There’s been an ongoing dialogue surrounding Super Smash Bros. since it launched on 3DS (and since it launched on N64) about which characters are unfairly overpowered, or as your annoying geeky friend likes to call it, “OP.” Though some complaints are valid (Meta Knight in Brawl, for example), others are unfounded, expressed too soon, or used as an excuse for why someone lost.
Little Mac has been controversial from the start thanks to his instant KO punch, and many online players have assumed he’ll be substantially nerfed in an upcoming balance patch. Instead, series director Masahiro Sakurai dropped an interesting knowledge bomb in his column for Weekly Famitsu recently. Little Mac actually loses online the most.
For Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the individual character win ratios lined up nicely in a staircase format, but [for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS] one fighter has a significantly low ratio. It’s Little Mac.
Unfairly overpowered, you say? Now, it could be that unskilled players flock to Mac because of his unique and useful traits, only to be defeated by opponents well-trained in Little Mac disposal. Sakurai is aware of this possibility as well.
He gives the impression of being able to win easier than other fighters which leads to more people using him, but in reality, he’s a difficult character to actually continuously win with.
Related: Super Smash Bros. (3DS) Review – Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Despite this, I personally hope Mac isn’t altered too much in the upcoming patch. To me, he’s already perfect the way he is. In some ways, even his speed is outmatched by characters like Captain Falcon, while landing a KO punch against a skilled Sheik can feel damn near impossible.
At the end of the day, it sounds as if Sakurai prefers to make as few stat-alterations as possible.
I believe that averaging out character stats is a bad move in both play and competition.
Fine by me, Mr. Sakurai. Fine by me.
[Via: Kotaku]
