By Joseph Walter
A long while back, I wrote a review of a little game called Balloon Kid, upon which I heaped so much lavish praise that I was treating it more like the second coming of Christ rather than a Game Boy sequel to the NES' Balloon Fight. Although I wrote that review as joke (a joke no one got nor thought was funny), the truth is that I really do genuinely love Balloon Kid. It's a fantastically delightful and charming experience that deserves far more attention than it gets, and, all jokes aside, I think it's main character, Alice, would be an excellent fit for Smash.
Hailing from "Pencilvania," Alice is a balloon-loving girl who bravely sets out on a daring quest to rescue her younger brother, Jim, after he's carried away by the wind. She treks (floats, really) across the world, following Jim's trail while dodging dangerous obstacles and battling nefarious enemies along the way using a unique mix of classic platforming concepts and Balloon Fight's flight mechanics.
It's awesome.
As for why Smash desperately needs a contender like Alice: aside from her spiffy design and being completely unexpected, her unique floaty/flight-based moves would dramatically alter the playing field and likely shift the meta game in a completely new direction. Plus, like Mike from StarTropics, she's a first-party Nintendo character that's been forgotten along with her franchise, and she deserves better than that.
Although a very light and seemingly underpowered fighter, Alice possesses the ability to make slight changes to her base stats, depending on whether or not she is holding onto her iconic balloons.
Without them, she possesses floaty controls, an abnormally high jump from which she plummets downwards like a boulder, and is quite speedy as she runs about (though perhaps a little slippery).
When she does have her balloons, she gains a slight buff in attack strength, tighter ground controls and better traction. Oh, and one more thing... she becomes capable of indefinite flight, outshining the mobility of the entire roster... but more on that later.
Regardless of balloons or no balloons, Alice's basic attacks still pack little punch. That said, you'll quickly discover that her kicking smash attacks and stomping meteor moves more than make up for this deficit with their awesome power and jaw-dropping launch-ability... but there's a catch: this is an imprecise character who requires precision to succeed and, when combined with her light size, overall weak arsenal and loose handling, it's clear that few players will be able to tap into her true potential.
In the hands of a skilled tactician, however, this difficult-to-master character can change the game, using her unusual movements, unmatched mobility and glass cannon-esque attacks to keep even the most elite players on their toes.
Unique Traits:
Alice's most defining trait, and the feature that sets her apart from the rest of the cast both mechanically and in terms of mobility, are her iconic balloons and the nearly unlimited flight capabilities they grant her.
When her balloons are blown up, simply keep tapping the jump button to gain altitude. While the mechanics are difficult to master at first, you'll soon find that Alice is capable of tremendous speed, momentum and, with practice, pinpoint strikes of devastating potency.
Think Kirby's puffing mixed with Peach's magical floating, except it lasts indefinitely, is laced with Sonic's speed and momentum, and is equipped with a laser-guided bomb for good measure.
Adding more layers to the madness, Alice can let go of her balloons at will, which is a skill that can be weaponized to explosively lethal degrees. As it was in Balloon Kid, so it is in Smash: should Alice land on or attack a target during her balloon-less free-fall, the damage dealt is exponentially more deadly. And heck, if you're lucky, you might just bounce up high enough to re-grab your balloons and continue your air assault!
Of course, Alice's balloons can be popped, too. Losing one causes speed and control to take a few hits, and losing both leads to being grounded. It's not permanent, though: just like in Balloon Kid, you can blow up new balloons at will... just as long as you have a couple seconds to spare.
Finally, on the Easter Egg/references side of things, Alice's second jump has her hop off of a bubble (which would earn her points in Balloon Kid), and her alternate costumes contain her look from both the manual and the one from the international cover art, along with a model swap to her "eternal rival," Samm.
Basic Attacks:
I have vivid memories of playing Balloon Fight on a briefly-borrowed NES as a kid. For years after, I always recalled the Balloon Fighter attacking birds with some kind of strange, spinning balloon whack.
Imagine my surprise when, as an adult, I replayed the game and found that this move, seared into my brain for decades, didn't exist in any capacity. WELL, NOT ANYMORE!
I don't give a damn if it doesn't make any sense, Alice's signature attack at full balloon capacity will be this God damn short-range, spinning balloon whack, and no one can stop me.
....anyway, aside from that critical component, Alice is known for her kicks and hops, which are incorporated throughout her arsenal, with or without balloons. If she only has a single balloon, she gets a weaker version of the whack. With no balloons, it's a pathetic Jigglypuff-styled slap.
Special - Balloon Blow Up
Tap the button repeatedly to blow up new balloons should yours be popped or released.
Up Special - Power-Up ("P") Balloon
Alice uses a "P" Balloon, which instantly sends her rocketing upwards and instantly creates a single new balloon if you're down one or have none. Beyond the extra dose of helium, the launch also leaves two damaging "lightning sparks" in its wake and makes Alice's body flash and sparkle with fleeting invincibility, electrocuting any enemies that make contact with her.
Side Special - Enemy Summon
If performed while not airborne, Alice tosses out a ground-hugging "Burner Boy," a seemingly-sentient fireball with legs. It runs frantically across the stage and its obstacles, but only until it fizzles out. These living projectiles can be knocked away by other players.
If performed in the air, however, this move sends one of your worst enemies out to harass other players: Balloon Fight's balloon-wielding birds. They shoot out in a reversed arc, dipping downwards before rapidly ascending upwards. They can be defeated, but only in the traditional way (popping their balloons) but, upon their defeat, they cause a little damage on the way down as they plummet to their demise.
Down Special - Balloon Release / Power Stomp
Immediately release your balloons to escape sticky situations. The released balloons are then weaponized, causing damage to anyone who comes in contact with them on their rapid ascent, and exploding when popped (either by impact or from an attack.)
Additionally, if performed in the air, Alice drops downwards like a rocket-powered ton of bricks, delivering heavy damage to anyone unfortunate to be beneath her. The higher up she is, the more cataclysmic the impact. The only downside is that mobility is extremely limited during the rapid descent, so be cautious.
Opponents are transported to the weird world of Balloon Fight, where they get to go on the "Balloon Trip." Here, they're shot through the dangerous, lightning filled sky, where they're electrocuted by the series' infamous "lightning sparks," only for their misery to reach its zenith as they're consumed by the dastardly fish that has ended so many of such trips.
Balloon Trip from HELL, Alternate Version:
A simpler version of this Final Smash would be that the complexly patterned and erratically moving electrified star-fields of the Balloon series rapidly make their way across the stage, punishing anyone unlucky enough to be caught in their wake. Right before the "trip" ends, the hungry fish rips across the stage for a chance to take one last bite of some poor soul.
Final Smash Alt: Game Boy Bonus Round
A gigantic Game Boy sucks up Alice's opponents, and weaponizes Balloon Kid's bonus stage to give them a solid beating.
Taunts:
- Alice strikes the cute pose found in the instruction booklet.
- Alice smiles and waves at the camera, while her little brother, Jim, pops out to say hi, too.
- Alice pulls out a Game Boy and plays for a moment.
Stage Entrance:
Alice hovers to the stage by hanging off of Jim's feet, who is still encumbered by his many balloons, making him a rather efficient form of air travel.
When it comes to representing Balloon Kid, there's really only one answer, and it's an obvious one.
1) Pencilvania
Balloon Fight already has a stage, but Alice will get her own in the form of Balloon Kid's epic, opening level, "Pencilvania." Surrounded by a raging river, and comprised of buildings in the shapes of pencils and matchsticks, "Pencilvania's" a surprisingly straightforward stage, but it does have some quirks.
Instead of an endless pit, the bottom of the arena is the rapidly moving river, which you might be able to swim away from... but probably not.
Additionally, as the stage moves through the air (with Pencilvania leisurely passing by in the background), you'll occasionally encounter collectable balloons (which offer minor healing or a chance for an item) or a few errant (and dangerous) sparks of lightning.
Music:
Balloon Kid has a surprisingly awesome (and strangely forlorn) soundtrack, but if you had to boil down all of the brilliance into a single pick, it'd be the theme first heard in the first level.
1) A remix of "Balloon Kid Stage 1," which, in itself, is already a remixed and expanded version of Balloon Fight's main theme. There's a ton of drama and emotion in this dreamlike song, but when amped up with an orchestral or rock-infused modernization, it'd be even better for Smash.
What are some of your most outlandish hopes for DLC characters in Smash Bros.?
Let me know below!