Marx is one of the greatest villains in Kirby
history, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate makes
him even better.
With a first appearance dating back to Kirby
Super Star and the later DS remake of Super
Star Ultra, this antagonist perfectly represents
a theme strong within the franchise: don't
trust appearances.
As anyone who has played Milky Way Wishes
will tell you, this adorable jester themed
character becomes seriously sinister after
gaining control of Planet Popstar to become
an all- powerful monster.
So much of this boss battle is therefore built
around this central motif - from his attack
pattern to his crazed smile.
Therefore, when Smash Ultimate included the
character as a boss in both the World of Light
and Classic modes - the dev team had to make
sure he lived up to this expected characterization.
And, after playing through all instances of
the boss, I'd gladly say that Smash Ultimate
remains true to Marx's history from the Kirby
series while also strengthening his maniacally
creepy theming.
So today, let's look at just how Sakurai and
his team beautifully adapted such an iconic
boss across over 22 years of history.
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Right out the gate, it's easy draw comparisons
between the two fights.
Which, makes sense, because HAL Laboratory
played into of both games - but I think the
similar designs of the two games also solidifies
this idea.
In the Kirby series, the central mechanic
focuses around the notion that Kirby could
bring an assortment different copy abilities
to a situation.
This leads to a lot of open-ended and inclusive
design in the fights - since they have to
account for such a variation of combinations.
That same concept applies to the Smash version
of Marx, as well.
While he is the intended boss for Kirby's
classic mode - playing as other characters,
such as Inkling, or Rosalina & Luma also results
in the same end fight.
Take World of Light into account and the choices
for battling Marx grows even wider.
With such open-ended design philosophies and
robust movesets, crossing Marx over faithfully
becomes much easier than, say Ganon from the
Legend of Zelda series, who has a large amount
of differently designed iterations to adapt.
For this reason, Ultimate gets the groundwork
of a near perfect Marx recreation - which
they can then use to build upon his strengths.
So how does Ultimate's team enhance their
version of Marx to make him even greater?
Well, for one, this interpretation fleshes
out his move set while still keeping the same
spirit.
So many of his old attacks make an appearance,
including his four crescent projectiles, spitting
out lasers, and tearing open a blackhole;
however, newcomers join his rotation as well.
Now he's a fan of leaking black spheres from
soulless eyes that bounce around the screen
to harm you - or maybe even growing those
same eyes multiple sizes to fire off a web
of purple lasers.
They're terrifying - and it completely works.
What's great about how the game handles these
attacks is that they circle back to the idea
of Marx's insanity.
They keep the same grim appearance that we
see when tears himself in half in Super Star
- while also fitting the needs of Smash Bros.
boss.
With a platform fighter with as much mobility
as this series, the bosses need to hit on
a wide range with plenty of coverage - and
both of these attacks do that to great effect.
So if Marx's attack set fits bill for our
expectations - then the presentation bump
definitely adds atop the aesthetic.
Granted, this is a fairly obvious point - the
greater technology in a 2018 release should
outclass what we see in a Super Nintendo game
from 1996, but I actually the presentation
here goes deeper than that.
For staters, the 3D render allows for a level
of surrealism in the details that further
represents his character.
Take a look at his eyes in comparison between
the two fights - the added depth in Ultimate
makes his bugged eye appearance all the more
intimidating, especially because he isn't
a fan of blinking.
Moreover, added animation tweaks like his
quivering chuckle and the grotesque stretch
on his spit up attacks makes the whole battle
all the more unsettling, which I think is
perfect for a Marx fight.
Partner this with a fantastic recreation of
his original theme, and the whole battle gets
the proper packaging to just be all that much
creepier.
But if we're to look at where the fights really
compare - we've got to take a closer read
into their endings.
In the Super Star set of games, after landing
that final hit on Marx - you send the psychopathic
foe on a collision course to the broken down
Nova head.
The two explode in a bright white light that
fills up the screen - and Kirby ends the campaign
victorious.
Contrast this with how the battle in Smash
Ultimate.
Taking his health bar down to zero - he tumbles
back with one last laugh before rubber banding
around the screen - ricocheting like DVD screensaver.
Finally, he lands face down and the purple
leaves the poor guy to his regular form.
What I think is interesting about this ending
in comparison to what we see in the original
Kirby series is that plays more to the idea
of Marx being possessed or in some regard,
redeemable.
While there's nothing inherently wrong with
his conclusion in Milky Way Wishes - it gives
a satisfying end to the campaign's story - I'd
argue that Smash's final note with he character
seems much emblematic of a Kirby series boss.
If we look at series favorites like Meta Knight
and King Dedede, both of those characters
are possessed or controlled in some way, shape
or form constantly.
It's a staple of the franchise that answers
the earlier note of "don't trust appearances"
with a hopeful chance of redemption, or at
least merciful justice, for these characters.
And when we have repeat of use of Kirby villain
like Marx in this case, I'm always happy to
see the ending handled more in this tone.
And really, I think it's fantastic to get
such a reminiscent and faithful return to
Marx in 2018 - because if we look at his other
appearance from that same year, I'd venture
it's not as fitting.
I'm referring to his appearance as a Dream
Friend in Kirby Star Allies - and, don't get
me wrong, I like this version of Marx quite
a bit too.
My point here is that, in terms of representing
his history with the series - Ultimate, in
my mind, wins here.
After all, he does play one of the most recognizable
Kirby villains in one of Kirby's most famous
games - so having him show up as an ally doesn't
quite play into his antagonistic history.
Moreover, the creepy undertones he's famous
for are toned down with his facial expression
not always being a terrifying smile, as well
as his ability to switch between his true
and limited forms at whim.
And hey, I'll fully admit that this wasn't
intended to replace Marx as antagonist - like
the Dream Friends, it's more so a nod to the
series cast of characters than faithful recreations
of their personalities.
Honestly, it does its job well and he plays
like a fun time, but if you were to ask me
which of the two referential appearances fits
more to his character, I'll choose Smash Ultimate's
approach any day.
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