Screenshot: WB Games
MultiVersus started with what is known as the Ultra Instinct Shaggy meme. Derived from the Midya edition of an episode of Scooby-Doo! The Ghost Legend, where a hypnotized Shaggy alone defeats a gang of bikers, was a viral hit that some felt culminated in the creation of the free WB fighter. That’s why it was a surprise to learn that Velma Dinkley is actually the outstanding fighter of Mystery Inc. in MultiVersus and not in Shaggy.
In fact, I am inclined to go one step further. Velma is one of the best characters in the game by a large margin. Driven by its inquisitive nature and supportive skills, it offers fans a unique way to play. Velma does not throw up her hand, for example, but trusts his words during a fight. His brilliant ideas can sing rivals flying while his motivational speeches can heal allies. Essentially, Velma will watch over your back and, if forced, eliminate the eternal “Jinkies” from unsuspecting enemies.
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Velma is a force to be reckoned with in the right hands. This despite his lack of physical dexterity. She’s not as fast (or deadly) as Arya Stark and doesn’t offer the explosive power that Steven Universe does. That said, she still surpasses both of them when it comes to being a good teammate. This is what happens with MultiVersus. While it has individual and free options for everyone, the main game mode is its 2v2 team battle format. There is a give and take. Synergistic of one’s abilities with those of the couple to overcome opposition. Velma does it easily.
Screenshot: WB Games
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As a support character, Velma’s main role is to provide help during a battle. This is done by improving allies and damaging / debuffing enemies. One of the things that makes her stand out is the level of support she provides and the overall strength of her different skills. Take on Velma’s neutral attack and special abilities. By quickly tapping the attack button, you can send your projectiles of supportive words looking for friends and enemies. If these word bubbles touch an enemy, they will juggle them while doing a decent amount of damage. This effect changes if you target an ally; upon being hit, they will not only accelerate (able to move faster), but will also generate additional bubbles to attack enemies and heal Velma.
Velma’s special neutral movement, called Motivational Speaker, is also a solid skill. This move sends a ray of encouragement that repeatedly hits opponents, damaging them while applying a disadvantage called “weakness,” a disadvantage that causes them to receive additional damage and recoil attacks for a limited time. If you land an ally, they will not only heal, but will send a stronger version of the lightning.
What’s so cool about these attacks (apart from the obvious)? Well, for one, they both provide healing. They also congratulate each other. The “you can do it!” The beam not only weakens rival players, but also makes them point to Velma’s Words of Support. Most of his other movements are similar in this regard. Each offers a bit of solid damage, especially when amplified by a teammate, while offering strong benefits. The only downside is the cooling timers that prevent Velma from sending spam to the best parts of her arsenal.
This kind of synergistic gameplay can be found in other characters. Again, Steven Universe comes to mind. But none of them offer as many benefits and disadvantages as Velma. You can give armor and health to your team, increase speed, apply ice stacks (to slow down and eventually freeze players) and weaken enemies while doing a lot of damage. Velma can even educate people: by throwing a book at her teammate, she can reduce the duration of team reuse time, something no other character can do without using an advantage / item. Basically, Velmla proves to be a powerful ally regardless of the circumstances.
Well-known youtuber and fighting game expert John Crofts (jmcrofts) also believes Velma is “incredibly powerful.” In his video below, you can not only see him proving that this notion is true by dealing nearly 400 damage points, but he also mentions how well he supports the team and that he “has the potential to be first-rate level “.
The skill that really puts Velma on top must be her passive snooping. During a match, certain moves have a chance to generate evidence. Collect enough and you can summon a police car to come and incapacitate the player from the opposing team’s closet. It’s similar to Steven Universe’s bubble ability, except that the police car will try to get them out of the game if they can’t explode, while the bubble just keeps people in place. Seeing someone being grabbed and taken off stage is as comical as it is effective.
However, this move may seem unfair. I mean, starting a fight and then calling the police is definitely Karen-type shit. That said, it takes a while to gather the evidence needed to make that call. And if Velma dies before summoning the car, she will have to start again when she reappears.
There are also other drawbacks to worry about. On the one hand, Velma is always a target. Removing it from the game also eliminates its benefits and disadvantages. Expect it to rush from the start. Nor is it very fast or strong in itself; MultiVersus assassins will round circles around it, making it a bad choice (in most cases) for 1v1 clashes. Finally, his Up Special doesn’t cover much ground. Velma players will have to properly use their jumps and dodges before using this move to survive being kicked out of a certain stage.
Even with her limitations, Velma is that girl. EVO SonicFox champion seems to agree. While he tends to destroy opponents no matter who he uses, his video titled “Velma Might Be the Way” shows how big he can be during a fight. Either playing to stay away with word projectiles or up close and person with your bright ideas. It even surpasses the Arya Stark despite its superior speed.
Velma’s powerful attacks are enhanced by her support skills, making her one of the best characters in Multiversus. In the right hands, it would be almost unbeatable regardless of who has teamed up. We all thought it would be the Shaggy show. And in some ways, it’s definitely a solid choice for solo and team fights. But Velma is the true representative of Mystery Inc. He embodies the iconic animated series (as Shaggy) while embodying anyone silly enough to shake his sleek paintings.
Kenneth Seward Jr. is a freelance writer, publisher and illustrator covering games, movies and more. Follow him on @kennyufg and Twitch.