by Joseph Walter
In other words, there's no better time to discuss our hopes and dreams for who we'd like to see as playable characters, no matter how bonkers (I'm looking at you, Goku enthusiasts. JUST GIVE IT UP) and I've got a few I'm dying to talk about!
Admittedly, most of my choices are fairly conservative in nature and in tune with what I would assume most people would consider as "reasonably possible." This means no non-video game characters (though Tekkaman Blade would be a delightful addition) and nothing too absurd (like a playable Vic Viper from Gradius or a minor character from an ultra-obscure JRPG.)
Because I want to talk about my choices in detail (move lists, stages, etc.) and preserve your sanity, I decided to break each contender into their own, separate post... the first of which being about the character that I want most of all: Doom Guy!
Since the initial announcement of DLC fighters in Ultimate, rumors have circulated that "Doom Guy" would be amongst the chosen. Surprisingly, there's been a good amount of evidence to support this belief (including official sources!) so it's not too much of a stretch to think that the possibility of Doom Guy's inclusion might end up being far greater than a snowball's chance in Hell.
"Doom Guy" is the name lovingly bestowed upon the lone space marine that not only fought back against the invading forces of Hell singlehandedly, but actually took the fight to them on their own turf.
One of the key figures in establishing, cementing and popularizing the first-person shooting genre, Doom Guy is nothing short of an icon, and has appeared in a multitude of games, including an epic N64 exclusive, a 2016 "reboot" (which has essentially been confirmed to be a direct follow-up to Doom 64) and its upcoming sequel, DOOM Eternal.
Considering his legacy, historical importance and the fact that he's so beloved that his fan-given nickname has essentially become canon, he's the perfect addition to Super Smash Bros.' ever-expanding roster of icons.
Unique Traits and Special Details:
The first thing that will set Doom Guy apart will be his appearance: rather than being a high-quality 3D model of his old look or 2016 design, Doom Guy will instead by an HD, 2D sprite of his original in-game appearance, just with a more angles and frames of animation (for the most part.)
In fact, his idle animation will be exactly as your remember it, with him facing the camera and "marching" in place with limited frames of movement.
His side-dodge will be the infamous "circle strafe," but it has a twist: much like how Luigi's taunt is the only taunt in the game to inflict damage (measly as it is), Doom Guy will fire off a round of his currently equipped weapon during the maneuver (though it'll be slightly stronger than the sheepish Luigi kick.)
His alternate colors include pixelated renditions of Doom Guy's DOOM II, DOOM 2016 and DOOM 3 looks while his costumes feature a helmet-less Doom Guy variant along with the old-school version of B.J. Blazkowicz from Wolfenstein 3D.
General Stats / Traits:
Much like his in-game appearances, Doom Guy's oddly incongruous physical prowess and arsenal of abilities carry over into Smash, specifically in terms of his inexplicable strength and superhuman speed.
In other words, his attacks will be heavy-hitting and slow (focusing heavily on brass-knuckle punches, hammer drops and kicks) but his movement speed will be as feared by opponents as it is the denizens of Hell.
That said, Doom Guy has very little platforming experience, and it shows.
His jumps are pathetic, and his Up Special is unwieldy, which puts his recovery abilities into question.
Poor recovery aside, Doom Guy's heavy weight, powerful close-range attacks, deadly speed and arsenal of long-distance chipping moves make him a tank to be reckoned with.
Although classic Doom Guy doesn't seem to do much of anything but shoot guns at demons, 2016's Doom Slayer showed us that he's got plenty of savage fighting techniques up his sleeves (despite not having sleeves). That barbarous style of combat is reflected in Doom Guy's basic attacks, but his gunslinging (and chainsaw wielding) roots take up the brunt of his special moves.
Basic Attacks:
Doom Guy's basic attacks will consist of heavy punches and fisticuffs. Nothing fancy, just brutal and to the point. Some combos might even end with a surprise chainsaw attack... but not enough to take away from his Side Special.
Special: Hit-Scan Weapons
Doom Guy can fire his famous weapons, all of which have varying effects.
Although weak, the starting pistol doesn't actually have to be aimed; just like the game, there's a chance it'll hit anyone in its general direction (though the closer and more in line the better). Additionally, the pistol fires at a fairly slow pace, but has a one-in-three chance of staggering an opponent.
The Super Shotgun is a devastating close-range weapon, but has a lengthy reload time. Surprisingly, it can be fired from afar and have decent results, though the spread of its projectiles are greatly increased and land with minimal impact.
The Chain Gun is a weak but fast-paced rapid weapon that can keep opponents at bay like the Super Scope, though it's a bit slower and saddled with a cool down timer.
Doom Guy's Plasma Rifle fires extremely fast and always staggers opponents with its surging electrical damage, but it lacks any real knockout power. Coupled with the fact that it quickly overheats, the Plasma Rifle requires serious skill to wield.
The Rocket Launcher shoots only a single rocket before needing to be reloaded, but its accurate, fast and deals solid explosive damage. Unfortunately, the rocket is fairly easy to dodge (or detonate in mid-air), and each shot moves Doom Guy backwards. There's also the possibility of getting caught in your own explosion, which isn't too great...
Up Special: "Barrels o' Fun"
Doom Guy puts an explosive, toxic barrel beneath his feet and jumps up, causing an explosion that launches him into the air, but also damages the area beneath him. If used in the air, the barrel is launched quickly downwards, exploding on impact.
Although he gains decent height, there isn't much maneuverability with this recovery move.
Side Special: Chainsaw
Doom Guy lunges to the side with his chainsaw. Although relatively low in range and immediate power, it's capable of sucking multiple foes into its roaring blades, causing constant damage that rapidly adds up. This move can be charged by holding the combination before letting go, which increases lunge distance and changes the type of attack i.e. forward stab, downward swipe, etc.
Down Special: Weapon Switch
Although he'll be vulnerable, Doom Guy can switch his "Special" weapons by using this move. As mentioned above, his options are the hit-scan pistol, Super Shotgun, chain gun, plasma rifle and rocket launcher.
*Alternative Special Move Variations/Notes:
Considering the fact that the chainsaw is such an iconic weapon, it's possible that the standard Special, rather than the Side, would use it. If that's the case, then the Side Specials would fire the weapons. While that sounds awkward, there's something funny about the idea of being forced to move while shooting... an integral part of the classic DOOM experience.
I also wonder if his arsenal of firearms should be tied to an ammo counter, with similar mechanics to how the Dragon Quest Hero's magic points work.
While there's no way in Hell (lol....... I'll see myself out) that Nintendo would let Doom Guy go full-on Fatality in Smash Bros. like he does in DOOM 2016, there were still plenty of options for a Final Smash. I couldn't decide on just one, so here are four!
Rip and Tear:
The camera smash zooms into Doom Guy's face, and through his helmet, we see his evil grin. The opening line of DOOM 2016 is spoken: "Rip and Tear... until it is done!" He opens up a black, "Berserk" power-up box and his eyes glow as if the "God Mode" cheat was activated. Now buffed up, Doom Guy loses access to all his weaponry, and instead relies solely on his almighty fists and unholy speed, sending his opponents flying with ease.
Knee Deep in the Dead:
Doom Guy lets out a guttural roar, sucking anyone near him into a teleporter to Hell. Upon reaching the flaming realm, Doom Guy stands atop a crag surrounded by lava, taunting his opponents to attack. As they lunge at him, he strikes his iconic pose from DOOM's cover art, going nuts with the entirety of his arsenal... including the BFG.
Alternatively, this Final Smash could be Doom Guy doing the famous pose on the crag, then leaping away and leaving his opponents in his place. Just like the box art, legions of Imps and demons swarm the helpless character(s) and, as the bottom-left demon ( as pictured above) turns to smirk at the camera, the monsters leap into the air and at their prey. The screen turns black, damage is dealt, and we're back to the melee!
BFG Division:
Doom Guy grins that infamously toothy grin, pulls out the BFG and lets one of its explosive, green energy bursts out. The discharge travels across the screen shooting out damaging lightning to anyone near it while sucking in everyone who's too close, dealing constant damage before delivering a spectacular (and explosive) finish. If you somehow avoided the initial shot and the lightning, there's still a good chance you'll get caught in the explosion, paying the price anyway.
Circle Strafe:
That not as dramatic as the previous entries, "Circle Strafe" would be an extremely fitting nod to the series: Doom Guy circles his adversaries at a blazing speed, unleashing the entirety of his arsenal against the defenseless foes........... okay, this one was a joke. Kind of. Maybe.
... I secretly want it.
Taunts:
For someone who doesn't say much, Doom Guy has a lot of personality, and I think these taunts show it off best.
1. Doom Guy strikes the iconic box art pose, beckoning his opponents to bring it on!
2. Doom Guy revs up his chainsaw.
3. Doom Guy checks his collection of Key Cards.
*Alternate Taunt: Doom Guy looks left and right, mimicking his character portrait. Obviously the effect will be lost if he's wearing his helmet, so this would probably only be available with the helmet-less costume, replacing the Key Cards.
Stage Entrance:
Doom Guy either zaps into existence from a teleporter or, preferably, walks through the silver door that appears at the starting point of many Doom levels.
I've got three stages in mind for Doom Guy, almost all of which are deliciously chaotic:
The first one, titled "E1M1," has players fighting atop the DOOM status bar, which would travel throughout the entirety of DOOM's very first level. Imp fireballs would hit the arena and cause fiery damage to anyone in range, Doom Guy's ever-switching arsenal would act as a temporary platform, but would cause various types of damage to anyone unfortunate to be on it when it went off (in other words, explosive damage from the shotgun, constant chain-damage from the chainsaw, being sent flying from a punch, etc.)
Other hazards would include toxic waste splashing onto the stage, the occasional monster accidentally jumping from the background and into the foreground, and, on the other end of the spectrum, health potions and armor helmets would occasionally be flung onto the playing field, healing anyone who came in contact with them.
All in all, it would be a mostly flat, straightforward "Final Destination"-styled experience, but with the random hazards (or help) and the occasional existence of a variety of platforms (thanks to Doom Guy's weapons), it would be a highly-themed (and highly-unpredictable) mayhem-filled fracas.
The second stage would actually take place inside a DOOM level, but with a twist: "Automap."
Like the name suggests, the starting platform would be white outlines over a black background... at least at first. Soon, the background would fill out with the Automap of one of a handful of classic DOOM levels, causing the main platform to take on the properties of whatever stage/style was chosen. Such properties include walls, doors, teleporters, platforms, hazards and more.
For example, "Outpost" levels will cause doors to spawn (which can be opened by attacking or tossing players through them), toxic waste and some basic monsters.
Other options would be a hellish level, complete with Cacodemons, lava and those weird, gnarled Hell trees. The most dreaded stage layout, however, would be "Tower of Babel," where a gigantic Cyberdemon appears in the background (like "Brinstar Depths'" Kraid), attacking players with his claws and rockets. After a few minutes in whatever variation was chosen, the stage would revert back to its basic Automap look before choosing a new locale.
The third and final option would be somewhere in Hell, such as versions of either DOOM's "Mt. Erebus" or DOOM 2016's metal album-inspired "Titan's Realm." Unlike "E1M1" and "Automap," this stage would be far less chaotic and interactive, instead going for atmosphere and visual splendor (like catching a swarm of Cacodemons flying by in the distance, or seeing a Titan crossing a sea of fire.)
The only hazards would be the occasional appearance of teleporters, which you can use to travel quickly from point to point... or perhaps weaponize by sending opponents to a new location with a well-aimed smash attack.
Music:
The DOOM franchise has a rich history of memorable, head-banging tunes, so only picking three wasn't easy. My logic was to give us the icon we all want, with a taste of the series' history to follow, and then one to show off Nintendo's history with the series.
1. A remix of "At Doom's Gate" (otherwise known as "E1M1")
2. A remix of "Running From Evil" (DOOM II)
3. A remix of the Doom 64's main theme
Reveal Trailer:
The camera would enter a dilapidated facility on a red world. All seems quiet until Samus Aran bursts through a door into a rusting hallway, firing her arm cannon erratically behind her as she runs. Second later, Simon Belmont runs after her, tossing a vial of Holy Water through the doorway. We hear it explode, but we also hear something else: unearthly growls and roars. Samus and Simon are running from something... but what?
Samus and Simon reach a dead end: a forked path, surrounded on both sides by glowing green slime. They desperately look at each other as they hear the approaching rancor, and arm their weapons.
Finally we see what's been giving them chase: a horde of Imps, Cacodemons, and others, lead by the terrifying Cyberdemon, who looks particularly pissed!
Wait a second... demons? DOOM demons!? Then... then this must be mars! This must be a UAC facility! Then that means...
YEP.
Right as it seems that Samus and Simon are about to meet their fates, we hear the revving of a chainsaw as the iconic theme from E1M1 plays. The demons look absolutely terrified and, as they turn behind themselves in horror, there he stands: The Doom Guy! They lunge at him in a mirror image of DOOM's cover art and... boom!
"Doom Guy Is Ready to Rip and Tear!"
These are my hopes and dreams for Doom Guy, but what about you? Anything you'd change up? And are there any characters you want to see get included in this, the ultimate crossover? (apologies)
Let me know below!