Whenever fighting game characters are added to Super Smash Bros., it’s always a bit jarring. It’s not that Nintendo’s popular franchise is not a fighting game, but it definitely deviates from the traditional stylings of fighting games like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter. Despite that, Masahiro Sakurai and Sora Ltd. have brought several new fighting game characters, like Street Fighter’s Ryu and Ken, that are enough like their fighting game counterparts to feel faithful, but still feel at home in Super Smash Bros. This notion extends to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s newest addition, Fatal Fury’s Terry Bogard.
Compared to the rest of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC roster, Terry Bogard seems to be the least known new character, at least out here in the west. Terry is the main protagonist of the Fatal Fury fighting game series, as well as a character in The King of Fighters series. Although both of these franchises don’t have the wide audience of a series like Street Fighter, they are beloved, with some entries considered very influential to the fighting game genre.
Much of Terry’s moves seen in the Fatal Fury series are here in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, giving the character some familiarity to those who have played the old SNK fighting games. As Sakurai mentioned in the recent Terry Bogard presentation, the only move that is brand new is his Up Air, because they needed to have a way for Terry to attack upwards. Like every character in the large Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster, Terry seems like a good representation of the character, even in this very popular non-traditional fighting game.
Granted, Terry is also a character that I think appeals to me a bit more as a fighting game fan. I am not too familiar with the rest of the DLC roster; my game time with Banjo-Kazooie, Hero, and Joker in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been limited. However, I am very familiar with the base roster and in comparison, I think Terry is a fighter that I can see myself maining.
This is mostly due to the user-friendly nature of Terry’s moveset. Unlike a fighter like Solid Snake, the strengths and weaknesses of Terry’s moves are apparent right after your first few bouts. After playing his Classic Mode scenario, I was able to practice on level 9 CPUs and win, which I can’t say about a lot of the fighters on this roster. Because of all the options you have with him, Terry is very approachable for newcomers. He does seem a bit aggressive but has a zoning option with his Neutral Special, Power Wave. Many of his moves are generally safe, as long as you’re not spamming his special moves.
That doesn’t mean he lacks depth. Once I got a grasp of how each of his moves work, using some of Terry’s more unique features makes him a very formidable fighter pick. Like in traditional fighting games, you can cancel into special moves: this means you can perform a special move right after you execute a string of normal attacks. There are also button inputs for some of these special moves that make them stronger. It was so jarring to input combos like a traditional fighting game in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but like any fighting game, it was so satisfying when I was able to pull off a devastating combo.
You can also cancel into one of two Super Special Moves, which can only be used when you have over 100% damage. A stylized “Go” logo will appear above Terry’s portrait indicating that you can perform Super Special Moves. Since you can cancel into these powerful moves, it makes them a bit safer. You can execute them by themselves, but they can be blocked and countered. Because they are considered unsafe and have a pretty crazy input, it is pretty risky to attempt the Super Special Moves. But if you can pull it off, you will surely do some major damage to your opponent.
Along with Terry Bogard comes the stage King of Fighters Stadium, a new arena that presents some interesting rules to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate formula. Both the left and right sides of the arena are walled; however, these walls can break if you do enough damage to the opponent, which will instantly knock out the opponent. You can also aim up with your hits and knock your opponent out from the top of the screen.
I enjoyed every match on King of Fighters Stadium. Whether you are winning or losing, every match felt tense because of the new wall-breaking mechanic. When you start to have over 125% damage at Terry you start to play more cautiously, with every hit prompting an audible gasp. I usually play on omega arenas like a serial killer, but this is one of the few arenas that I like as is in the normal mode.
Around the time that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launched back in January, I wrote a guide about finding your main. There are two specific tips that I believe are the most imperative: play a character who fits your playstyle and no matter who you play as, enjoy yourself. For me, Terry fits both of these categories: he is an incredibly satisfying fighter that is just a joy to play. The new King of Fighters Stadium is also a welcome addition, changing up the traditional Smash Bros. play with its wall-breaking eliminations. Terry Bogard may not be the most well-known DLC fighter, but he is certainly one you will not want to skip out on.
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