many times when the scared little girl in me was practically praying for a weapon (hell even like, a shovel would have been okay). But this isn't about Outlast, maybe I'll do that one next blog.

Allow me to introduce, Ryu's Bandana! The latest addition to Mario's arsenal. 

Art by Michael Musco

What exactly does it do? (Besides turning mario into a total badass). Mario learns the power of Shotokan Karate, mastering 3 powerful moves:

Art by Cory Goodwin http://coreygoodwin.deviantart.com/

Shoryuken (Forward, Down, Down + Forward + Sprint): This rising dragon punch stays true to it's name, giving Mario the ability to soar upward with a fiery uppercut. The move does 3 points of damage (a classic headstomp does 1 point), and makes Mario invulnerable to attacks during it's 3 frames of animation startup. Any blocks Mario's fist makes contact with will explode, releasing any coins or power ups contained within.

The only downside to this attack is it's recovery period. As Mario descends from his Shoryuken, he is left completely vulnerable to physical attacks and projectiles. That's right kids, just like in Street Fighter.

This attack is particularly useful against bosses as the move's invincibility can be used to avoid their attacks, and normal enemies tend to die in one hit anyway.

Art by Leandro Nerd http://www.2nerds.com.br/humor/a-verdade-sobre-mario/

Hadouken (Quarter Circle Forward + Sprint): Using the power of the "wave motion fist" Mario channels his inner ki into a ball of red hot fire. Sure he can already eat a fire flower and toss puny little tennis balls of fire at unsuspecting goombas, but believe me when I say this attack is far more powerful. The fireball does not disappear when it makes contact with enemies. It also does not bounce on the ground like the fire flower shot, moving in a straight line until it reaches the end of the screen. The projectile does 1 point of damage.

The major disadvantage to this attack is it's long start up time of 25 frames. Mario needs to be relatively safe in order to fire a Hadouken, or he risks being hit out of the move entirely.

Just pretend it's Mario. I do not own this art.

Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku (Quarter Circle Back + Sprint): Mario unleashes a furious tornado kick, traveling forward about 1/4 screen distance. If this move is executed mid air, Mario's gravity value is decreased by half causing him to float. This means the move can be used to reach high places (executed before apex of jump) or to glide for long distances (executed after apex of jump). This is not to say the move has no merit as a physical attack...

The Tatsu (Street Fighter shorthand) allows Mario to travel through projectiles while advancing with an attack. The kick hits 3 times, each dealing 1 point of damage.

Unfortunately this move is not completely fail safe, Mario's raised leg becomes the attack hitbox, but his head and upper torso remain vulnerable to physical attacks. That being said, the move is great for enhancing Mario's mobility and gaining the upper hand on pesky ranged enemies.

Final Thought:

Due to it's indisputable power, Ryu's bandana would have to be a relatively rare drop. A strong player may likely be able to hold onto it for the entire game.