Final Round: Link vs. Samus

[The Doctor]

Final Round

It all comes down to this. Two combatants stepped into the Battle Zone and took on opponents of all shapes and sizes in their fight to the top.

Link, legendary savior of Hyrule, took a stand against the number one ranked assassin on Earth, the foulmouthed Travis Touchdown. After defeating him in combat, he moved on to ace pilot Fox McCloud. However, Fox's advanced technology proved to be no match for the magical artifacts possessed by the Hylian, and he too fell to Link's blade. The Commander of SHIELD and veteran of multiple wars, Nick Fury, was next to step up, but even one of Marvel's greatest unsung heroes couldn't keep the boy at bay. Finally, Link faced his greatest challenge yet in the Dark Knight, Batman. For a while it seemed that Batman's own utility belt and combat skills would be enough to take Link down, but Link scraped through thanks to utilities of his own. And now, he takes on space's greatest bounty hunter, the Chozo warrior, Samus Aran.

Samus didn't have an easy time to the finals herself. In the first round, she stood toe to toe with the famous movie star martial artist, Johnny Cage. Though Cage fought bravely, he was not able to score a Fatality on the blonde bombshell. Next, Samus moved on to the ruthless Frank Castle. Armed with guns and spirit of his own, The Punisher aimed to pump Samus full of lead and holes, but it was in fact Castle himself who was outgunned. Next came one of the most furiously fought fights in the tournament, as the bounty hunting beauty took on the billionaire genius playboy Tony Stark, better known as Iron Man. It appeared that both competitors were evenly matched, and the battle was long and fierce. Either could have advanced, but in the end it was Samus who had the slight edge over the Avenger. After all of this, Samus took on Nintendo's mascot, the incomparable Mario. Despite Mario's best efforts to stop the power-armor-clad warrior, his Mega Mushroom and Metal Cap powerups were countered, and Samus walked away from the fight the victor.

So this is it. This is the fight that will decide who the top fighter is. Will it be the Hero of Time, Link, with his superb aiming skills and arsenal of magical items for every situation? Or will it be the hunter, Samus, with her guns and bombs galore? Two warriors from two very different worlds collide as the Humans bracket comes to a close. But there can only be one Battle Zone Champion.

FIGHT!​

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Magic versus science; a possible future versus a mythological past; female versus male – both have beaten geniuses, brawlers, assassins & techno wizards, so yet again a contest were either competitor can be argued to take the spoils.

As such I’m not going to make a case of skill on skill because for every ability one has, you can be sure someone can argue that the other can match it. I’m going to base my vote on each competitors hardest fought contest and make my decision from there.

On the outside, both opponents were very similar – both billionaire playboys, both technological and strategic geniuses and both experts at finding their foes weaknesses. However, if Tony Stark was to come up against Bruce Wayne in their alter ego guises, I would have to give a momentous edge to Iron Man on the basis of pure firepower. Samus scraped by Shell Head because, in the end, enough people believed that she had enough technological and strategic wherewithal to overcome him (I didn’t concur but c'est la vie).

As Link barely scraped by the gadgets and strategy of the Dark Knight, I would have to believe that Samus can overcome the young Hylian.

Vote Kim Bassinger’s distant descendent – vote Samus Aran!

 

[Lee]

This one's quite simple.

Link has the clawshot as used in TP where it removes armour from enemies. He also has the gloves from Seasons which again removes enemy armour. Combine the two and link removes Samus' armour and we're in for a quick victory from the hero of time.

 

[The Doctor]

This one's quite simple.

Link has the clawshot as used in TP where it removes armour from enemies. He also has the gloves from Seasons which again removes enemy armour. Combine the two and link removes Samus' armour and we're in for a quick victory from the hero of time.

However, Samus without a suit still has a chance. Zero Suit Samus is incredibly fast with improved reach, and her Paralyzer Gun would be enough to stun Link long enough for her to use the Crystal Flash and regain her suit. You of all people should know that Samus is unlike any other power-suited character in that she's not a total loser without it. She has options, backup, and the Paralyzer Gun would be enough for her to counter a move like this long enough for her to get back the armor she lost.

 

[Remix]

This one's quite simple.

Link has the clawshot as used in TP where it removes armour from enemies. He also has the gloves from Seasons which again removes enemy armour. Combine the two and link removes Samus' armour and we're in for a quick victory from the hero of time.

This would be a terrible strategy for Link to use for two reasons. 1) Samus' armour isn't that easy to remove. It needed to be surgically removed the Galactic Federation in Fusion. Pulling on it with the clawshot isn't going to work here. 2) Link's clawshot goes on his shield arm. Samus has a gun. If Link is going to avoid death he's going to need to disengage his clawshot and dodge. Now, he's more than capable of doing that, but it does mean he's opening himself up for a dangerous counterattack with no reward. That's a fool's arguement Lee. You're better than that.

This fight belongs to Samus imo. She's simply got a better arsenal than Link, who's no slouch in the "I have tools to motherfucking kill you" department. All of the attacks that he might feasibly use to hit her are limited by ammunition in some way (be it by health, magic or bombs/arrows) and once they run out, he's kind of fucked. Link's shields can be removed (Like Likes say hi) and they aren't infallable. The Mirror shield would probably reflect beams, but not missiles (if it can't reflect a Deku Scrub's projectile, how would it reflect something with more force behind it that explodes on contact?). Ice Missiles would also be a problem for it, as they'd leave it frozen and ready to shatter taking it out of the equation. How well would the a Hylian shield made of iron stack up against a beam that can penetrate walls made of the densest materials in the universe? Not well, in my opinion.

There can only be one winner here, and it should be Samus.

 

[Mac Attack]

This one's quite simple.

Link has the clawshot as used in TP where it removes armour from enemies. He also has the gloves from Seasons which again removes enemy armour. Combine the two and link removes Samus' armour and we're in for a quick victory from the hero of time.

Agree with Lee this would be one method to take the victory or Link has another way of achieving greatness which I present below.

The Master Shield has withstood far worse than what Samus can shoot, and as long as he is securely behind it, he should be totally fine. So, if Samus can't shoot him it would mean she would have to go in for the Spin Attack, at which point in time Link could slice her with a sword.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

There is a very valid argument that Link would win simply because of his many accessories to remove the armor of Samus. However, may I remind you that Samus is not exactly a helpless chick when she loses her suit. Zero Suit can still raise some hell, but the question is will it be enough to take down Link?

Both are heavily armed with projectiles and have similar ways of grappling the opponent. Both have dueled with the best of the best and come out victorious.

It may not be the most scientific way of deciding this, but I turned on the Wii, grabbed a WaveBird, and did battle with both Link and Samus. Ironically, they are my two best characters (with Kirby at 3), so it's even harder for me to decide. Seeing both of them in action, I think I have to give the edge to Samus. This is just my untested opinion, but not even the power of the TriForce could defend against a fully charged blast from Samus. It's a close race to the finish, but the space hunter gets my vote.

 

[The Doctor]

Agree with Lee this would be one method to take the victory or Link has another way of achieving greatness which I present below.

The Master Shield has withstood far worse than what Samus can shoot, and as long as he is securely behind it, he should be totally fine. So, if Samus can't shoot him it would mean she would have to go in for the Spin Attack, at which point in time Link could slice her with a sword.

Oh, come on. The "Master Shield" (I don't even know what you mean by this - Mirror Shield? Hylian Shield?) would only protect one side of Link at a time. If Samus fired lots of missiles and bombs, one would be sure to hit, or at the very least the explosion and shrapnel would hit him. Link's shield is not the be-all end-all, just as Batman's Batarang wasn't.

As for Link slicing her with a sword, she's covered in armor! The sword might be able to scuff it up and put some nicks in it but Link would need to expose a weak point in order for his sword to do any real damage. The Screw Attack would rip Link up before he had the chance to yell "Haa!".

Now, to be fair, Link has tons of weapons himself, and I'm sure he could counter Samus' missiles with some bombs of his own. She has an ice beam, he has an ice rod. Both have excellent combat skills and a massive arsenal of weapons. But what would Link do if Samus shoots a black hole and sucks up some of his inventory or health? How can he counter that? Samus could take away his fairies in a bottle or his Megaton Hammer or even the Master Sword, and then swoop in for the kill.

Vote Samus!

 

[Remix]

The Master Shield has withstood far worse than what Samus can shoot,

It's withstood blackholes and things hotter than stars? When?

and as long as he is securely behind it, he should be totally fine.

Except that Samus has the ability to increase her speed greatly and get behind Link and obliterate him before he can react, or plant powerbombs beneith his feet.

So, if Samus can't shoot him it would mean she would have to go in for the Spin Attack,

do you mean the screw attack, which surrounds her in energy that has the added benefit of protecting her from harm? Doesn't sound like a great scenario for Link.

at which point in time Link could slice her with a sword.

Or he gets pounded by the spinning Samus and dies.

Vote Samus.

 

[JGlass]

It's withstood blackholes and things hotter than stars? When?

Samus wouldn't shoot a blackhole or something hotter than a star, because it would destroy everything around her, and she's a good guy, so fuck that shit.

Except that Samus has the ability to increase her speed greatly and get behind Link and obliterate him before he can react, or plant powerbombs beneith his feet.

Link can increase his speed greatly and can get behind Samus and shoot a bombarrow in the back of her helmet. I don't care how thick her armor is, that would break her fucking neck.

do you mean the screw attack, which surrounds her in energy that has the added benefit of protecting her from harm? Doesn't sound like a great scenario for Link.

Being on the other end of the Tri-Force blade sounds worse.

How many hits can Samus take before she dies by the way? Cuz Link can take like, 20.

 

[The Doctor]

Samus wouldn't shoot a blackhole or something hotter than a star, because it would destroy everything around her, and she's a good guy, so fuck that shit.

Being able to shoot a miniature black hole is one of her powers. Her Darkshot Beam can open a miniature black hole that, because of video game rules, would only affect Link, and it would pull him into the gravitational pull and at the very least hold him in place, if it doesn't suck away his equipment.

How many hits can Samus take before she dies by the way? Cuz Link can take like, 20.

Samus can take just as much punishment, health-wise, as Link, if not more. She starts with 100 health and it only goes up as her adventures go on. She's not like Classic Mario, who gets hit, shrinks, gets hits again, and dies.

 

[JGlass]

Being able to shoot a miniature black hole is one of her powers. Her Darkshot Beam can open a miniature black hole that, because of video game rules, would only affect Link, and it would pull him into the gravitational pull and at the very least hold him in place, if it doesn't suck away his equipment.

Maybe her videogame rules, but what about Link's videogame rules? He doesn't benefit from living in a universe that totally laughs in the face of basic astrophysics. Why should he have to suffer for that?

 

[klunderbunker]

So let's see here.

We have Link against someone with better training, better equipment, more experience and probably a size and strength advantage. Translation: he's against EVERY MONSTER HE'S EVER DEFEATED.

Link has made a career out of defeating things that on paper should kill him. Samus on paper should destroy him and it's not something Link isn't used to. Above all else, Link is capable of overcoming the odds and finding a way to win. Be it through the Master Sword, the Megaton Hammer or just blowing Samus up, Link finds a way to win here, just as he always does throughout the career that has made him one of the best game characters ever, if not the best.

 

[Mac Attack]

Dark Hole you say Samus can spring on Link, well I have a solution. As soon as samus uses it Link gets out his trusty Ocarina plays a song and transports to the Forest Temple. I'm pretty sure based on videogame rules Samus would have to battle quite a bit of bad guys to ever see Link again. This would then allow Link to battle a weakened Samus. Unless of course Samus doesn't even try to find Link and they both wait it out until one dies in which case I still give it to Link because he seems to always get younger.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

So let's see here.

We have Link against someone with better training, better equipment, more experience and probably a size and strength advantage. Translation: he's against EVERY MONSTER HE'S EVER DEFEATED.

Link has made a career out of defeating things that on paper should kill him. Samus on paper should destroy him and it's not something Link isn't used to. Above all else, Link is capable of overcoming the odds and finding a way to win. Be it through the Master Sword, the Megaton Hammer or just blowing Samus up, Link finds a way to win here, just as he always does throughout the career that has made him one of the best game characters ever, if not the best.

However, when does he face fellow heroes? Surely the Metroid series follows the same ideal of Samus overcoming the odds? When it comes to top line characters, it's always a coin toss as to who will win.

Dark Hole you say Samus can spring on Link, well I have a solution. As soon as samus uses it Link gets out his trusty Ocarina plays a song and transports to the Forest Temple. I'm pretty sure based on videogame rules Samus would have to battle quite a bit of bad guys to ever see Link again. This would then allow Link to battle a weakened Samus. Unless of course Samus doesn't even try to find Link and they both wait it out until one dies in which case I still give it to Link because he seems to always get younger.

*flags on the field*
In a neutral universe and time, the Forest Temple is unlikely to exist and I'm pretty sure that any tactic that would lead you into conflict with any one else would come under 'back up' violations.

 

[JGlass]

*flags on the field*
In a neutral universe and time, the Forest Temple is unlikely to exist and I'm pretty sure that any tactic that would lead you into conflict with any one else would come under 'back up' violations.

In a neutral environment and time, blackholes suck everything nearby and crush them into nothingness with their immense pressure, so Link won't need to teleport away from it.

 

[justinsayne]

So just out of curiosity what does Link have that is going to stop Samus from just jumping into that trusty gunship of hers, and constantly recharging her health, & restocking on ammo, with unlimited ammo & health the bitch is gonna be pretty hard to kill, all she has to do is just pop out of the cockpit & unload missiles, blackholes, freeze rays, bombs, etc. on Link, until he's dead. Link can throw whatever he's got at her but as soon as her health starts to get low or she starts to run out of ammo, all she needs ot do is just pop into the cock pit of her gunship, and boom all her health & ammo are restored, meanwhile Link's just keeps slipping closer & closer to death.

 

[JGlass]

So just out of curiosity what does Link have that is going to stop Samus from just jumping into that trusty gunship of hers, and constantly recharging her health, & restocking on ammo, with unlimited ammo & health the bitch is gonna be pretty hard to kill, all she has to do is just pop out of the cockpit & unload missiles, blackholes, freeze rays, bombs, etc. on Link, until he's dead. Link can throw whatever he's got at her but as soon as her health starts to get low or she starts to run out of ammo, all she needs ot do is just pop into the cock pit of her gunship, and boom all her health & ammo are restored, meanwhile Link's just keeps slipping closer & closer to death.

Wait wait wait... can Samus just call her gunship to her like a jet-fueled puppy? It seems unlikely that she can just zip back to her ship without a care in the world. Meanwhile, Link has a seemingly magical sack that he can keep every possession he's ever had. He can also cut through grass that randomly replenishes his health, arrows, bomb, or other supplies.

Link's got this one in the bag... the magical bag that holds everything in his life.