I remember a discussion from a while ago about people's different approaches to fixing Metal Sonic, and I can definitely say after messing with these entries that it's nice to see them in action. To echo an earlier statement, all these abilities were very fun in their own right, even when their functionalities were almost entirely different. Review time:
The very first thing I did when I loaded up Gear Shift was put Metal in reverse and laugh for a solid 30 seconds about it., so it easily got my vote for Silliest Ability. That aside, though, it's actually quite neat! Metal Sonic having to work his way up to top gear seems pretty true to his depictions in some Sonic games, and is also an immensely rewarding feeling - however, it lacks many places where you're truly able to do it, and it is pretty punishing if you mess up. I didn't try it in circuit, but I feel like it'd be a fun way to handle race maps and the ever-prevalent Dash Mode problem in them. Also: going into neutral from a high speed has its perks.
Circuit Rev was a very fun ability! It does a very good job at increasing and maintaining Metal's speed. The boost to the ability in Super state is an added cherry on top! (It also feels like Sonic 4 to me for some reason, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing - Metal feeling like the medium between Modern and Classic is not only chronologically accurate, it just feels right.) There were a few complaints about this ability, though. One of them was that I ended up accidentally cancelling into Jump Thok more than I'd like to admit - blame that on a little bit of inexperience, I guess. The availability of the option as a cancel when you haven't built up enough speed is great - and certainly useful if you change your mind at the last minute - but is also upsetting when you have built up enough speed. (Then again, I could do much better by just not letting go of spin on accident.) Another was the fact that, at times, it seemed possibly harder to maintain Dash Mode, as the kit is so speed oriented. Overall, I believe it rewards proper management with a more consistent Dash Mode that is. due to the removal of hover, not too overpowered and still allows you to experience platforming.
Jump Thrust was... interesting. While it wasn't necessarily a bad ability, it seemed to be missing something - something that made it flow better with the character, something more rewarding. It does allow for momentum redirection, but at the cost of all the momentum you built up beforehand. I could imagine this ability being super fun if it increased height based on speed, kinda like Jump Boost, and/or activated quicker based on how fast you were going, making Metal feel much more agile. This would also make the initial jump portion more worth it - I would actually have a desire to use the ability while already in dashmode for a reason other than repositioning. Sonic's Thok grants the speed to cover gaps or just immediately accelerate at any time; Tails' flight allows you to skip platforming and maintain speed, but also allows you to get to higher areas from a standstill; the list goes on. This ability seems to only serve that one purpose, and as such doesn't feel as good.
Turbo Jump was super fun to mess around with! The ability to redirect yourself and gain exceptional height is a simple, yet very useful and enjoyable ability. I wouldn't say it has many flaws aside from the constant height possibly hampering horizontal momentum around ceilings - and that isn't even a major issue - but it is kind of limited in application.
Rocket Boost and Overdrive is something I've had a lot of experimentation with over my time playing Reveries. Overdrive is an amazing example of how you can handle Metal Sonic's Dash Mode as high-risk, high-reward. It grants increased speed with hardly any catches except your own management - fail to handle it correctly, though, and pay the price. It's fun, but as SilverVortex said, has a greater learning curve. Rocket Boost's simplicity gets that gamefeel through being a simple ability with multiple applications. It's still a hover with no descent, but now with a timer and a wallbounce if you hit a wall. You can use it during Overdrive for maintenance, you can use it to cross gaps - it has it all. While it certainly feels like Metal, it also feels a tad too gimmicky when compared with the abilities of the vanilla cast. It definitely feels right at home in Reveries, however.
Finally, Dash Drive. Ironically, before the MSADC, I was trying my hand at Lua to see if I could solve the re-directional issue with Metal Sonic's Dash Mode. This ability is, in execution, quite similar to my ultimately unexecuted concept, and boy does it feel good! The rebalancing, but not strict limiting or utter removal of hover, as well as the attention to detail (bouncing off electric walls, increased damage during Dash Mode) are also reasons I appreciate this ability so much. A complaint I have, though, is that it seems that, through nerfing hover but giving Metal a free management tool, he loses almost nothing. Dash Drive can be held seemingly indefinitely at no cost to the player and can be performed in the air, which under certain circumstances may just help the nerfed hover out distance-wise. Metal also still has a spin ability, which causes more problems because he can instantly achieve Dash Mode and having to press spin twice for a grounded Dash Drive feels wonky.
To wrap things up. I would like to congratulate all of the participants once again for making abilities that are all enjoyable, yet vastly different to each other. And, you know, for coding the things - that's something I wish I had an easier time picking up.
