Jab’s Builds! (Whomp 'Em! Plumbers Don't Wear Ties! ToeJam & Earl!)

[Jabroniville]

SHANK
Played By: Gal Gadot
Role: Bad-Ass Car Thief
PL 6 (98)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+7)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Street Gang) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Vehicles 10 (+14)

Advantages:
Fearless, Leadership, Ranged Attack 2, Taunt, Ultimate Driving Skill, Uncanny Dodge

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Game Boss)- Shank's job is to kill Player Characters. While she acknowledges that she cares about PCs, she believes that it's important to teach people the notion of failure, and that simply letting them win takes away the thrill.
Responsibility (Car)- Shank does NOT like it when people mess with her wheels. When Vanellope swipes it, she's eager to race, possibly killing any characters who oppose her.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 9 (98)

-Our "shades of grey" new major character in Ralph Breaks the Internet, Shank hails from an online racing game called Slaughter Race, where she acts as an enemy Boss. Depicted as being tough as nails, she is introduced having her team kill an opposing player, horrifying Ralph. When he & Vanellope steal her beloved car, she gives chase- Vanellope racing through the hurricane of absurd weapons impresses Shank, and she takes the kid under her wing. Immediately becoming a mentor figure, she is now a bit more fun, helpful, and wise- she convinces Vanellope that Sugar Rush isn't her future, and that it's okay for her to have a different dream than Ralph (who thinks his own life is just fine, now). In the end, she isn't terribly important to the finale, though Slaughter Race is gravely endangered by Ralph's actions creating a deadly virus.

-The character was fine enough, but I felt that the "stunt casting" of Gadot didn't play to her strengths- her Israeli accent makes her come off a bit stodgy and weird, as her English isn't that fluid, so even lines like "Who are you?" have odd syntax and emphasis. Physical Charisma is more Gal's attribute, and that's not something that an animated character can easily reflect. The design was pretty cool, though kind of "basic" compared to the previous film's invented-game-characters like Fix-It Felix and Sgt. Calhoun, who were both very bright, flashy designs. Shank just looks like some kind of Ambiguously Brown girl in normal clothes- not even particularly criminal-y. While attractive, she didn't lend herself well to legions of fanartists, let's say- she's just now Toyetic at all- they didn't even MAKE a special doll at the Disney Store! Even Calhoun got one!

-Shank is a great driver and presumably a good enough fighter, but doesn't get enough showcasing to properly define much of her.

About the Performer: Shank was played by Gal Gadot, who, much like Jane Lynch in the first film, had just become famous for playing a notable character. In this case, Gadot had gotten noticed for playing Wonder Woman, taking a role that many had once considered "unplayable" (it required physical charisma, looks, action skills, warmth and toughness- in an industry full of waifs, that was a problem) and ended up becoming so good at it that it's now hard to think of anyone ELSE playing her.

-Gadot got her start as a model in her native Israel, but she received an education first, and did a mandatory stay in the Israeli Defense Force as a drill instructor- a role that helped her out when she appeared in "The Fast and the Furious" as Gisele, coming long after her modeling career got started. Wonder Woman came calling shortly afterwards, resulting in her getting a bit of attention at first in "Superman vs. Batman", but it was the "Wonder Woman" solo movie that really impressed- here, she was incredibly forceful, and the movie very well-made, earning a lot of cred as one of the first big action movies in a LONG while starring a woman as the solo lead.

People, not having seen such a film in ages, flocked in droves to see it, catching even Marvel (who'd been sodomizing DC at the box office for ages, humiliatingly-so) with their pants down- they made "Captain Marvel" as quick as they could to gather their own "Feminist Cred". Gadot was so popular that she became the only well-liked character in a very grim, shitty universe, to the point where she now overshadowed the guys playing Superman & Batman. "Wonder Woman 1984" is set for 2020. Though she became a "name" as a result of WW, she hasn't appeared in much else lately, largely because that stuff involves a lot of films, her having a kid in 2017, and I suspect that as a 5'10" woman, she probably has a lot of male costars who are leery of performing with her, as she'll make them look a whole lot shorter.

[Jabroniville]

Okay, so some stuff to unpack here from the comments, which thankfully are similar to what was posted in Discord, SELFISHLY, instead of being saved for my thread to make it look busier .

Vanellope Goes "Turbo": Turbo rewrote the code destructively, did so in secrecy, hurt another character (Vanellope) to do it, and ended up killing his own game. Vanellope found a way to put herself into Slaughter Race without destroying anything, and though she abandoned Sugar Rush to do it, she also ensured that game's survival at the same time via the whole "Steering Wheel" thing. And others were in on the plan. And, more importantly, Vanellope feels guilt over this apparent abandonment of her friend, and has to come to terms with that. So I feel their situations are similar, except one was driven by selfishness (Turbo's desire for the spotlight) and one by simple desire for a different, more exciting life.

The Notion of Identity: This is a bit more fitting, though both technically still have this at their heart. Ralph accepts that his role is as "the villain" and comes to enjoy that aspect, and is also able to communicate his desires to others. But Vannelope similarly ALSO has identity issues, enjoying the new game more, but similarly ALSO voices them. To be fair, I think a primary issue here might be more an issue of world-building, as Ralph's identity-seeking concludes with "Be happy with what you're doing" because he is a functional Video Game Villain, and in their surreal world, that's an important thing and will destroy his world if he's not there. It... doesn't quite work as well in the real world. While Vannelope's "If you're not happy, seek out your happier place" is a more real-world solution. Like, Ralph's problem has less context in the real world. Her game will survive without her, albeit without what was apparently a popular character? I guess?

Ralph Gets Humiliated: I forget how much Ralph suffers in the first movie, but I recall a lot of slapstick, but yeah, it was clear this movie found it hilarious when he repeatedly got injured or terrified by something.

I'm forgetting some of the other elements of the movie- Vanellope's "I Want" Song and her conversations with Shank definitely showed her own struggle with her problems, so I don't think she quite gave the "middle finger" to things- she showed real guilt in abandoning Ralph (though it's clear in the end that they can still hang out and talk regularly).

To me, the movie's cardinal sin might be more repeating Ralph's old issues- making him screw everything up due to his own problems- causing a virus to break out in Slaughter Race, which snowballs into worse issues.

[Ares]

So I feel their situations are similar, except one was driven by selfishness (Turbo's desire for the spotlight) and one by simple desire for a different, more exciting life.

So they're both driven by selfishness, then.

[Jabroniville]

There's nothing wrong with wanting "MORE"- by those standards, then even Belle, Anna, and Ariel are villains. SURELY it's reasonable to be bored with life and want something more out of it.

[Doctor Malsyn]

I'm still wanting to know why there aren't a lot more... Rogue programs? Whatever they are running around in this universe. Then again, maybe there are. The internet is a lot deeper then what the movie implies.

[Jabroniville]

I'm still wanting to know why there aren't a lot more... Rogue programs? Whatever they are running around in this universe. Then again, maybe there are. The internet is a lot deeper then what the movie implies.

I'm not sure of the specifics, but they made it seem like writing Vanellope into the game's code was easy enough... maybe only with modern computer stuff? They really don't explain a lot of that- it's so glossed over, we don't even see what happens when Sugar Rush is left without Vanellope. Or what other games are like on the web. Hell, I was always curious what OTHER Fix-It Felix and Sugar Rush cabinets were like- what's Regular Vanellope like?

Never mind that- who makes the games? What do the characters thing of the creators? And what do they think of stuff like Vanellope showing up in an MMO game?

And, honestly, the whole plot of the first movie is such a "Know Your Place" thing, only made acceptable by their world being one where you HAVE to do your job, or nobody else will survive. It's kind of an F'd up story arc if you think about what it would mean in any OTHER movie- the sequel merely removes that aspect that turns it into a negative.

[FuzzyBoots]

One might blame the easy shifting of characters on today's machines being closer to computers than the hardwired circuit boards of the past. There was a time when the most you could do was tweak things, c.f. Street Fighter II Rainbow Edition, or the Pac-Man mod chip that eventually became Ms. Pac-Man. Now, people can easily reflash the hardware, and sometimes even plug a cable into the machine and just download a patch, which might add or remove the equivalent of DLC.

[Ares]

There's nothing wrong with wanting "MORE"- by those standards, then even Belle, Anna, and Ariel are villains. SURELY it's reasonable to be bored with life and want something more out of it.

Not when doing so will potentially and literally destroy the world around her. They basically had to BS a way around the rules set up in R-IR 1 to allow her to get her happy ending, because in the first film, doing what she did would have likely ended with her own death (being killed outside of her own game) and destroying her game, either causing her fellow sprites to become homeless or to get deleted.

I'd compare Venelope to Moana here, as that seems like the most apt comparison. Both of them have a longing for "something more", but both of them also have responsibilities to their people. Moana realizes that wanting to just head out to sea for the Hell of it IS selfish and focuses on taking care of her people, finding joy and satisfaction in doing so. It's only after those people are put in danger that she leaves to save them, uncover the truth and rediscover the old ways, understanding that her longing for "something more" was both her instinctual bond with the sea and a hereditary calling of life on the ocean. Her whole arc is about finding a balance between her duties as a leader and her own desires, finding justification for the later and using it as a way to serve the former.

Venelope . . . just gets bored. And instead of finding ways to cope with it, instead of remembering that the people in this game rely on her for leadership and for the game's very existence, despite a dangerous precedent set by people doing the EXACT THING she does and gets rewarded for, she basically decides "eh, fuck them, I'd rather hang out with my new BFF and live a life of hedonistic irresponsibility". The plot has to bend over backwards to reward her selfish behavior, but it does so she gets everything she wants and no one gets destroyed because of it, but only due to a massive amount of handwaving.

Ralph's storyarc in the first movie is about learning how he was actually the one most responsible for his lack of happiness. He felt underappreciated (which was valid) and wanted to be a hero for superficial reasons like the acceptance, fame and happiness he thought being a hero would bring. He wants to be a hero for purely selfish reasons. It's only after he hangs out with Venelope that he realizes that other people can have it just as bad, if not worse, than himself, and he starts helping her out, partially to get what he wants but also because he legitimately wants to help her. He develops actual empathy for someone else and is slapped in the face with what the consequences of his selfish actions can do to his home and to the people that depend on him. Ralph then becomes an actual hero, saving people because it's the right thing, learns to communicate with other people and empathize with them, is able to actually enjoy his life and his job, and gain actual friends over the course of his arc.

Ralph was about realizing that he was his own worse enemy, that his selfishness, jealousy and inability to connect and communicate with others was what was making him miserable, not his job or even his status a villain. Moana's was about balancing personal responsibility with the things that made her happy, figuring out how to be a leader and only fully indulging in her love of the sea once she learns how to use it to benefit her people.

Meanwhile Venelope has the exact opposite storyline and character de-evolution. She overcame the prejudice others had for her, had friends, was taking care of a place that needed her, was doing something she'd wanted to do her entire life, etc. But she essentially just gets bored, completely abandons her old life, chooses to hang out with new friends, gets all kinds of rewards and plot changes to justify and reward her behavior, and gets to basically do whatever she wants without any thought of other people.

It's not even remotely close to the arc of any other Disney Princess.

[Arkrite]

Yeah, I watched that movie and it fell flat for me.

One of the things I remember in the first movie was that Ralph would accidentally wreck stuff all the time, in this movie I remember him breaking maybe one thing accidentally. Not terribly important but it just seems odd.

Ralph, in this movie, seems to have lost any progress he'd made and even seems to have become a bit dumber. But then most of this movie only works if the main characters are holding the idiot ball.

The Steering Wheel they need can't just be replaced with any other wheel? How in the world did they manage to break it in the first place? Venelope just magically starts turning the wheel on her own? Why did Ralph make the track during the day? If he'd made it at night they could have all raced it and had fun, but during the day they have a lot of risks involved.
What was happening to Ralph's game while he was hanging out in Sugar Rush in the middle of the day?

Or later in the movie when they're stealing Shank's car, Venelope glitches the car and Ralph to get them through a barrier. But when the road is blocked by the other drivers only seconds later Venelope just completely gives up.
Probably because if she remembered she had glitch abilities they'd have solved their problem and ended the movie early.

Ralph just seems to be treated worse by the story in this movie too, he rarely gets any moments to shine, and he's largely just the butt of the joke.

I will admit I liked the Princess section because it was as close as we got to seeing video game characters interacting with each other, and was cute for the thirty seconds it was on the screen.

The big finale where the princesses save the day? I cringed.
"Oh my god, a big strong man needs saving."
Okay, ha ha, funny, I don't mind that the girls get a chance to shine and... nope, they dump the guy in a dress and make a frog kiss him. You know, I don't remember the guys humiliating the princesses when the role was reversed.

Ugh.

And then Venelope... In the first movie she bonds with Ralph over the fact that they don't really feel like they belong and the want more from their lives. And both of them are treated terribly.
Say what you will, but from what I saw Ralph wanted to be appreciated for his efforts, and to not live alone in a dump. The people in his game treated him badly, except for Felix who was kind of understanding though just as happy to ignore the problem.
Venelope was ostracized by her fellow racers, and actively sabotaged any time she tried to compete, and her only dream was being a racer.

End of the movie they seemed to get what they wanted.

But in spite of the fact that Venelope got everything she wanted, and was in a great place, she still wants more.
Okay, I can appreciate that, but she accomplishes this "more" by ditching her game (Now with one less character, and arguably the most popular one based on what was said in the second movie), jumping into a game where she doesn't exactly belong (Which caused HER so much problems in the last movie), and just never talking to anybody else about it. Remember, she's the queen and ruler of her entire game as well...

One can argue they set the stage for the game swapping in the first movie with Q-Bert and his gang showing up in the Wreck It-Ralph game as special guests, but it just seems a bit off.

If you can add people to games so they come back after they die, why don't they do it everywhere? Why does Venelope give up on her game if she can just go there after hours? I mean, during the day she can keep her arcade game running and she could go during the night to hang out and drive with Shank and her crew and nothing would really change.

Honestly the whole story just seems poorly put together without any of the thought and heart which made the first one such a joy to watch.
I will watch Wreck-It Ralph again, but I can't think of any reason I'd want to see the sequel again.

[Jabroniville]

SAMURAI SHODOWN (2019):
With the success of many Fighting Games getting new, rebooted versions, came the 2019 return of the mighty Samurai Shodown! Now, I finished this set in August 2018, about right when they announced the return of the franchise, so I was of course annoyed after having put off the series for so long, lol. But the new version only adds four additional characters, making it somewhat easy to do. In this game, a ghostly young woman rises from the grave to threaten all of Japan, and warriors from all across the world arrive to put a stop to her.

The game is intended as a prequel to SSV, allowing most of the popular characters to appear. Using 3D models on a 2D background, it thus adopts the "Best of Both Worlds" approach (quick to animate & flashy to modern gamers, but also a well-balanced fighter that doesn't break the gameplay of the older games).

Notable missing characters include Gen-An & Amaterasu, the only two missing from the first game, Nicotine & Gaira from the follow-up games, Cham Cham (who was much more popular and prolific than Tam Tam, who made it in), and the Final Bosses. Iroha, the popular Maid-themed character, also missed the roster. Otherwise, it's largely your everyday case of "Well, everyone only liked the first two", tossing in the vast majority of those characters at the earliest availability.

The game's reception was very positive, averaging about 80% across the board (I'm not sure how gaming mags rate things anymore, though- I heard tell of a time when anything below 8.0 was simply NOT DONE, owing to bribery running rampant in the industry.


The Roster (Returning Characters):
SS1:
Haohmaru- The Main Character.
Ukyo- Doomed Iaido practitioner.
Nakoruru- Adorable little nature lover.
Jubei- One-eyed Samurai with two-weapon style.
Kyoshiro- Kabuki warrior.
Galford- American ninja with doggie helper.
Hanzo- Best ninja.
Charlotte- French Fencer. Haughty, arrogant and wearing men's armor. Perfection.
Earthquake- Big fat highwayman.
Tam Tam- South American lunatic.
Wan-Fu- Would-be dictator (DLC).

SS2:
Genjuro- Most badass-looking swordsman ever. Haohmaru's rival.

SS3:
Basara- Possessed nutjob.
Rimururu- Nakoruru's sister (DLC).
Shizumaru- Possessed little boy (DLC).

SS4:
Kazuki Kazama- One of two ninja brothers from SS4's Main Characters. Used fire (DLC).

SS5-6:
Mina- Bikini-Clad Archer (DLC).
Tokugawa- Future Shogun with shitloads of swords.

SS64:
Shiki- Yes, they included one of the Shodown 64 characters!

New Characters:
Shizuka Gozen- Weird Ghost. Final Boss.
Darli Dagger- Pirate Lass. Waifu.
Wu-Ruixiang- Chinese Fighter.
Yashamaru Kurama- The new Main Character. Samurai in full armor.

[drkrash]

Oh! SS! Yay!

[Jabroniville]

YASHAMARU (Kurama Yashamaru, aka Karasu Tengu)
First Appearance: Samurai Shodown (2019)
Game Appearances: Samurai Shodown (2019)
Home Country: Japan
Weapon: Nagamaki (Short Polearm w/ Sword Blade)
Role: The New Hero, Bad Boy, Anti-Hero Thief
PL 9 (145)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+10)
Athletics 8 (+11)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Samurai) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Thief) 8 (+10)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+9)
Perception 7 (+10)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Equipment 1 (Nagamaki +3- Reach), Hide in Plains Sight, Improved Critical (Arctic Tempest), Improved Critical (Azure Gale), Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 6

Samurai Shodown Fighting Style: Accurate Attack (Light Attack), All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort (Super Move), Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Heavy Attack), Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Shodown Fighter" Features 1: Adds Weapon Damage to Special Moves [1]
"Double-Jump" Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

"Special Moves" (All Have Flaws: Requires Signature Weapon)
"Super Move- Ebony Tengu Feathers" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (Flaws: Tiring) (-2 Defenses, Decreased Range) (7) -- [9]

• AE: "Arctic Tempest- Spinning Slash" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Blasting Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
• AE: "Azure Gale/Wintry Gust- Dashing Stab" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Nagamaki +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Special Moves +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Ebony Tengu Feathers +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Greed)- A fallen samurai, Yashamaru now fights for himself.
Responsibility (Hates Predators)- Though he is a thief, Yashamaru is an Anti-Hero- he despises those who exploit the weak for financial gain.
Enemy (The Tokugawa Shogunate)- Yashamaru's father was executed on false charges brought on by the Shogunate- Yashamaru now opposes them in all ways.
Weakness (Predictability)- Yashamaru cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time he tries the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, he will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 12 + 13 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 16 (145)

-AWESOME!! The new Main Protagonist of Samurai Shodown (2019) is, in fact, a perfect fit for the series! The wild hair, the badass weapon (a "Nagamaki", which is hilariously close to what Chris Jericho used to call Prince Iaukea in WCW), the samurai gear- this dude looks like he could KICK SOME ASS, and has incredible style. He even has a cool Tengu mask to avoid making him look "too pretty" (not that it would matter, considering this series has Ukyo Tachibana in it).
-Yashamaru is a young, fallen samurai (ooh, a BAD BOY!) who now acts as the phantom thief Karasu Tengu, named for his Tengu ancestry- the strange, flying forest creatures of Japanese folklore are apparently related to him.

-Yashamaru's moves are pretty simple- epic slashes and stabs. Dashing stabs (Azure Gale & Wintry Gust) cover ground quickly (even in mid-air!), while the Arctic Tempest is a giant spinning slash that is great for punishing projectiles. His specialty is maxing out his "Rage Gauge", which enhances all of his Specials, making the Tempest auto-correct directionally, and adding extra slashes to certain moves. Kind of difficult to use beyond "Enhanced Fighting" in M&M terms, but I'll just include that as part of his PL 9-ness (higher than most newbie characters). His Super Move- Ebony Tengu Feathers, is an awesome storm of energy feathers that assault the opponent- something that's not an enhanced version of his regular moves (like most Specials are, so I have to stat it up separately).

[Arkrite]

Wait, how did Venelope get out of her game? Wasn't a huge part of the first movie the fact that she CAN'T leave her game because she is glitched?

[Doctor Malsyn]

Wait, how did Venelope get out of her game? Wasn't a huge part of the first movie the fact that she CAN'T leave her game because she is glitched?

I.... Huh. You know that was never addressed. Is it implied that by being hooked back into her game she could leave again? She's still glitched up though.

[Jabroniville]

Wait, how did Venelope get out of her game? Wasn't a huge part of the first movie the fact that she CAN'T leave her game because she is glitched?

It's been too long since I've seen both- I couldn't tell you.

To be honest, it feels like the time between movies made the writers kinda forget their own stuff, as they go off-theme, ignore their previous world, and more.

I find it odd that everyone on here seems more bothered by the "Vanellope Leaves Her Game" thing (which, to be fair, is all over TV Tropes and other fansites about Wreck-It Ralph), and less about the stuff that bugged me the most, which was the stupid use of memes & current websites, and completely ignoring all but the two mains from the first movie.