He’s changed for the better
When playing Super Smash Bros. Melee, I always tended to side with Marth. I dug his aesthetic, his animations, and his moveset over Roy.
But with the release of his DLC incarnation in the new Super Smash Bros., Roy is now my boy.
First off, it has to be said that Roy is even less similar to his Fire Emblem brethren in this game. He wields his sword backwards, which provides him with a unique set of animations, as well as different hitboxes for his attacks. Roy is a much more close-combat oriented fighter than Marth or Lucina, with nearly all of his attacks, including his neutral-B charge move, sporting a smaller distance. There’s no tipping here — Roy does most of his damage up close with the hilt, and feels completely different right off the bat.
In addition to his neutral charge he also has his patented upwards slash, counter, and forward/backward sword combo. Don’t dismiss him as a clone though, as all of these moves have different timings and animations to get used to. Take his Up-B — it’s a tad slower, but it hits multiple times, so you don’t have to worry about executing it perfectly. Everything else is best used close-up, due to the lack of a tip-damage bonus. As a general rule, Roy is also speedier, so you won’t be able to acclimate as a Marth or Lucina main immediately without getting a feel for how he moves.
Oh, and his grabs are much better at setting up combos. Out of all of the Fire Emblem characters in the game, he likely has the most depth. While Ryu is a sexier brand new addition and Lucas is a fan favorite, I think Roy will end up being the best part of this DLC drop today as more veterans get their hands on them. Out of all three, he’s my personal favorite. In fact, he really puts Lucina in an odd spot, as she feels less relevant when compared to both Marth and Roy’s uniqueness.
Yep, the crowd still chants “Roy’s our boy” — amazing.
