Dream Smasher: Cress Albane (Guest Article)

This guest Dream Smasher was created by @VA_Yagi on Twitter, and thanks to Cart Boy for help with edits.

Countless RPG series have captured the imaginations of players across the globe, several of which are discussed in the context of Super Smash Bros. Chrono Trigger, the Souls series, and even Monster Hunter are among the franchises ripe for a potential fighter. However, one that’s particularly popular in Smash discussion, likely due in part to the developer currently involved with the series, is Tales of, wherein there are several characters in contention. Namely, there’s Lloyd Irving, who is very popular with Nintendo’s audience and has a Mii costume, and Yuri Lowell, who is considered the fan favorite of the franchise. However, there is one character who tends to get overlooked: the hero from the game that started it all, Tales of Phantasia. That would be none other than Cress Albane.

Who Is Cress Albane?

(Courtesy of @EchoSaefir)

On top of being the protagonist of Tales of Phantasia, Cress also appears in the Narikiri Dungeon titles (most prominently the original one on Game Boy Color and its PSP remake, which is a narrative sequel to Phantasia), as well as several crossovers. He also appears in several cameo roles in different mainline titles, such as Eternia and Xillia 2.

For some background, Cress is seventeen years old. He comes from the village of Toltus and is the son of the legendary Miguel Albane, who taught him swordfighting. One day while hunting boars with his best friend Chester Burklight, his village is attacked by bandits. Consequently, everyone in the village is slaughtered, including Cress’s parents. It’s later revealed that this cult is hellbent on releasing the Ancient King Dhaos, which leads Cress on a revenge quest through time to avenge his father—and perhaps surpass him. As Cress cycles through the past, present, and future, he finds many kindred spirits, people who have gone through horrible tragedies in their own right, including Mint Adenine, Arche Klein, Klaus F. Lester, and Suzu Fujibayashi. 

In spite of his harrowing background, Cress remains an extremely kind, caring person with a strong sense of justice. He enjoys puns, makes (admittedly pretty bad) jokes, and loves helping others, especially his friends, succeed. Through the help of said friends and his hard work, courage, and perseverance, he eventually becomes strong enough to wield the Eternal Sword, a magical blade with the power to combat Dhaos himself.

Importance to Nintendo & Series

As it started originally on the Super Famicom in 1995, Tales has a very extensive history on Nintendo consoles. While a lot of its games were released on PlayStation systems as exclusives (and others would later appear on PC), many of the series’ staple titles were either Nintendo exclusive or later got ported to their systems. Phantasia, of course, graced the Super Famicom and ultimately hit several other platforms. However, one of its most notable re-releases was for the Game Boy Advance—this was the first time Phantasia was released in English, and it was published by Nintendo, no less! Several other games also hit Nintendo systems as exclusives, the most notable being Narakiri Dungeon, Tales of Symphonia, and four Nintendo DS games. Tales of Abyss and Vesperia, two of the most popular titles, eventually got ported to Nintendo systems as well.

Regarding Cress, his debut game, and their importance to the series at large, not only is Phantasia the first in the series, it’s also one of the most popular (at least in Japan) and considered a revolutionary game for the time. It was one of the first action role-playing games of its kind and, importantly for the genre and medium, the first one to have a fully-voiced opening. Today, most games feature voice acting, but the best your average 1995 title could muster was a few sentences and grunts; this time-traveling fling really was a look into the future. At 1.3M copies sold, it’s currently the sixth best-selling game in the series worldwide, and even the second in Japan. Additionally, it has several forms of external media, which include a series of radio dramas, light novels, manga, an anime series, and a full sequel, released for the Game Boy Color in 2000 (which itself was remade for the PSP in 2010). 

Tales of Symphonia, one of the most popular entries in the series, is also a narrative prequel to Phantasia, which spawned a franchise of its own. Additionally, Cress is a recurring character in the series, scoring more cameos than any of his peers. Altogether, Cress appears in three additional mainline games—Destiny for the PS1, Eternia, and Xillia 2—and several spin-offs. Transcending his home series, Cress also graces Star Ocean Anamnesis, Valkyrie Anatomia, and Another Eden.

While not the most popular character in the series (he unfortunately does not poll well in Japan), Cress is an icon with longevity and an instantly recognizable design. In fact, he’s something of a mascot for the series, as shown by his appearance in its older logo. He was even mentioned in an interview with Sakurai on who a hypothetical Tales rep should be when talking about Lloyd’s Mii costume, showing he’s on the Smash auteur’s radar. When considering all of this, Cress is an excellent candidate for the crossover.

Colors & Design

Cress was designed by Kosuke Fujishima, whose creations make much of the Tales games special and their characters so memorable. So, like with Sakurai’s adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Quest designs, I think he would handle Cress the same way. For his default appearance, he wears his iconic red headband and set of armor, shoulder pads, and boots. This would be topped off with his red cape and sheathe for his sword. 

One big change I’d make is, instead of having his default sword, he’d wield the Eternal Sword, his ultimate weapon. For the sake of consistency, while there are numerous designs and forms the sword takes on (in Eternia and Symphonia, for example), I’ve decided to go with a design more accurate to the one from Phantasia itself.

In Smash, he would also use the Blue Shield, the most powerful shield in Phantasia. You get it at the end of the game from a sidequest, and since Smash likes to use characters’ rarest equipment for that extra level of detail (as seen with Link and Hero), I imagine they’d do the same here.

For his alternate costumes, the first six are based on him and the rest of his party. Specifically, there’d be colors based on Mint, Chester, Arche, Klaus, and Suzu, in that order. For the last two, I wanted to get a bit creative, since Cress has donned SO MANY outfits over the years. Ultimately, we’re going with an alt of Symphonia frontman Lloyd Irving due to his popularity and connections to Cress himself. This would be a simple color, though.

For the eighth alt, we’re going with a deep cut from one of Namco’s other franchises, a spiritual predecessor to the Tales series: the Babylonian Castle Saga series. In Tales of Phantasia, you can find parts of Gil’s armor for Cress to wear. I thought it would be nice to have a full model swap featuring the armor, especially considering the connections between Tower of Druaga and the Tales series. Of course, there’s also the fact that it being a Mii costume means they could reuse assets for this outfit.

I’d also like to mention that, while I have no doubt in my mind that Takeshi Kusao would return to voice Cress in Japanese, it’d be absolutely vital for Johnny Yong Bosch to voice him in English. After all, his performance in Tales of Phantasia: the Animation helped define the character for English-speaking audiences.

How Would He Play?

Cress’s stats and properties:

• Weight: ∼ Roy (95)
• Height: ∼ Roy
• Overall Speed: ∼ Roy
  • Walk Speed: 1.259
  • Run Speed: 2.145
  • Air Speed: 1.155
• Jump Height: ∼ Shulk (33.5)
• Multi-jumping? No
• Crawling? No
• Wall jumping? No

(A closer look at the stats)

Since Cress is a lot like Roy in terms of physique, I took a few stats from him. Much like the Young Lion, Cress fights with a reverse tonfa-like grip, which makes him stand out from other sword fighters. Unlike Roy, however, he doesn’t purely rely on his sword, incorporating the likes of punches, kicks, and elemental properties (including lightning, fire, and a type of magic called Mana). And much like with Link and Hero, his shield can block incoming projectiles.

In his home series, Cress has moves called “Artes,” which consume “Technical Points” with each use. To help streamline things, I’ve incorporated various Artes to make up the rest of his moveset; many of these can be used at any time and, unlike in Tales, will not require TP. However, the special moves still will require TP and depend on you managing that. And just like with Hero, he’ll have a maximum of 100 TP points. The aforementioned specials will be his space-time attacks, which are unique to him due to the Eternal Sword’s energy, though plenty of his moves will also use his signature elemental attacks.

To separate all this from Hero and make it more true to his source game, TP will not replenish automatically. Instead, you’ll need to do it through combos and persistent offense. Plenty of moves will combo into each other, a lot like Phantasia’s Arcane Artes (which were amalgamations of different moves). Moreover, like with Terry, when damaged enough he‘ll have access to a special Mystic Arte, as shown by “POWER” appearing atop his battle portrait (which is, however, a one-use attack per stock).

At his core, Cress is all about resource management and using the tools at your arsenal to your advantage, as well as experimenting with combos. His playstyle is hotheaded and aggressive, but the options his attacks and special skills grant him invoke the gameplay of Tales of Phantasia. This is the way of the Albane School of Sword Fighting!

Boxing Ring Title: “The Eternal Hero”

Series Icon	Stock Icon (Courtesy of AShadowLink)	Kirby Hat

Move Type	Description
On-Screen Appearance	Cress lands his Rheaird onto the stage and gets into a battle-ready position.
Stance	Cress assumes a battle-ready stance, slightly hunched over, with his sword in a reverse grip and his shield in hand.
Idle #1	Cress puts his sword’s tip to the ground as his cape and headband sway in the wind.
Idle #2	Cress suspiciously looks around the area before getting back to battle and smiling in relief.
Walk	Cress walks like he does on the overworld in Phantasia.
Dash & Run	Cress runs ahead, pointing his sword and shield forward.
Crouch	Cress crouches with his sword on the ground and holds his shield out in front of himself.
Jump	Cress jumps into the air with his cape flowing behind him and his sword held upward.
Damage	Cress recoils and gives a pained expression.
Shield	Cress holds his shield at a diagonal angle, ready for incoming attacks.
Floor & Edge Attacks	For his floor attack, Cress gets up and does an upward swipe. For his ledge attack, Cress does a diagonal swipe.
Neutral Attack: Standard Slash / Sword Rain	Cress slashes his enemy with his sword in a circular arc. This can be used as a combo starter and can transition into numerous follow-ups. If mashed after the initial slash, Cress does several stabs, followed by a strong upward slash at the end. This can lead into his forward smash in certain situations
Forward Tilt: Void Tempest	Cress does a horizontal slash to his front, causing the enemy to stagger a bit. Use this to keep your helpless enemies close.
Up Tilt: Concentrate	Cress does an upward somersault kick, which can be used to start aerial combos.
Down Tilt	Cress does a poke with his sword toward the ground, popping targets upward.
Dash Attack: Beast	Cress dashes forward, attacking with his shield and unleashing a shining aura in the shape of a beast upon his foes. Usually good for edgeguarding and can lead into other moves if the very tip lands.
Forward Smash: Lightning Tiger Blade	Cress does a jumping swing, then lands with his sword on the floor. When fully charged, the sword sports a Pikachu-esque lightning effect that gives it a sourspot at its edges. Overall, the first version’s for ending combos and the second’s for hard reads.
Up Smash: Rising Phoenix	Cress engulfs himself in flames and jumps upward, then comes down and forward with a blazing stab. However, at the move’s apex, it can be canceled into certain aerials.
Down Smash: Guardian Field	Cress plunges his sword into the ground and summons a field of Mana. This will damage and launch enemies, but heal any teammates in the vicinity. The more you charge it, the greater it is at either task.
Neutral Aerial: Swallow Dance	Cress does two kicks, then a downward stab (though, the last part can be canceled with another move). This can spike enemies, and the up smash even leads into it.
Forward Aerial: Tiger Blade	Cress does two aerial slashes, which keep his forward momentum during combos. You can use this to finish a bread-and-butter combo: up smash, then neutral aerial, then forward aerial.
Back Aerial	Cress turns around in the air and does a backward kick. Not very flashy, but quick and powerful.
Up Aerial	Cress does an upward swipe, then flips from the momentum.
Down Aerial: Blazing Pyre	Cress tosses his sword downward and at a diagonal angle, which traps anyone struck by it with a flurry of fiery hits. Afterwards, Cress automatically summons it back to his hand in a flash of Mana, but the recall makes this a punishable maneuver.
Grab	Cress puts his shield on his back and grabs his opponent with his right hand.
Pummel	Cress bashes the foe with the hilt of his blade.
Forward Throw: Light Spear	Cress stabs through his enemy, dealing worthwhile damage to both them and anyone nearby.
Back Throw	Cress spins his opponent around and throws them, like with Mario’s back throw.
Up Throw: Coil	Cress ignites himself and pierces his prisoner upward, dealing impressive damage but not launching them very far. Another great way to start aerial combos.
Down Throw: Center	Cress prepares himself, then slashes at the ground and his enemy. Even better, he heals a tiny bit upon doing so, but at the cost of this being his worst throw for launching or damage dealing.
Neutral Special: Demon Fang	Cress slashes with a blue beam of light and calls out the move’s name as he does so. It’s a lot like Cloud’s Blade Beam, but its aerial version takes after Narikiri Dungeon X, wherein it goes diagonally downward. This move only consumes 1 TP, so feel free to use it all you want. And due to its speed and low knockback, it’s great for keeping combos going or pestering foes.
Side Special: Chaos Blade	Cress charges up energy from his sword, then unleashes it alongside a shockwave that covers a wide radius. Using it consumes 15 TP, so don’t get too trigger happy with this far-reaching powerhouse.
Up Special: Distortion Blade	Cress lunges upward with a magical slash from his sword, bringing foes along for the ride and blasting them even farther with a final explosion. While his side and down specials are slow and easier to punish, this one’s good for combos and works well with aerials. But each use consumes 14 TP, so don’t find yourself offstage without enough to spare.
Down Special: Eternal Slasher	This move is very hard to pull off, but if done correctly, is beyond satisfying. Cress raises his sword, gathers Mana, then teleports toward his nearest foe (provided they’re not ludicrously far) and launches them with a cinematic slash. It forces Cress to remain motionless for a while, and doesn’t slow his fall at all, so proceed with caution if you commit to it when recovering. Oh, and it costs a considerable 17 TP.
POWER Move: Dark Blade	At 75% damage or higher, a “POWER” icon appears atop Cress’s portrait, like with Terry’s “Go!” mechanic. Afterwards, when the neutral and special attack buttons are pressed at the same time, Cress basically performs a mini Final Smash. He does three magical slashes, followed by an upward swing that sends foes flying, then they fall back to the ground. It deals heavy damage, but no knockback and can only be attempted once per stock.
Final Smash: Pegasus Slash	\ Cress calls on Arche, boards Valkyrie’s Pegasus, grabs Odin’s lance Gungir, and rides through the clouds as he deals massive damage with a volley of slashes. All the while, Arche assists by using Eruption, leading up to Cress ending the barrage with a decisive stab.
Up Taunt: Apple Gel	Cress looks toward the camera, smiles, then eats an Apple Gel.
Side Taunt: Miguel’s Locket	Cress looks at his dad’s locket and ponders it for a bit, then returns his attention to the fight.
Down Taunt: Arche	Atop her broom, Arche appears from behind Cress, surprises him, then flies back out of sight.
Special Taunt: Skits	By correctly inputting the down taunt on the Phantasia stage, Cress begins praying. If left uninterrupted, he starts communicating with members of his party. This could include Mint, Chester, Arche, Claus, and Suzu. Like with Palutena’s Guidance, they discuss battle strategies, Cress’s opponent, and references to their home series. Occasionally, a special guest might appear as well.
Victory Pose #1: “I did it!”	Cress stands triumphantly, saying, “I did it!” as he holds his sword skyward.
Victory Pose #2: Following the Dream	The camera focuses on Cress’s back, then revolves toward his front, much like the Phantasia opening on PlayStation.
Victory Pose #3: Arche & the Pegasus	Cress boards Valkyrie’s Pegasus and celebrates his win (alongside Arche) with a triumphant pose!
Victory Fanfare	Naturally, Cress’s wins are backed by a remix of Phantasia’s victory theme. It loops like Cloud’s fanfare, too.

Closing Thoughts

Like I said before, there are several viable Tales candidates for Smash. Whether it’s Lloyd, Yuri, Velvet, or the litany of other heroes, the series has a surplus of contenders to consider. However, it’s worth remembering that Phantasia is a landmark title that laid the foundation for several action role-playing games. It’s honestly a huge shame that the game isn’t more readily available. Personally, playing through it was an incredibly unique experience; whether it’s through the original or its PSP remake, you can feel the passion shining through. And it’s a journey that will stick with me, courtesy of its many strengths—especially its cast. Even Phantasia’s villain is a delight! And of course, Smash is a celebration of gaming, a venue through which people can discover and connect with new franchises and characters. Cress and his social circle absolutely deserve that luxury!