After yesterday's safe prediction, I feel like letting my imagination go really wild! I scoured the far corners of my mind seeking out the perfect wild card. Someone you'd never expect, but that would still be a viable candidate. I had trouble finding just the right character... until I went back in time 1008 years ago. Today's character was (silently) celebrating the Millenial Fair when I arrived to take him away to the Super Smash Bros. universe. His name is:


Crono!

B: Slash - Crono unleashes his might with his blade! He slashes at the ground, sending an energy wave that deals a maximum of 13% damage to anyone it hits. This move is just like Kirby's ^B move, without the jump.
< or >B: Confuse - Crono dashes forward a short distance in the direction he's facing when this move is used. If he makes contact with an opponent, he'll spin around them, hitting them 4 times with his sword for a maximum of 4% damage. This move's name may seem confusing, until you realize that it has a chance of "confusing" your opponents for a maximum of 8 seconds. What happens when you're confused? Well stars will circle around your head, you'll begin laughing uncontrollably, and your controls will be reversed!
^B: Cyclone - Don't get dizzy! Crono spins his whole body around like a cyclone, slashing as he goes! If it hits, it'll do a maximum of 12% damage. This move is similar to Link's ^B attack, but Crono has traded some of Link's height for the ability to move more freely from left to right during the attack.
vB: Spincut - Crono does a back flip before planting his blade into his opponent. How brutal! This attack has a limited range, but if it hits, it'll do a maximum of 18% damage. Try using this move in the air for added mobility!
Final Smash: Luminaire - The ultimate magic attack! Crono raises up, floating in the air as he unleashes all of his power, filling the screen with magic. This attack is very big, but it doesn't have an unending reach. The attack will hit anyone that is within a radius of Crono about the size of the width of the "main" platform on the Hyrule temple stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee. This attack does a maximum of 30% electric damage to all opponents caught in it's grasp, and will make Crono 1.2 times faster for 10 seconds afterwards.

Crono's Stage:

Dia de los Lavos!

This level takes place inside of Lavos during Crono's final battle! The stage has one large static platform across the bottom of the stage (about as big as the Battlefield stage's main platform in Super Smash Bros. Melee), and that's the only static element of the stage! Can you remember (if you made it this far at all) the final battle with Lavos? Well, if you don't, just know that it draws on it's memories of all the great evils of all the eras that Crono and company had visited for it's attacks. This stage does the same thing, changing placement of platforms and bringing new hazards with each new era! The amount of time you spend in each era is dependent on how long you battle... if you're battling a 2 minute battle, you'll be in each era 20 seconds. Now, let's list the eras you'll travel through!

Era: 3,000,000 B.C. - Reptites rush the stage! These reptites will come in packs of 2 and they'll hop through the stage, doing 10% damage to anyone they hit. Also, you'll sometimes have sake appear as an item. Well, in the American release it'll be called "Pork Soup". If you use the sake, it'll give you a 2% health increase, but it will also slow your character by 1%. Don't drink too much!

Era: The Age of Magic - Janus (a young man who lived during this era) will periodically appear on the edges of the screen to cast an elemental spell. He'll either cast Lightning, which may strike one opponent for a maximum of 12% electric damage; Fire, which may strike any number of opponents for a maximum of 25% fire damage (think Bowser's fire breath, only weaker); Water, which will come rushing from the side Janus is on towards the other end of the screen... so make sure you don't get swept up!; or Dark, which will shoot a beam of dark energy across the screen doing a maximum of 15% dark damage.

Era: The Middle Ages - Slash, Flea, or Ozzy will periodically show up to cause chaos! Slash will dart to the middle of the screen and slash for a maximum of 9% damage, Flea will put you to sleep for 5 seconds if you're close enough to the age that he appears from, and Ozzy will fall through the screen in a cage (ala Snorlax) for a maximum of 20% damage.

Era: Millenial Fair - Dragon Wheel comes in from either side and dashes across the screen doing a maximum of 13% damage to anyone he crushes under his wheels, or he breathes fire (again, like Bowser) doing a maximum of 25% damage.

Era: Future - Johnny will come tearing through the stage, doing 10% damage to anyone he hits. He's really sorry! Robots also appear on the sides of the stage and launch punches at the other end of the screen. If one hits you, it'll do a maximum of 17% damage.

Era: The Day of Lavos - Lavos attacks! He'll shoot a laser at the screen from the background that will hit for a maximum of 18% damage. He also summons a meteor that'll hit for a maximum of 25% damage.

Hazards:
They vary based on the era. Please, see above.

Crono?!? I'd say that out of all the characters I have lined up, Crono is probably the least (or second least) likely to get in the game. He'd make a great addition as he's a very unique middle-weight hero with tons of wacky appeal. And if you ask anyone to list off the very best Super Nintendo games, Chrono Trigger will surely be one of them. But as popular as he may be in our minds, he's not as popular as some of the other characters up on the block. The fact that Squeenix and Nintendo are on good terms again is a good thing, so let's hope!

Come back tomorrow for more rampant, unfounded speculation as I count down the days until the US release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl!

As always, if you've missed any of the old updates due to the holiday season (or just want to go back and read or discuss about your favorite predictions) then just go here. I'll keep the links current, so you can bookmark the page and check back later for any updates.