Dream Smasher: Scorpion [Guest Article]

This guest Dream Smasher was created by @Hamada_520 on Twitter.

Back in the early 90’s, two fighting game franchises dominated arcades, with each series going on to become legends in gaming history. Those franchises were Street Fighter, a series famous for establishing the fighting game genre, and Mortal Kombat, a darker take on the genre that grew in popularity due to its memorable cast of characters and excessive use of blood and gore. While the brutality is an iconic part of the franchise, the characters are not defined by it, and can make appearances in less mature games without feeling too out of place. This was shown back in 2008’s Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, a game that outright removed the series’ excessive gore for the sake of crossing the characters of Mortal Kombat over with the ones from DC comics. In this crossover, the Mortal Kombat characters remained true to their past portrayals without being too violent. That brings us to today’s Dream Smasher, the icon of the Mortal Kombat franchise: Scorpion.

Who Is Scorpion?

By TheRealHeroOfWinds

Scorpion, despite not being the most important character in his home series’ plot, has become the face of Mortal Kombat due to his famous backstory, arsenal of weapons, and iconic appearance. Hanzo Hasashi was once the Shirai Ryu clan’s greatest assassin, but after a surprise attack by the rival Lin Kuei clan, Hanzo, his family, and his clan, were all brutally murdered. However, Hanzo got a chance at vengeance when the demonic sorcerer known as Quan Chi saw potential in the assassin and reanimated him so that he may serve Quan Chi in exchange for the chance to avenge his family by killing their murderer: Sub-Zero.

Importance to Nintendo/Series

As the series’ most well known character, Scorpion has appeared in virtually every Mortal Kombat game. His dark backstory and legendary moves have made him an essential part of every game in the series since the beginning, cementing him in the minds of millions of players. Because of this, Scorpion has been heavily used in the games’ promotional material, usually facing off against his rival, Sub-Zero. While some would argue that Liu Kang is the franchise’s most important character due to him playing the largest role in the story, Scorpion’s more distinct moves and personality ultimately led to him being the franchise mascot in both the eyes of the fans and the developers, NetherRealm Studios.

The Mortal Kombat series and characters have made several appearances on Nintendo consoles over the years. Some of the most notable releases on Nintendo consoles include the original Mortal Kombat and its sequel, which were released in both arcades and on SNES, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, which was ported to the DS in 2007, and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, which was released on the Wii in 2007 with an exclusive character. In addition, Scorpion himself was a DLC character in 2013’s Injustice: Gods Among Us, a game that also released on the Wii U. So while Scorpion and his home franchise may have never exclusively been on Nintendo consoles, they have appeared numerous times during Nintendo’s history up until modern day, having deep ties to Nintendo as a result.

Colors and Design

In Smash, Scorpion would most likely take on his appearance from the original Mortal Kombat. As Scorpion’s original design, it’s the one most people associate with him due to it representing the original Mortal Kombat trilogy of games. However, the modern design that was introduced in Mortal Kombat (2011) would appear as an alternate costume for Scorpion, representing the series in the modern age. Both Scorpion’s default and alternate costumes would have three palette swaps based on the other iconic ninjas of Mortal Kombat: Sub-Zero, Reptile, and Ermac.

How Will He Play?

Now, let’s have a look at some stats:

• Can they crawl? No
• Can they wall jump? Yes
• How many jumps do they have? 2
• Are there any exclusive abilities they have*: Yes
• Weight Class: B
• Height Class: C+
• Speed Class: D
• Are they mirrored when they face left: Yes

*Like Peach’s float

In a lot of ways, Scorpion would resemble Ryu in terms of gameplay and mechanics. He wouldn’t be too fast on his feet, but he would pack a punch and be good at hitting the opponent with powerful combos. Scorpion would also borrow a few special qualities from Ryu, including the quirk of always facing his opponent in a one-on-one, and the player being able to execute stronger versions of Scorpion’s special attacks by using special inputs. However, while Ryu’s attacks generally revolve around punches and kicks, Scorpion would rely on his arsenal of weapons and hellfire abilities. This would give Scorpion the advantage at mid-range, where he would be able to both zone the opponent out and trap them in combos. The catch would be that Scorpion would struggle against zoners and hit and run characters, who would have little trouble staying out of his reach. Against these opponents, Scorpion would have limited options, and be very predictable as a result.

Boxing Ring Title: “The Specter of the Netherrealm”

Series Icon

Stock Icons (Courtesy of Voyager)

Kirby Hat

Move Type	Description
Entrance Animation:	Scorpion would jump out of a pool of lava and give a battle cry while engulfed in fire.
Stance:	Scorpion would be in a battle ready pose with his legs slightly bent while his hand was clenched into a fist.
Idle Animation #1:	Scorpion would stand upright and begin to look around restlessly.
Idle Animation #2:	Scorpion would pull out his iconic spear and examine the tip.
Walking:	Scorpion would slowly walk forward while maintaining his fighting stance.
Running:	Scorpion would run forward with his arms moving back and forth, similarly to Ryu’s running animation, but slightly faster.
Jumping:	Scorpion would jump forward while his hand held onto one of the swords on his back.
Crouching:	Scorpion would bend over and place one hand on the ground.
Shielding:	Scorpion would hold both arms out to block incoming attacks.
Jab:	When the input is tapped, Scorpion would punch forward twice before performing a roundhouse kick. When the input is held, Scorpion would perform a fiery uppercut that launched opponents.
Forward Tilt:	When the input is tapped, Scorpion would spin kick forward. When the input is held, Scorpion would grab his swords and slash them downwards.
Down Tilt:	When the input is tapped, Scorpion would quickly stab forwards with his spear. When the input is held, Scorpion would perform a sweeping kick that could potentially trip opponents.
Up Tilt:	When the input is tapped, Scorpion would quickly strike upwards with his palm. When the input is held, Scorpion would pull out one sword and slash it in an upward arc.
Dash Attack:	Scorpion would engulf his feet in flames and dropkick forward. While this move would be able to kill at high percentages, Scorpion would be left vulnerable while getting back up.
Side Smash:	Scorpion would grab one of the swords on his back as it began to heat up. Then, Scorpion would unsheath it and slash forwards as the sword was engulfed in flames.
Up Smash:	Scorpion would engulf his foot in flames and perform a flip kick. While this move wouldn’t hit foes behind him, it would have a wide range in front of him due to the flames coming from his foot.
Down Smash:	Scorpion would grab one of his swords and slash downwards with it. While this move wouldn’t hit behind Scorpion, it would be an effective ledge guarding tool.
Neutral Air:	Scorpion would engulf himself in flames, launching and dealing damage to anyone nearby.
Down Air:	Scorpion would shoot two spears downward. While they would shoot very far, they would damage and launch opponents instead of grabbing them.
Forward Air:	Scorpion would slash forward with his sword, covering a wide range without dealing much damage.
Back Air:	Scorpion would pull out his spear and stab behind him with it. While this attack would have very poor range, it would launch opponents very far.
Up Air:	Scorpion would perform the same flip kick seen in his Up Smash, but without the fire.
Grab:	Scorpion would simply grab the opponent by the neck with one of his hands.
Pummel:	Scorpion would stab his spear into the opponent as they helplessly struggled.
Forward Throw:	Scorpion would slash at his opponent twice with his spear before kicking them forward.
Up Throw:	Scorpion would punch the opponent into the air with a fiery uppercut.
Down Throw:	Scorpion would lift his foot above the opponent, light it on fire, and slam the opponent into the ground with it.
Back Throw:	Scorpion would throw his opponent behind him before stabbing them with his sword.
Neutral Special: Spear	Scorpion would throw his iconic spear forward, with the attack having a wide range while still not counting as a projectile. If the spear hit anyone, Scorpion would yank them towards him while screaming, “Get over here!” Once they reached him, Scorpion would have a brief time to attack them, with the amount of time the opponent was stunned depending on how high their percent was. When used in the air, Scorpion would use the spear to move towards the opponent he hit before punching them with a flaming uppercut. When the player inputted Back, Back, Attack, however, Scorpion would fire two flaming spears that dealt more damage, but didn’t grab the opponent. Similarly to Zero Suit Samus’ Plasma Whip, Spear could also be used to grab the ledge.
Side Special: Leg Takedown	Scorpion would slide on the ground and attempt to catch someone in between his legs. If he caught them, he would force them to the ground while dealing damage. Due to the distance Scorpion moved while on the ground, this attack would both help Scorpion avoid projectiles and give him another option against zoners. However, if the player inputted Back, Forward, Attack, Scorpion would instead perform a flaming kick while sliding on the ground, launching anyone he came into contact with.
Up Special: Flameport	Scorpion would teleport and leave an after image of himself behind. Wherever he reappeared, he would uppercut forward with his fist engulfed in flames to gain extra height and attack nearby opponents. Similarly to Sheik’s Vanish, this attack would be able to go in any direction. However, if Scorpion reappeared while on the ground, he would perform a flaming flip kick to attack those around him instead. When the player inputted Down, Back, Attack, Scorpion would attack twice upon reentry instead of once, but his teleport wouldn’t take him as far.
Down Special: Flame Aura	Scorpion would strike a meditative pose as flames engulfed his body, slightly damaging and launching anyone nearby. The flames engulfing Scorpion would remain on him for a short time after this, damaging, but not flinching, any nearby opponents. However, if Scorpion was hit while on fire, the flames would immediately dissipate. This move would function as both a quick get off me tool and a way of racking up damage on the opponent. This would also be Scorpion’s only special move to not have a special input variant.
Final Smash: Toasty!	Scorpion would grab one of his swords and stab it into the ground, causing a giant fissure of fire to appear in front of him. If anyone was standing on it, they would be sent to the Netherrealm, where Scorpion would take off his mask, revealing the skeleton beneath as he burned his opponent(s) alive by breathing fire on them. The attack would end with the opponent(s) being launched out of the Netherrealm as Scorpion held his fist up while the word “Fatality” appeared above him.
Up Taunt:	Scorpion would grab one sword and slash it behind and in front of him before returning it to its sheath, referencing his animation for whenever he wins a round in Mortal Kombat (2011).
Side Taunt:	Scorpion would point at the opponent and say, “This is the end of you.” This is a reference to Scorpion’s animation for winning a round in Mortal Kombat X.
Down Taunt:	Scorpion would engulf his hands in flames and look forward menacingly.
Victory Animation #1:	Scorpion would shoot his spear at the camera and pull it towards him while shouting, “Come Here!” Scorpion would then silently look down. This is a reference to Scorpion’s victory animation in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.
Victory Animation #2:	Scorpion would drop in from off-screen and land with one hand on the ground and the other holding a sword. Scorpion would then look up and give an intimidating look. This is a reference to Scorpion’s victory animation in Mortal Kombat (2011).
Victory Animation #3:	Scorpion would engulf himself in flames and unleash them in all directions before extinguishing the last of the fire in his fist. This is a reference to his victory animation in Mortal Kombat X.

Victory Fanfare:Scorpion’s victory fanfare would be a quick remix of the Mortal Kombat movie’s signature theme. While this theme never appeared in a Mortal Kombat game, it is one of the most iconic parts of the series nonetheless.
Outro:Despite the mature content found in its games, the Mortal Kombat series is one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time, with characters like Scorpion being globally recognized by children and adults alike. With Smash Bros. being a celebration of all things gaming, Scorpion and his series have more than what it takes to join the roster. Besides, Ryu can’t be the only fighting game character in this series about fighting, can he?

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Joshua 'NantenJex' Goldie

A historian and avid gamer, NantenJex is the Editor-in-Chief for Source Gaming, overseeing videos and reviews for the site. He has a passion for obscure gaming so any article you see on uncommon titles like Nazo no Murusame Jo, Yuyuki and Marvelous, to name a few, are most likely from him. He also likes game design leading to the creation of Dream Smashers, a series on potential newcomers for Super Smash Bros. He wants you all to know that Yoshi is objectively the best Nintendo character.

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