The PlayStation All-Stars Ultimate Roster Showdown Match 8: Sephiroth vs Spyro

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Round 1: Josh Miller on behalf of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII

Let’s be serious here…there is no case to a PlayStation All-Stars game of any sort where a Final Fantasy VII character is excluded. None. While it may not be your favorite or even have characters you can latch onto, it is inexcusable to not include a Final Fantasy VII character in the roster considering it’s impact not only on that franchise, but it’s importance to PlayStation. Cloud would ideally be the hero character to choose for this slot, but seeing as how Nintendo already nabbed him, I think using the quintessential villain of Final Fantasy games works just as well: Sephiroth.

So assuming you know nothing about video games, which is likely the only reason you wouldn’t know Final Fantasy VII or Sephiroth, let me briefly describe the impact that game made. Not only is Final Fantasy VII routinely on lists for greatest games of all time, it is also credited as being the game that sold PlayStation and made japanese role-playing games a viable genre outside of Japan.

Its characters have appeared in countless other games whether it Kingdom Hearts, Super Smash Bros., Ehrgeiz, and many more. It even spawned other games such as Crisis Core, Before Crisis and Dirge of Cerberus along with a sequel film in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. It has also been one of the most requested remakes, and after the remake was revealed, helped make the PlayStation E3 conference of 2015 be considered the “Year of Dreams”.

Sephiroth has much at his disposal for attacks for a follow-up to PlayStation All-Stars beginning with his long Masamune. It makes a perfect weapon for standard attacks, but can also be mixed in with various abilities he uses throughout the games he appears in. Perhaps mix in some teleporting or create energy blades to shoot out from swinging the sword. In the Dissidia games, he even has the capability of creating shields and slowing enemies, so there can be a good mixture of skills to use as a character.

The super attacks are also something that could be put to some creative use. For example, he could leave a fragment of Jenova that would raise a monster to use. Another ability could be summoning angels to attack other characters or even summon the destructive magic of Meteor. The final special though would have him transform into his final form and use his Supernova limit break.

Leaving out a character from one of the most beloved and recognized games not only to PlayStation but video games in general would be a disservice. Sephiroth would make a fantastic addition to the roster and is why I am tossing his name in the hat to add him on.

Round 2: Emmett Watkins Jr. on behalf of Spyro from Spyro the Dragon

One of the the biggest criticisms of the original PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was its lack of PlayStation One’s biggest mascots. In this Showdown so far, we’ve done a lot to make up for that with the addition of Lara Croft, Gabe Logan, and Raziel. But there are still a few more that need to be accounted for, and my favorite among them is Spyro.

Spyro the Dragon is the first game I’ve ever played, and that winter day at my cousin’s house in Florida is still one of my most cherished memories. Insomniac’s quirky platformer also captivated the minds of many other PlayStation owners in the 90s, as it was quickly followed up by 2 sequels and several more by other studios afterwards. The popularity of the series lead it to be heavily associated with the PlayStation One, and it would spark a long and lucrative relationship between Sony and Insomniac Games.

Spyro’s impact is well known for most of you, especially with the recent release of the Reignited Trilogy. But how would he play? Well, his move set would lend well to the game, especially his charge and blame breath attack. Additional move could be added in the form of spin attacks, the use of fairies to augment his base abilities, and the use of his skateboard from Spyro 3.

As for his super, there’s even more potential. He could summon in his friends for a quick high damage attack, such as calling in Sgt. James Byrd to fire off his rocket launchers or Bentley to demolish opponents with his club. But attacks of that scale only cover the first 2 super levels. His 3rd level super could be a full on flight level, like the one from the original games. Much like Sackboy’s level 3 super, opponents could only helplessly flair through the air as Spyro flames them up one by one. It’d be spectacular!

So, that’s my pitch. Hopefully you all will do the right this and vote to give one of the PlayStation One’s biggest icons his proper due.

Round 3: Fight!

So, who’s gonna take this match, Spyro or Sephiroth? Vote in the Twitter poll embedded below, and follow @LosHarrowGames for the next match up!