I recently had time to speak with Gate about his Songbird work in progress. The following questions are asked by me in bold, and his answers will then follow.
1) So how did you decide upon bringing Songbird to Mugen?
I'm a big fan of the Thunderbolts team. In the '90 they were like a beacon of light in the middle of a gritty and grinning buffed characters with oversized guns sea. My original plan was converting Baron Zemo, but I couldn't find a good base, then I switched to Mrs. Gold, because she was the heart of the team for some years.
2) I recall that original beautiful sprite you made of her a little while back. Did the reception it got play any part in that decision?
In fact, yes. In the Brazilian forums the people praised the sprite, but the vast majority doesn't know the character. And in the international forums, I've found a lot of people who like Songbird. Then my decision was start the character to expand her fanbase, even by a minimum part.
3) Please share your thoughts about his general comic back history and about the character in general.
Songbird is Melissa Joan Gold, a former wrestler and super-villain with the alias Screaming Mimi. As a part of Masters of Evil, helped in the siege of Avengers Mansion, and later, Baron Zemo's plan to disguise as heroes. But Zemo betrayed the team, and they started to work as legitimate heroes.
For me the best Marvel female character. She is tough, strong willed, and a great team player and leader.
4) So tell the readers what bases you are using for the character and for the various moves themselves.
I'm respecting the comics and using wrestling moves for the basics. The Capcom female wrestlers are mostly comic and exaggerated, and this don't combine well with Songbird. Then I'm using mostly SNK bases, like Vice, Shermie, Blue Mary and Angel. Some special moves will use Captain Commando, Marrow and Rosemary.
5) I know its early on, but may I ask how the progress going on Songbird?
I have some basic movements and moves. Some of them look awkward without effects though. But now I'm finishing some more of the character and she's in the second plane.
6) What has stood out the most during the creation process in a positive manner to this point? What has been giving you the most trouble?
The better thing I'm learning in this character is using characters with totally different shading and make them blend with MvC style. But this is the hardest part too, because it's a lot more difficult and time consuming.
7) She has a very interesting power in how she can use sound to create constructs. May I ask how you plan on bringing this ability to Mugen and what current characters are helping you with the inspiration of this?
Actually I'm looking for the comic books and MUA2 with the shapes of the constructs. They're much simpler than Green Lantern's. The only thing I'm looking for in the current characters is make different from the various GL characters, or at least, having different functions.
8) Beyond what you just said, can you tell us any more about other plans for specials and hypers?
Mel will be a "keep away" character, using various moves to maintain distance, so she will have some type of projectiles, a mace swing move and energy shield. But when the fight will be close, she can use some special throws, since in the past, Songbird was a wrestler. In the hypers area, two of them will be new twists in existing moves, and the lv3 hyper Justice Like Lightning, summoning the classic Thunderbolts.
Actually that was a Zvitor's joke because I vanished for a little. In reality, my pc doesn't run most of newer games, and I only bought a PS2 after MUA2 was released, to play with Songbird of course (laughs). But some of the moves will be inspired in MUA2, and I've ripped her voices from game already.
10) Will she have any intros or winposes with any other comic characters, and if so can you tell us about some of your ideas along those lines please?
Firstly, members of the Thunderbolts team: Hawkeye, Green Goblin and MacGargan (some of them not released yet, but I'll edit the intros). Then, each of the helpers will have a intro against some character related to them. Like Citizen V appearing when the opponent is Captain America, or Atlas with Hercules or Wonder Man.
11) So what are your general thoughts on beta releases? Can you give a possible timetable on a beta to release and/or a goal for the full release?
The character will be released when it's ready. I didn't like to rush my work, but the beta question is a question for the coder. I usually only send all the sprites to the coder when the character is nearly done. So if a beta version will be released, probably will be the near the final character.
For more information on Songbird:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songbird_(comics)
http://www.comicvine.com/songbird/29-3281/
And to follow Gate's progress on her, go to:
http://www.scruffydragon.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7163
http://cvgunited.com/index.php/topic,3754.0.html
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