The PlayStation All-Stars Ultimate Roster Showdown Match 12: Crash Bandicoot vs. The Traveler

Click here for more information on this Showdown.

Round 1: Emmett Watkins Jr on behalf of The Traveler from Journey

I know that this week’s match up is clearly stacked heavily in my opponents favor, but we can’t let the nostalgial of Crash overshadow the impact that Journey has had on everyone who plays games. When the third game from That Game Company released last generation, it was a revelation in minimalist storytelling and online interactivity. It seems only right to have it’s protagonist, The Traveler, immortalized in All-Stars to pay respects to the legacy of the game.

The Traveler is definitely deserving of a slot on the roster, but how would they possibly play? Having them in a fighting game seems to completely go against everything that Journey represents, but if they stay true to the passive move set of The Traveler, then their character could fill the archetype of a troll character.

They shouldn’t have any punches, kicks, or other traditional attacks, but you could use their musical chirps to do area-of-effect damage on those nearby. Much like their movement in Journey, the traveler should be incredibly mobile, and their floaty jumps and slides should be brought over into All-Stars. Their combat loop would then consist of activating chirps near enemies to do damage/generate AP while also using their advanced movement abilities to dodge attacks and close the gaps on enemies. Similar to Rob the Robot and the Ice Climbers in Smash, or even Totoro and Emmett Graves in the original All-Stars, they could be a fascinating character for those who have already mastered more standard characters.

As for their supers, that would require even more creativity to come up with. A level one super could have the gold trim in their scarf and robe glow, much like they do at the end of the game, and allow you one instant kill chirp. Level two could have them wear a white robe for a limited time and turn their chirps into instant kills fro that brief duration. The level 3 super would be the most unique, however, as it could incorporate some of the cloth creatures from the game to slam into enemies for a fatal blow.

So, hopefully I’ve done a serviceable job of selling the addition of The Traveler to PlayStation All-Stars. Give them a shot, as they have the potential to be the most interesting character in the roster yet.

Round 2: Emmett Watkins Jr on behalf of Crash Bandicoot from Crash Bandicoot

You guys know what time it is! With the recent remastering of the PlayStation One Crash games, the high sales of said games, and the soon-to-be-released Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, our favorite jort-sporting mascot has finally been brought back to relevance. So, if we ever were to get a sequel to PS All-Stars, then the only way to do it properly would be to finally bring the Orange Edgelord back home.

So, if he does end up on the roster, how would he play? Well, his standard moveset should include the spin move and slide that were all familiar with, as well as some standard swipes to fill out his mid range capabilities. In fact, I think it would be cool if he didn’t have any real projectiles at all, and you just had to use his slide to close the gap on opponents.

As for his supers, that could incorporate many of the items and other characters from the franchise. His level one could simply be him summoning a TNT Crate for an instant kill for anyone caught in it’s blast radius. His level 2 super could have Crash summoning Aku Aku to activate a brief ability to use an energy beam, which would be Crash’s only projectile ability. His level 3 could be really fun, as it could temporarily change the whole stage into a speedway and the player could control Crash as he carts over the other opponents as they helplessly flail on the track.

So, I’d usually do some further convincing here and encourage you to make the correct choice. But if the outcry for the lack of tangerine marsupial in the original game is any indication, then his inclusion here is all but inevitable.

Round 3: Fight!

Who’s you backing in this match, The Traveler or Crash Bandicoot?
Vote in the Twitter poll embedded below, and follow @LosHarrowGames for the next match up!