The 'Shroom:Issue LXXIV/Brawl Tactics

Brawl Tactics by

What's up, Brawlers? Welcome to this month's edition of BRAWL TACTICS!

This month, I will be reviewing the stage Hanenbow!

Hanenbow is an odd stage, to say the least. You create the music by making the tones on the leaves you're standing on for battle, and the effect is... very peaceful, to say the least. Until someone pulls out a Smart Bomb. Then it gets annoying real quick.

First things first. Hanenbow is a medium sized stage with three different plants growing for you to stand on. Be sure to only stand on the leaves as the brown stems are only part of the background. Due to the fact that the leaves are the only platforms to stand on, the sides of this stage are very shallow, and if you go offscreen, there's not much you can do to get back on. If you're taking a photo, remember that this stage has 2D properties like Flat Zone 2- if you adjust the angle of your shot, you will get a 2D picture instead of a 3D one like most other stages.

Don't take a swim here. Just don't. It's not the water you think it is. You won't float. You don't even drown, actually. You just fall. It's scary, like falling off a regular stage and running out of jumps to use to get back up. You can struggle all you want, but it's hard to get back up. I usually just avoid falling altogether. It's not hard, just try not to be a show-off and you'll be just fine.

Onto the leaves. Yes. Well. The leaves, they do move. You hit them, they move. You hit them repeatedly, they move up and down. You hit them with a Final Smash, they move up and down very quickly, all the while changing colors and making noise. You can imagine why some people might not like this stage. Me, I like the gimmicks. Once or twice a battle, I'll make the flower at the top of the right plant bloom. You have to turn all the leaves red, and it's really quite lovely. But, aesthetics aside, the leaves can be quite handy for collecting items. The top left plant will gather a lot of smaller items such as food and Screw badges just by being left in the flat position, and if you angle the right plant's leaves, you can get a pretty good collection of food on the lower leaves. Pokeballs pose a problem, though, since they bounce right off and into the abyss. So catch 'em all quickly before they're gone.

Final Smashes on this stage? No problem! It can accommodate some of the pickiest brawlers. Limited ranges, such as Luigi's Negative Zone work great here. Head to the edge of the leaves on the right plant, on the second or top rows, and you'll get great coverage of the stage. Need a beam shot with Samus or Mario? Head to the second level of the right plant and trap your opponents by angling your beam in their direction. Got a strike you need to nail on the first try? Link and Zelda's shots work well here. Pick a level where you can cross multiple leaves with one shot. Meta Knight need not run around in all directions, either. Trap your opponent on a single plant and move in for the kill.

That does it for me this month, Brawlers! Get in touch with nature on Hanenbow, and I'll see you next month on BRAWL TACTICS!