both showed as some young heir/son-like figure of the boss (Bison/Rugal)
both young, blond, lean but muscular, with a costume that while not the same remind the former boss style
both got an important very present sister-like figure at their side (Falke/Rose), fun thing Falke speaks german too (like them) and as style have la canne wich had fencing as base (Rose is said to be actually able to fight as a skilled fencer)
both are not evil as nature, yet somehow they bring forward the forner Boss way: Ed Building Neo Shadaloo with his own shadageneral trio, and Adelheid roaming the skies on the Sky Noah and challenging fighters
early concept of Adelheid may have given capcom some ideas on Ed’s uniform too
I think capcom wanted to do “their own Adelheid” Ed… for K idk honestly, SURELY i agree with you his backstory being even closer to Ed’s, but from that point for how they bring on the former Boss style/imagery i find Ed and Adelheid to be more straight comparision tbh
Glad Capcom acknowledged that G and the G-Project have a link. Given how hard they went in on the Q stuff I legit thought they’d overlooked it.
And yeah given how many character stories G was in after his arrival I have no doubt that he became the focus for the second half of SF5’s story. It’s kind of funny in a way how Capcom just completely dropped Necalli as a story line then apparently just dropped Neo Shadaloo too.
Yeah, could have been interessing see Abigail interact with the stage in a way that’s possible only to him due his immense size, that will have gave his concept a stronger meaning i think
Iirc in SFV he shows to be able to wreck the stage in a way others can’t with simple specials: anytime he want he got 2 specials that damage the ground to a level that only very few powerful characters can replicate, and only using Ultras(Gief, Birdie, Alex) or in a very particular situation (Zangief going Muscle Magic with VT2 SPD)
Would have liked see him use that unique ability in pratical way, imagine him causing holes in the ground (temporary, and never two at same time) that can get the opponent stuck for a second (or less) or lift a big chunk of pavement as “shield” that absorb one hit (think on fireballs) or crashing it over opponent’s head causing huge stun
Or something like capcom’s Hulk* did here
i may hate (i really do lol) Abi’s 3d ingame anatomy looking from marvel universe rathern than SF one… but will have liked see that abilty, him being even bigger/stronger than Hugo would have easily justified it
I think Necalli ending his SFV run with ASF was fine, after all he was used as stepping stone for Ryu to face a great challenge and achieve Mu no Ken
I don’t like at all how they handled Necalli’s run, but where it ends i can agree with
On Neo Shadaloo i agree, it feels kinda weird they created it to don’t use it lol
But on other hand timeline get strange here
We technically got “future Ed”, at least on visual standard costume side
I mean during ASF and right after(character story) he’s still Hoodie Ed and Bengus still design him as younger looking even in farewell fight with Rog… so have as Hoodie Alt a refined version of his ASF much leaner model will have been more correct.
What we got is just “older” Ed wearing his younger self clothes… wich he could do, but surely he did’nt looked lke that muscle wise during his ghost Bison/Rog farewell fights
Then we see Bengus design his future version, where he got NS uniform/team and look more old and muscular, wich is what we got ingame
Then we got Falke and her being in SFV timeline imply adult Ed is in too (he have accelerate growth), making “Adult Ed” part of SFV timeline after all, but not covered by any story mode (aside some interaction in Falke’s one)
I guess to see more of Neo Shadaloo base/members ecc we should have got a post ASF story, like in the Season 2 trailer where you see Ed & Falke already being operative in their NeoS attire
Reality is there’s just A LOT going on after ASF, but we just did’nt got a Story covering it in same big way likely because it will cost money without direct $$$ return
We’re appraching last season, if they have some 2nd story of any kind in the pocket to complete SFV timeline it’s now or never i guess
Still i will LOVE get at least a Neo Shadaloo stage with members watching the fight, done in the usual SFV interactive way so Ed & Falke are in the crowd but disappear if they are the ones fghting
For Necalli I just think they could have done a better job expanding on who or what he was. The theories about him before ASF were far more interesting than what we got. But yeah, I agree his ending in ASF was fine as it was, just a shame it didn’t really mean anything given how poorly Necalli was used.
As for Neo Shadaloo, I still have no idea what the fuck is going on with them. It’s clear default Ed is a ‘future’ version of him and his character story ending was fine as setup for SF6 (or beyond) but then Falke came along and it felt like Capcom just gave up on whatever it was they were building to. That being said though I hate the designs of the other two Neo Shadaloo people and I hope they never become playable so in that sense I’m kind of between a rock and hard place where I want them to continue establishing Neo Shadaloo but I hate the stuff they’ve already teased so I don’t know what I want lol.
Yeah would have loved at least them showing the atzec somewhere he was sleeping for centuries and the moment of his awakening.
It’s hinted/implied Bison’s Black Moons awakened him, but it should have been better just see it in a well done cutscene (wich will have also given more sense to Necalli-Bison clash later)
I think they could have opened easily the NS arc by simply adding post-ASF story showing Ed and Falke picking up Shadaloo’s experiment rejects and gave them an home and purpose in NS as some sort of not-giant scale org like a band of anime outlaws/pirates on the not-SO-villain side
No world domination and shit essentially, just misfits and freaks banding together and make a living using theyr abilities
I think they could just have achieved this by showing the first recruitments/NS birth even just with Bengus art in Falke’s story, then that stage i was talking about
That way you seen NS birth, know it exist and that’s it, no need do much more
Close the arc will be harder and imho not even something SFV NEED to do, as they could have stayed that “just exist” way till in SF6 or whatever chapter where Ed -inevitably- get possessed by Bison’s spirit/power and starts do actual Evil shit, slowly becoming every day a bit less-Ed-more-Bison and turning funny current NS into an actual prosecution of original Shadaloo, with Falke ally with heroes trying to save him
On other hand like you said if one dislike NS he should have pray for SFV to do that job
But that would mean have Bison be like
1 “Ahaha i’m returned, white hair long jacket now!” -> hadoken’d
2 “Ahaha i’m returned, blond young boxer now!” -> defeated, Ed get free
In very same game lol
Personally i got no big problem with NeoShadaloo being next treat, only thing will suck the fact that’s still something popped out of Shadaloo’s ass
I prefer the idea of SF6 Boss to be independent and new, not from Shadaloo neither Illuminati
Hard disagree on Illuminati not being the main antagonists for the next game, it’s long overdue and I’d like one game without any Shadaloo adjacent bullshit. Even if they’re defeated that very game and fuck off forever, that arc needs concluding. Shadaloo though definitely need to go away for a game or two. I know people love them and they’re as part of Street Fighter as shotos are but we seriously need a break from them and this is the best time for it.
If it were up to me, I’d have Gill and the Illuminati be the threat for the first half of SF6 (similar to Bison being the villain until ASF in 5) and then towards the end build to Bison possessing Ed and turning Neo Shadaloo into the threat for the future. I’m not naive enough to think the Illuminati are sticking around long enough to have any kind of presence similar to Shadaloo, so I’m fine with them becoming a secondary aspect of the series but I think just to continue off from SF3 they need to at least at the forefront for a little bit (and god fucking help me if anyone but Alex is the one to defeat Gill. Fuck this Superman Ryu bullshit).
As for Neo Shadaloo, I like the idea of Ed initially leading them as an Shadaloo clean-up crew (like Blue Umbrella in RE7 but less dumb) but once Bison takes over him he uses Ed to convince them to make Neo Shadaloo into Shadaloo 2.0, with Falke and the others at first unaware that Ed isn’t himself. I think a possessed Ed would make a really fascinating new villain but they need to build towards it a bit more (after abandoning it in 5) and while you do that the Illuminati can have their brief time to conclude their arc from 3.
Oh on Illuminati i would be fine even just with Gill working on the side to return fully on top, after Urien blow-up te building where Gill was resting/recovering (3TS ending), maybe adding “well i guess i got to take care of my brother” in his to do list
Gill and Urien SERIOUSLY clashing wich each other (with Urien taking some lab shit to fill the gap) can be cool af, while not necessary have Final Boss about Illuminati (and i like Illuminati)
Think like Bison had to spend SF4 to reach Seth and fuck him up as some sort of side-story
On Ryu defeating Gill… i don’t know where they want to go
I think the Oro training is essentially done for the Star Wars like triangle of Ryu-Oro-Akuma with the purpose of get Ryu defeat Akuma (wich can keep him away from the actual Boss hopefully)
I’m totally ok with Alex be the one to defeat Gill (i find it best option), but i just wish they made clear first fight was somehow a fluke and that Alex have to train/“evolve” much much more to take on an actually serious Gill
I also think for some reason Alex is the only(or one of the few) that can truly injury Gill, as seems Gill got lot of fights where he lost on purpose, but only after the Alex one we see him having to recover like that
Yeah I’m ultimately fine with the Illuminati taking a side role if it means they stick around and don’t just vanish like in SF4, but like I said I’d rather they get one more shot as the main villains before Neo Shadaloo takes over as that’s clearly where they’re going.
And yeah my biggest fear at this point is that Ryu beats Gill. I think I’d give up on modern SF if that ever happened, as extreme as that sounds. I’ve been waiting a long ass time for a continuation of SF3’s story and if all that waiting ends in Ryu saving the day AGAIN I’d honestly lose it lol. I agree with you about Alex though. There’s a lot to Gill and Alex’s dynamic that the older games simply couldn’t (or wouldn’t tell) and I’d like it if they went into a bit more in future games.
I think they will not give up on Ryu getting the best piece to eat, is just that they already kinda hinted at Akuma being the most powerful enemy (because Japan stronk), so if Ryu can eat him does’nt really matter to them if somebody else take on Gill
But on other hand in SFV they could have done Necalli powerful as Bison and have Ryu beat only Nec, while others 3v1 on Bison - > Ryu still most stronk, but others get a piece
Instead they gone for Ryu eat Necalli, eat Bison and then just rematch Ken as “fuck you too” despite was already obvious that first Ken fight was an L caused by Ryu having to solving stuff. But the Stronk creds have to be clear and pure
So idk
On logic level i’m inclined to say “No, Ryu does’nt need to eat Gill”
On capcom level “nobody can ever really say to be safe from the Stronk fist of Ryu, hide and pray”
I just hope it does’nt get all simply forgotten, interessing situation dropped there 20+ years ago and never solved lol
Yeah pretty much lol, that’s where my current fear is at. There’s really no reason for Ryu to beat another series villain but at this point he took the main bosses of 4 and 5 away from other characters so at this point who the fuck even knows. I just hope Capcom see sense and realise that they built up Alex for a reason in 3. Speaking of…
Same, they were building a really interesting narrative with Alex and his ties to Gill/the Illuminati and I’ll be mad if they just ignore that 'cause SF3 bombed 20 years ago so everything in it must suck. His role in SF5 doesn’t really give me much hope but he was purposefully designed that way so who knows. Just gotta hope SF6 doesn’t shit the bed lol.
My hope is that since Dhalsim, a few quotes and his character story are hinting that his journey is just starting and there’s something special about him, they’ll remember to give him the win.
There was also Nash’s unexplained dream that opens A Shadow Falls. Nash sees a sheep, the sheep says “Devour”, the sheep is surrounded by black goo, the goo-sheep turns into Necalli, Necalli attacks Nash, one of Ryu’s magic butterflies shows up, the butterfly distracts Necalli, then the butterfly saves Nash by exploding into light.
That had to have meant something at some point in the story’s development, presumably more than just Nash waking up with an unexplained prophecy (Necalli appearing, only to be defeated by Magic Butterfly Ryu). Unless Capcom truly didn’t give a single **** about Necalli, and just threw together whatever garbage anyone could come up with in a desperate attempt to make it look like Necalli had any purpose.
There is nothing good about Abigail using the road and sending earthquakes to the opponent that’s terrible. That’s not very final fight.
My only criticism with abigail is that they didn’t knell him like Juggernaut is in Mahvel games, for the sake of consistency and coherence in game screen for players.
Yeah, I’m gonna have to go over things to get it, but since butterflies are a sign of rebirth and it lands on Gill’s hand after the credits I thought that was just Kolin stuff for manipulation of Charlie or something, but for it to appear in Ryu vs Necalli throws off my theory.
To this day I’m still confused at Necalli’s intro with Charlie, at first I thought he was hunting him because he “cheated death”, but he quickly loses interest in him after a while and we next see him hunting Ryu. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at Capcom HQ, it seems like Necalli got a quick change to his role in the overall plot, because some things just don’t fit right.
Also what could getepe mean?
I still would have preferred either no Necalli or have him show up in a later storyline where he wouldn’t have to be competing with the fall of Shadaloo and Rise of the Illuminati.
I don’t think Neo Shadaloo had the potential to be the big evil.
They are better to be new protagonist for awhile and FANG as there new antagonist
I see that more of a better transition, while Urien and Gill are the impending doom behind the scenes and Bison being absent in the latter events since FANG is trying to find a way that he would have a new independent body.
That the neo shadaloo would final beat FANG but that’s where Bison would return soon after FANGS destruction. while him being just a Phantom Bison like how Nightmare Geese is that is a just haunting people in nightmares.
Then the neo shadaloo would be free from any attachment from Bison yet he return in latter games… using a SETH clone modified body and working behind the scenes constructing a mechanical body along with a mechanical Fang after his defeat in the hands of neo shadaloo.
This is why I wanted the next game set within also the SF3 timeline instead of beyond it, that either G or Urien has something to do with it that they separate the guys that are key persons on the Shadaloo and Sin Arcs.
I believe Necali is fine already to be just like that and he doesn’t need more spotlight anymore than ever before because his destined to be not in the future despite having immortal like tendencies. The fact that Necali was never mentioned again in SF3 timeline.
People should never be attached again with Necali or be linked to Bison nor Illuminati anymore because of what he was portrayed and what he had been in the story progression. The more you link Necali to any of the plots from major antagonist is that you also pull back Ryu to the spotlight. Which most people frown upon.
For me the best usage for Necali character is to merge to another character, which was KAGE that was meant to replace evil ryu because of them having similar appeal and probably would be interesting that both would have to work with each other to have a single cause focus towards Ryu.
Since Kage is the Rasetmaru equivalent, separating Kage to Ryu is the best thing Capcom did to Ryu, that makes there poster boy separate to the terrible action of his bizzarro counter part. Having Ryu still Evil Ryu and commit acts and defeats as Evil Ryu degrade the appeal of his character. SNK did a better Job that they always separate bizzarro counter parts of the main protagonist.
Why did Snk did a great job? because the main character would never end up to be committed in a terrible situation in the history of the game
It’s either Necali tries to consume Kage or something that would make the two stuck on each other like they would develop a relationship like Eddie Brock with his Symbiote as Venom that would be constantly following Ryu.
It’s interesting that both would be constantly struggling to take control of a singular body.
Necali and Kage should be motivations and link to other characters should be now detached except to focus on Ryu and the inner struggle of both Necali and Kage to each other.
It’s an interesting fusion that the other had a supernatural side/ spiritual side with Kage existence while Necali has a strong and durable organic side that makes there combination as the perfect jobber for the likes Ryu and Akuma. A punching bag for any poster boy Ryu development story. So the story of Ryu is not all about Bison anymore and Bison would be separated and so is Akuma should be. While keeping this character as a permanent Ryu rival as Spiderman is to Venom which is known as the two living entity of Eddie Brock and the alien Symbiotte together.
Just let go of Necali, a sudden change to make him all of a sudden threatening would cause more inconsistency and complication to the narrative, Just let his arc go and close with Kage as by merging two fighting game character that had very similar design intentions and narrative motivation, even some of there moveset are very edgy that they are seems to replace evil Ryu in a sense that Kage was more successful than Necali.
When you try to make Necali the spotlight antagonist or try to make him appealing that fans would get attached to his character, your also putting the spotlight of the protagonist back to Ryu and can be also Nash?
This is the better progression for those characters as they replace Evil Ryu for good while keeping the edgy appeal of that Evil Ryu without Ryu and Ryu becomes free and independent character as he progress to his training learning new techniques from Oro that would make him manipulate some of his technique using psychic abilities like telepathy to incorporate to his hadouken and other projectiles attacks.
Namco also did also a good job returning Nightmare back without Siegfried, by having it linked to a character that never been attached to any souls fans.
From the initial tease for A Shadow Falls, I was one of the people that assumed that Nash’s resurrection was brought about through some technique that tapped into whatever Necalli was. After all, Nash was being revived in a game that was simultaneously introducing a seemingly major new immortal warrior with a funky inhuman body. And Nash was dreaming of Necalli, only to wake in a temple-like tomb instead of something like a research facility. It all just screamed that there was some kind of connection.
Once I completed ASF, I was struck by how irrelevant Necalli was to the story. He’s not just relegated to a minor side plot, he’s relegated to an irrelevant side plot. The more I thought about ASF, the more obvious it became that the Necalli parts were just awkward insertions into a pre-existing storyline. I know that some argue Necalli is relevant to the main plot, as Ryu gains his magic butterfly powers through defeating Necalli. But no, he isn’t. The story had set up that Ryu was already devoted to the training that would naturally lead to his magic butterfly powers. You could excise Necalli entirely from the story, and no one would suspect anything was missing. (A similar lazy insertion was performed with Laura, who gets inserted into an obviously pre-existing Sean story/cameo appearance, only to immediately disappear from the rest of the story despite joining the anti-Bison team.)
Thinking about it now, I’m increasingly certain that the Nash dream sequence really was nothing but an attempt to make Necalli appear involved and relevant to the story, when he really wasn’t. An intro to sell Necalli as a threat, even though he wasn’t. And even that intro ends with foreshadowing of super-best-guy Ryu getting super-awesome magic butterfly powers.
