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Character Chronicle: Corrin

This installment of the “New Content Approaching” series was originally posted at Nerd Underground on March 1, 2016, under its original title, “Did Corrin “deserve” to be ‘Super Smash Bros.’ DLC?” At the time, I was concerned if this article was too wordy. Upon reflection, I feel as though that concern remains valid.

This piece was also written before Nintendo outright acknowledged Fire Emblem as “a major IP.” Considering that it’s getting a mobile game, Nintendo seems satisfied with how it’s performing. 

As an aside, most of my friends never warmed up to Corrin, and they maintain their position that Fire Emblem is “overrepresented.” It seems as though Corrin’s addition will always be deliberated amongst the fandom. 

Corrin, Lucina-Kirby, and Meta Knight-Kirby in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Corrin, Lucina-Kirby, and Meta Knight-Kirby pose for the fans. (Image: Corrin’s trailer)

Corrin and Bayonetta, the final downloadable characters for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, have been released! How are you enjoying them?

Corrin’s announcement was met with a mixed reception, and I would like to offer my thoughts on the matter. (Yes, I know I’m late, and I apologize.) If you disagree with anything I say, then that’s great! Let’s get a discussion going.

However, Fire Emblem is out of my comfort zone, so I couldn’t tackle this project alone. Please thank my powerful ally, PushDustIn of Source Gaming, for helping me with the research needed for this article, and for ensuring that it’s up to a readable standard.

A Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS trailer

A newcomer! Who will it be…? (Image: every Smash Bros. trailer)

Well, Masahiro Sakurai’s final Super Smash Bros. presentation sure was something.

Unfortunately for me, my experience with it was significantly different than yours. While you were comfortably basking in the warm glow of your monitor, I had a dental appointment. Thankfully, two of my friends kept me apprised of the news, and I frequently checked my phone.

We knew there were three dummy slots left within the coding of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, and Cloud, who was announced back in November, would have to fill one of them. The other two were a mystery, but all I was asking for was one Nintendo-owned newcomer. It’s a pleasure to have iconic guests join the battle, but I became a fan of the series from my love of Nintendo. I wasn’t being unreasonable with my request, right?

I was informed that Corrin from Fire Emblem Fates was announced, and while I was relieved to see my wish fulfilled, I must confess that Fire Emblem was not the Nintendo franchise I had in mind.

Male Corrin as seen in Fire Emblem Fates

Corrin makes his choice! (Image: Corrin’s trailer)

Both of my pals were dissatisfied with Corrin. They were distraught over yet another Fire Emblem character joining the battle, and they both would have liked a newcomer that added a little more aesthetic variety to the roster. One of them likened Corrin’s reveal to being kicked below the belt, and they both would have preferred Wolf’s return.

Days later, most of my associates expressed disappointment over Corrin, usually citing how Fire Emblem “doesn’t deserve six characters.” The only individual I personally know who was excited by the news is a Fire Emblem fan, and he thought Corrin looked “awesome.”

Opinions across the internet were mixed as well, so much so that Source Gaming has an op-ed piece discussing the discontent. Needless to say, Corrin’s reveal was divisive, but was the disappointment justified?

To answer that question, we’ll start by reviewing Corrin’s tenure in the Fire Emblem series. Following that, we’ll recount Corrin’s predecessors in Smash, and why Corrin was selected to join them. We’ll also examine if Sakurai’s own personal feelings played a part in Corrin’s favor, and whether or not franchise representation matters at all. Finally, I’ll close this piece with my own opinion of Corrin.

So, let’s begin!

Corrin in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS

Corrin chooses to Smash! (Image: Corrin’s trailer)

Corrin’s History

Fire Emblem Fates is the latest entry in the long-running series, and it started development shortly after Awakening was first released.

Corrin (known in Japan as “Kamui”) is Fates’ Avatar, filling the same niche that Robin served in the previous game. Players are offered a choice upon starting Fates between Corrin’s male and female incarnations, and some customization options are available to give your Corrin a distinct appearance.

Fates is actually a significant release for the brand, as it’s the first time variations of a single game were created. Birthright and Conquest were released at retail, and the third version, Revelation, will be downloadable. The different releases have differing difficulty, and they tell separate stories.

Corrin in Fire Emblem Fates

Corrin in Fire Emblem Fates. (Image: Nintendo/Intelligent Systems)

Japan received Fates back in June, and Corrin has proven to be popular there. Interestingly, this poll seems to affirm that the female Corrin is more popular than her male counterpart. (Considering how they’re portrayed in Smash, I’m not surprised.)

Conveniently aligning with Corrin’s arrival in Smash, Fire Emblem Fates was released in North America last month to financial success. Did you choose Birthright or Conquest?

That’s…basically it. Corrin debuted last year, so there isn’t a lot of history to review.

“Together, we ride!”

Do you like this jingle? You’re going to hear it even more often, so I hope you do! Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U have 58 playable characters, and six of them hail from Fire Emblem.

I’m going to preface this section by stating that I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with Fire Emblem having six representatives, and I believe each choice makes sense. To back that claim up, I propose we quickly review the first five.

Marth in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Marth appears in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U! (Image: Corrin’s trailer)

Marth is Fire Emblem’s original hero, he starred in four games, one of those games was adapted into an OVA, and his legacy served as a plot point in Awakening.

Furthermore, Sakurai wanted to include him in the original Smash Bros., and his inclusion in Melee was locked in from the start. Basically, Marth is obligatory.

Ike was the lead in two games (an achievement for this series), and his descendant appeared in Awakening.

Ike’s fighting style also offers a nice contrast with Marth’s; Marth is nimble and requires careful spacing, and Ike is going to bluntly strike you with his big, powerful sword. Ike has earned his keep, guys.

Robin represents aspects of Fire Emblem that the previous two do not, and Awakening also happened to be a franchise-saving victory. I think Robin’s presence is justified.

Speaking of Awakening, its other protagonist was on Sakurai’s mind, too. I have no attachment to Chrom or Robin, but I’m happy the latter was given priority. Would you have liked to play as Chrom?

Lucina was originally an alternate costume for Marth, but she was promoted later on during development. Basically, Lucina is a bonus.

As an aside, the distinction between Lucina as a costume and a clone is pretty arbitrary, but she offers more as a clone. She’s a fan favorite from Awakening (a figma was even made in her honor), and she manages to serve as a beginner’s Marth in Smash. What would be achieved by demoting her?

Roy is a popular character, and Sakurai knew that. Why decry the triumphant return of a beloved veteran?

Marth, Ike, Robin, Lucina, and Roy greet Corrin

Marth, Ike, Robin, Lucina, and Roy greet their new friend. (Image: Corrin’s trailer)

Fire Emblem has been around since Nintendo’s first console, and these five characters are a solid depiction of its legacy (even if there is some stylistic overlap between them, and even if other aspects of the series are still missing from Smash). Furthermore, it’s worth remembering that, of these five characters, there are only three unique movesets. Roy uses a modified version of Marth’s, and Lucina is little more than a costume swap.

Fire Emblem is a niche series, but it has a long, proud history. I see no problem with flaunting Intelligent Systems’ work, especially as it’s currently enjoying a second lease on life. (Although I will concede that it is kind of surreal to see Fire Emblem’s character count tie with Pokémon’s and surpass Zelda’s.)

So…where does Corrin fit into this?

Of all potential newcomers, why Corrin?

Sakurai acknowledged during the presentation that Corrin was included to help promote an upcoming game.

Corrin was pretty lucky!

Corrin showing off in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. (Image: the final Smash for Wii U/3DS presentation)

Sakurai elaborated in Famistu. Basically, they realized one of the DLC characters should promote a soon-to-be-released Nintendo game, and it was eventually decided that the latest Fire Emblem game happened to align perfectly.

I’m not thrilled with how limited resources were allotted to a fighter for such a transparent reason, but Nintendo and Sakurai were never obligated to support Smash for a year with DLC and balance patches. If they absolutely need to do some cross-promotion, fine.

So of Nintendo’s upcoming schedule, Fates was chosen, despite Sakurai’s concern of having an abundance of Fire Emblem characters. Sakurai, after having a pep talk with the team, believed they could create a unique fighter.

To his credit, he was correct! Corrin uses a magic chainsaw-sword, the Omega Yato, but as Sakurai amusingly went out of his way to state, it isn’t Corrin’s primary method of attack. “Dragon Fang” is, and it allows Corrin’s body to change shape. Corrin can grow wings, a lance, or a beast’s fangs, thanks to the powerful dragon blood flowing within. Corrin can transform into a dragon too, of course.

Corbin's Final Smash

“He’s using Dragon Fang!” (Image: Corrin’s trailer)

Sakurai ends his Famitsu column by mentioning that the final batch of DLC fighters were more complicated to create than the fighters in the base games, and he went all-out for them. He hopes we’ll enjoy them.

For the record, Corrin was the only DLC fighter to have a CGI trailer (albeit the CGI was recycled from Fates). Corrin also holds the distinction of being the only Nintendo-owned DLC fighter, and Fire Emblem holds the distinction of being the only franchise to receive two DLC fighters. Oh, and Corrin is currently the only combatant who debuted in 2015. Just some trivia for you, my fellow nerds.

Sakurai has stressed the importance of industry trends during his planning, so I’m thinking this was Corrin’s only window of opportunity to appear in Smash. Ultimately, I believe Sakurai was inspired by Corrin’s trademark abilities, but some might argue there’s a different reason Fates’ hero was chosen…

Sakurai’s Bias: does it exist?

Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede in Super Smash Bros. Brawl!

Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede in Super Smash Bros. Brawl! (Image: Brawl‘s official website)

Sakurai must ingest a considerable amount of antidepressants when he works on Smash, as his vocal fans aren’t afraid to let their thoughts known. One of them is the belief that Sakurai lets his personal taste cloud his judgment.

People voiced this belief back when Meta Knight and King Dedede were added in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This supposed favoritism continued during the development of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Kid Icarus, a dormant property Sakurai had just revived, received a plethora of new content including, but not limited to, Palutena and Dark Pit.

Kept you waiting?

Dark Pit’s crashing Palutena’s party. (Image: Palutena’s trailer)

Now Sakurai is allegedly focusing on Fire Emblem, as Robin and Lucina were added in the base games, Roy returned as DLC, and Fire Emblem gets a sixth character in Corrin.

Before we continue, I’ll let you know that Sakurai definitely likes Fire Emblem. Sakurai attended Fire Emblem’s 25th anniversary event, he’s discussed his history with the series, and Sakurai, upon Satoru Iwata’s request, conducted an interview with Intelligent Systems’ Toru Narihiro concerning Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. There isn’t any ambiguity on the matter, he’s a fan.

Sakurai, being a human being, will naturally have his own preferences, but is he letting that interfere with his ability to be impartial? Has Sakurai, perhaps having lost his passion for Smash after years of incessant criticism, become self-serving, and can only muster the enthusiasm to work on characters he personally cares about?

No, I’m not convinced that’s accurate. Sakurai seems to harbor a fondness for Mach Rider and Takamaru, for example, but they both have yet to be invited to Smash. (However, Takamaru continues to be a passing thought during the planning stages. Maybe next time will be the samurai’s big break?)

Sakurai has detailed his vetting process for potential newcomers before, and he’s stressed that a character’s uniqueness is critical. Source Gaming has a nice compilation of articles pertaining to Sakurai’s selection process, so please head over there if you’d like to know more.

You may not bear any attachment to some of our newcomers, but Sakurai’s a man of his word. Rosalina brought a seemingly infinite amount of her adorable comrades to fight with her, Little Mac has his Power Meter, Shulk has his Monado Arts…I could go on, but I don’t need to. The latest newcomers are bursting with creativity! Corrin continues that trend, with their “incredible reach” as their exclusive attribute.

(And if you’re going to bring up Lucina and Dark Pit in an effort to argue Sakurai’s being hypocritical, please don’t. Sakurai explained the circumstances behind their promotion, and it’s basically a happy accident that they received their own slots. There isn’t an inconsistency.)

Yes, Corrin is promoting Fates. Corrin also fights and animates unlike anyone else in the roster, and that’s important to Sakurai. In addition, Sakurai doesn’t care for cuts, so of course he’ll try to retain as many veterans as possible, especially the unique ones.

So…if a character’s individuality is so important, then does it matter how representation is divided amongst Nintendo’s franchises? Well…

Does franchise representation really matter?

Yes, it does.

Mario, Link, Samus, Kirby, and Captain Olimar are about to fight Charizard

Mario, Link, Samus, Kirby, and Captain Olimar are ready for a brawl! (Image: Greninja‘s trailer)

Super Smash Bros. started as a humble crossover, and it continues to serve as a love letter to fans of Nintendo’s catalogue of properties. I can’t speak for everyone, but I knew I had to own the original when I first saw its commercial. I was attached to those four characters, and they were meeting up? Sign me up!

Super Smash Bros. resonates with people for different reasons. Are you accustomed to the speed and movement options offered by Melee, or do you prefer Brawl’s slower, more defensive pace? Are you satisfied with the middle ground Sakurai tried to achieve with Wii U and Nintendo 3DS?

Regardless of how you prefer your gameplay, I think we can all agree the biggest draw to Smash is its roster. It’s a headline-creating event when a new fighter is announced, and Sakurai knows it. Everyone will have differing opinions concerning which characters “deserve” to be added to Smash‘s constantly expanding family, but there’s one man who makes the final call. We’ve established that he has a rigorous screening process, and that he values a character’s uniqueness.

Now, the fighting style a character brings to the roster is important. People want to feel as though their favorite character is being portrayed properly and offers something the other fighters don’t. Clones can be a touchy subject in the fandom, as some people see them as “pointless” and “lazy.”

Mario, Link, Pit, Donkey Kong, Samus, and Bowser meet Duck Hunt

Mario, Link, Pit, Donkey Kong, Samus, and Bowser meet Duck Hunt. (Image: Duck Hunt’s trailer)

But a character’s history, and the franchise they embody? The games they starred in, the experiences we’ve shared with them, and the happy memories that have been forged as we partake in this silly hobby? That’s important too.

It’s an elating experience to see our cherished favorites realized in Smash, and while their absence doesn’t magically invalidate the fun we had, it’s still pleasing to see your character on the character select screen.

Smash occurs once in a generation, so it’s deflating to feel like your favorite series was neglected. Smash also serves as an outlet to bond with our favorites in a manner we otherwise might not be granted. Bowser will always be a constant in the numerous Mario spin-offs, but how often do we get to play as Ganondorf? Moreover, how often do we get to play as Bowser and Ganondorf in the same game, and pit them against Mario and Link?

All 58 fighters in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

I still haven’t gotten all of them… (Image: the final Smash for Wii U/3DS presentation)

An onus does fall upon Sakurai to try to be fairly proportional, and he has acknowledged that on prior occasions. Did you know that Wario was planned for Melee, but Sakurai was concerned he’d oversaturate the roster with Mario newcomers? Sakurai mentioned that other characters were dropped from Melee under this same reasoning, and he echoed in 2008 that he is conscious of franchise representation when he makes his choices.

Characters are the biggest draw to Smash, but Sakurai can try to make up for their absence through other means, such as stages, items, Assist Trophies, and Mii costumes. I appreciate the effort put into those facets, but the roster is what we observe and appreciate the most.

For example, I’d say Zelda has more content than Fire Emblem. Zelda’s number of Assist Trophies exceeds Fire Emblem’s, and Zelda has eight items in comparison to Fire Emblem’s zero. However, when discussing Smash with my peers, these aspects are usually overlooked, whereas the character select screen can’t be overlooked.

I’d say stages are the second most appreciated form of representation in Smash, and Fire Emblem made out pretty well in that regard, too. Fire Emblem managed to score a brand new stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, whereas other franchises couldn’t.

Arena Ferox in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Arena Ferox is a fun stage, honestly. (Image: this Smash for Wii U/3DS presentation)

There’s a fine line between being reasonable and entitled, and I’d argue that some people are unhappy with Corrin because they’re jealous. (Don’t get mad at Fire Emblem for its good fortune, guys.) With that said, while I am happy for fans of Intelligent Systems’ ongoing series, I can see why people are burnt out on Fire Emblem content. There’s no shortage of it, and a few other franchises could have used a little extra love.

Furthermore, Corrin debuted last year and, at the time of their announcement, their game hadn’t left Japan. Corrin was an enigma to those of us in the West. We didn’t have the chance to bond with them and live through their story, so their entry felt…premature? Corrin also wound up being the only Nintendo-owned DLC newcomer, meaning a lot of hopes and prayers were riding on their “slot.”

Ultimately, I find Corrin to be an interesting indicator to see what you value in Smash. Does it bother you that Fire Emblem has six characters, even if four of them offer unique movesets and the other two are bonuses? Will you accept Corrin for their unique traits? Would you prefer to live in a world where Corrin never appears in Smash?

Elma and Cross in Xenoblade Chronicles X

Elma and Cross in Xenoblade Chronicles X. (Image: this Xenoblade Chronicles X trailer)

I can’t help but think there’d have been less controversy if we had gotten, say, a second Xenoblade character, or even an eighth Mario character. The Inklings would have been great, of course, but I’m not distressed over their omission. Splatoon’s mascots are as guaranteed for the next Smash as any character can be.

Balancing franchises in a fairly even manner must be challenging, and overall I feel Sakurai does a commendable job of it. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS still have the best roster yet, and I had plenty of new faces to excite me. Besides, there will be sequels, and our missing characters could get their chances another day.

(P.S. Sakurai, please focus on Donkey Kong a little more next time.)

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in Brawl! (Image: Brawl‘s official website)

So, what’re my thoughts on Corrin?

Honestly, I warmed up to Corrin when I saw how uniquely they’ll animate, and I will try to master them. They’re fun! However, I respect why one could be let down with them, and I think it’s fair to be discontent with another Fire Emblem character joining the cast.

Admittedly, no matter how hard I try, I can’t shake off this nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I don’t begrudge Fire Emblem‘s good luck, but I would have preferred to see another franchise get the nod. Xenoblade Chronicles X was recently released here, so considering that cross-promotion was a requirement, I would have enjoyed seeing someone from Monolith Soft’s latest title. Since Fire Emblem is currently enjoying a period of prosperity, I would have liked Xenoblade, a significantly newer series, to get the help.

Granted, it would have been impossible to please everyone no matter what Sakurai did, but should we have gotten another Ballot-inspired character? Should Sakurai have gone out of his way to try and appease another, perhaps more overlooked series? Did advertising really need to be a requisite in selecting a character? I’m not qualified to answer those questions, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Ultimately, I believe Corrin is a great pick that came at the wrong time. I’m assuming they’ll be old news by the time the next round of Smash Bros. starts development (unless Corrin returns in a future Fire Emblem, but that’s unlikely), and that this was Corrin’s only chance to get in.

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding Corrin’s inclusion, Corrin is here. I hope people accept Fates’ Avatar as we get to know them, both within the context of their game, and as a fighter in Smash.

Congratulations, Corrin! You chose correctly!

Corrin and Corrin in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Corrin and Corrin join the battle! (Image: Corrin’s trailer)

I dusted off my copy of Awakening, and I just got to Chapter 6. Fire Emblem hasn’t clicked with me the previous times I’ve tried it, but the series deserves another chance.

I still have one final article to finish too, and I hope you’re looking forward to it. We’re approaching the end of an era…

Careful, Pit!

“Oh, another angel. Must’ve missed one.” (Image: Bayonetta‘s trailer)

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73 comments
  1. As the Nerd once said, there’s a difference between being old-school and being outdated.

    When you look at Mario, you look at memorable characters that have stood the test of time & have begun what made the company what it is today. Super Mario is a brand that has organically turned into a pop culture icon & one that Nintendo can market with confidence. Everybody knows who Luigi is. Everybody knows who Peach is. There are a multitude of reasons why there are 7 Mario characters in Smash Bros.

    When you look at Fire Emblem, you look at a series that has for decades tried to desperately sell well. For most of its existence, it has been a niche game that is written with a brand new story with every title in the series. Players only have one or two games to play in order to know a specific character, & then after that, they’re outdated. Path of Radiance outdated Sacred Stones, Awakening outdated Path of Radiance, Fates outdated Awakening, & it’s only a matter of time before Fates is last Tuesday. So as much as I understand that people like to play as Ike & Robin, why should they still be around if they have no future & hold no legacy? That is a double standard because that is exactly why Sakurai ruled out many other characters. It’s not like the creative team at Intelligent Systems will all of a sudden say “Hey, I feel like making another game with Ephraim in it.” Fire Emblem should not get new characters for every new game that comes out, & it’s outrageous that the man in charge believes it’s what Smash Bros. needs. Not just anybody should be qualified.

    Sakurai stated his next project involves robots with guns, but why believe him? He’s out to swerve people once again & it won’t surprise me come January 12th that he’s at the helm once more for Smash Bros. & will find a new flavor of the month in the Chrom from Tokyo Mirage Sessions.

    backup368 on January 1 |
    • Except Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE flopped. Also, both Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei fans hate the game for being a clear J-Pop pandering cheesefest than a serious RPG. That’s like saying Chibi Robo should join Smash despite his series being a collection of financial failures.

      Don’t expect a character from that game to be playable.

      takamaru64 on January 1 |
      • Chibi Robo should be in Smash though… he’s had enough games and fans to warrant it.

        MagcargoMan on January 2 |
        • I would have more faith in him, if the company didn’t say that they would not make more games if Zip Lash didn’t sell well. You know, the same company that thought it was a good idea to change Paper Mario’s formulas for the worst and agreed to Metroid Prime: Federation Force.

          Zip Lash bombed hard and I’ve long accepted that Chibi Robo is good as dead since Nintendo doesn’t play games anymore. Even the Amiibo didn’t sell well given that scalpers would have been all over that like they should. Might as well accept that Super Mario Maker will be the last time you’ll ever see him,

          takamaru64 on January 3 |
          • Hey now, Federation Force was a good game for what it was. It wasn’t supposed to be a full Metroid (not that the Primes are true Metroid either). There’s nothing wrong with getting to play from the Federation’s point of view.

            Arthur 97 on January 4 |
          • I would have liked the game more if it didn’t have the chibi look. It’s hard to take the bobble headed Federation members serious or the pirates for that matter.

            Prime Hunters was able to pull off a realistic look easily with no hardware problems. You can’t really blame Metoird fans for wanting a good game on their anniversary.

            awesomeaussie27 on January 5 |
      • Sakurai is the only fan that matters to Sakurai.

        J. G. (@GeneralRayburn) on January 4 |
        • But how are you sure he remotely likes that game? It’s not like he likes J-Pop music.

          takamaru64 on January 4 |
          • He is Fire Emblem’s #1 fan, & even when sales did poorly, he put characters in Smash Bros. as a blatant promotional tactic.

            backup368 on January 4 |
          • What are you basing this conclusion on?

            Anonymous SG Fan on January 4 |
          • If the Corrins were not a blatant promotional tool, then what is?

            Arthur 97 on January 4 |
          • “Even when sales did poorly…”

            I assume he wasn’t talking about Corrin (Fates being the best selling FE title to date) so I’m not really sure how to interpret this comment.

            Anonymous SG Fan on January 4 |
          • So you seriously want to see this in Smash?

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTl8gDQiKiE

            Get ready for cringe. XD

            awesomeaussie27 on January 4 |
          • Then, Roy. Done.

            Arthur 97 on January 4 |
          • Yeah, Roy is clearly evidence of Sakurai bias, despite a ton of people wanting him back since Melee… wow

            Anonymous SG Fan on January 4 |
          • Only Melee nostalgists wanted Roy. He is one of the most unpopular lords in the actual Fire Emblem fandom. Mewtwo was the only Melee cut in Brawl that should have returned.

            MagcargoMan on January 5 |
          • Doesn’t change the fact he hasn’t been a ‘promotional’ character since Melee.

            Anonymous SG Fan on January 5 |
          • Doesn’t change the fact he’s never gotten in for his own merits.

            MagcargoMan on January 5 |
          • Is there an echo in here?

            anonymous SG fan on January 5 |
          • I meant in Melee.

            Why must you respond in such a completely rude manner. You have begun to straight up insult people. If you want to argue your point, that is one thing, but you’ve crossed a line.

            Arthur 97 on January 5 |
          • So we’re complaining about character promotion in Melee of all things? Aren’t we getting a bit off-topic here?

            anonymous SG fan on January 5 |
          • Never said it had to be in 4. Anyway, I’m done here. If you’re just going to be like this there is clearly no point in continuing.

            Arthur 97 on January 5 |
          • The Roy NCA article came out a few months ago, I suggest you post your complaints there instead.

            anonymous SG fan on January 5 |
          • Good luck to adding a Federation Farce soldier when the Metroid fans will have their torch and pitchforks ready.

            But seriously, adding a Federation Force soldier would be just as insulting as a playable Goomba.

            takamaru64 on January 5 |
    • Yeah, the more of the older ones I play, the more Fire Emblem feels like a one hit wonder (Awakening) than a great series. The older ones are fine, I guess, but they just aren’t as fun. I don’t find myself very interested in the plot, the gameplay is not as polished as it has become, and (especially Shadow Dragon) a lot of the characters are just hard to care about either way.

      Arthur 97 on January 1 |
    • I agree with most of what you said in the first two paragraphs, but Ike is the only lord besides Marth to be the star of more than one Fire Emblem game. He deserves to stay.

      Why would Sakurai lie about working on a new project?

      MagcargoMan on January 2 |
  2. I think this article made a great point about how our personal values affect our opinions about the Smash roster. For me, Smash is first and foremost a platform fighter, so my values lean towards what a character does more than where that character originated. Others seem to be more motivated by brand loyalty towards their own preferred franchises than to Smash as a series, which explains the continued nagging over franchise representation as opposed complaints about the game itself.

    Anonymous SG Fan on January 1 |
    • I like how you always blab on about people being unable to handle opinions, only for you to proceed to degrade anyone who does think like you as having less genuine stances. Nice.

      MagcargoMan on January 2 |
      • Have I upset you in some way? There’s really no need for openly hostile comments here, perhaps try expressing your opinions without specifically targeting others who you disagree with?

        Anonymous SG Fan on January 2 |
        • Nice cop-out there, buddy. Playing dumb will get you nowhere.

          MagcargoMan on January 2 |
          • At least try to keep your replies on-topic, please.

            anonymous SG fan on January 2 |
          • At least try to make some sort of substantial argument.

            MagcargoMan on January 2 |
          • I wasn’t making an argument, I was expressing an opinion; then again I’m not surprised you still cannot tell the difference…

            Anonymous SG Fan on January 3 |
    • There are times it feels like conflicts between tribes. They are Different, they are Other, therefore they are Undeserving.

      We get so caught up in character-support-as-identity that we end up assuming characters are chosen in ways that reflect that. Problem is, the design philosophy of Sakurai and his team are completely different. They’re more interested in compelling new additions with interesting abilities.

      delzethin on January 2 |
  3. >Implying Sakurai remotely cares for The Mysterious Murasame Castle

    Not like him actually working on a revival would be a good idea. Because them he or whatever new characters he add from said reboot would be scapegoats for bias in the next Smash. All more of a reason why I’d rather trust Kamiya with the series since he at least played it before and shown genuine interest in it.

    takamaru64 on January 1 |
    • Agreed. And now people are saying that Sakurai is working on a new Custom Robo game just because of a figure he tweeted about.

      I can see why he rarely participates on his page anymore.

      awesomeaussie27 on January 2 |
  4. Interesting article as always.

    Not to be off topic or anything, but I still don’t get what you mean about Sakurai remotely liking Takamaru as a character. To me, his statements sound a bit too PR-like or unenthusiastic to sound like genuine interest compared to how “fanboy gushy” he is when talking about Geno. Also wish the Smash fans would stop the conspiracy theories about him reviving The Murasame Castle when we don’t know how he feels about the franchise. Same thing goes for Retro Studios and Next level Games fans since they are far TOO Western to handle a heavily Japanese game like that (even if they know bits of Japanese culture). Kamiya sort of beat all of them to the punch by stating his interest and he will most likely be the one making a new game.

    And honestly, the guy who mentioned Sakurai would add a Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE character is making too big of a leap. The game was a commercial failure internationally and most of the characters are poorly received by fans. Coming from a fan of that game, I see little reason why Sakurai would add a character from that game other than being a closet J-Pop Vocaloid fan (which I doubt he is).

    awesomeaussie27 on January 2 |
  5. Oh boy, a Corrin article. I have very strong opinions on this matter so forgive me if this reply is long.

    I remember getting up in the morning early (well, earlier than usual) to watch the final Smash presentation live. I didn’t even have my expectations set on a certain character; I was just hoping it would be someone cool that a lot of people asked for. The moment after the trailer started and I saw those Fates characters run in my heart just sank. Last character reveal had me just plain uninterested, but this was just something else altogether. Of all the potential choices for one of the final characters they went with a SIXTH Fire Emblem character. I was in sheer disbelief; how was it that one of the worst things that could have gone wrong just did? I think the worst part was when I was talking to my brother about the direct the night before and saying how excited I was and who I would really like, and he replied something like “No matter who it is, at least it won’t be another Fire Emblem character.” It’s just surreal.

    “Did you choose Birthright or Conquest?”
    Neither. When it was first announced in the direct I was interested in getting it since I enjoyed Awakening (my first Fire Emblem), but the moment I found out it was being split into two versions in a greedy cash-grab like Pokemon does, I refused to buy it. Even worse was the third path as Day 1 DLC; not only did they split the story between two games (thus removing that sense of choice for which side you were choosing in-game) but they held the true ending of the game hostage behind a paywall. I refuse to support that. If they ever release the game again with all three paths included, then maybe I will get it, but until then…

    I don’t see how anyone couldn’t see anything wrong with SIX Fire Emblem characters, but I’ll get to that later. Marth is the face of the series, the first protagonist, and one that appeared the most, so of course he deserves to be in. Ike is the only lord besides Marth to be the star of more than one game, so again, he’s earnt his place. Now with the success of Awakening and Fire Emblem already being big enough to warrant a third character Robin was the best choice from that game, due to being more than a mere sword-user. However, after those three, things become unnecessary. Lucina is a clone that is severely outclassed by Marth, and is completely unnecessary (why does a single entry in the Fire Embem series need a second character?). We missed out what would have been a cool alt costume for crummy copy-paste filler instead. And don’t even get me started on Roy coming back. “Why decry the triumphant return of a beloved veteran?” Well, because he isn’t popular on his own merits and only got in to advertise Binding Blade and because Sakurai added a bunch of clones at the end. He’s a one-off lord and a poor unit in his game, and is one of the most unpopular lords in the actual Fire Emblem fandom. His return in Smash 4 really began to show Fire Emblem over-representation. Not to mention we have to pay five dollars for what is basically Fire Marth. I never got why people acted like his cut was comparable to Mewtwo, when instead it was on the level of Pichu, Young Link and Dr. Mario instead.

    “Sakurai has stressed the importance of industry trends during his planning, so I’m thinking this was Corrin’s only window of opportunity to appear in Smash.”
    And this just highlights further that he never would have gotten in on his own merits. He was shameless advertising, like Roy before him.

    How is Sakurai not biased for Kid Icarus? He works on Uprising, and all of a sudden this small three-game series gets more content than half of the franchise present in Smash. It has two newcomers, six new items, a new stage in both versions of the game when many series only got one new stage across both, and it has NINETEEN enemies in Smash Run; even more than Mario does! Dark Pit is no happy accident; Sakurai consciously made the decision to make him his own character instead of leaving him be as an alt. He even used weird double-standard reasons, like how he claimed it be weird for him to use the Three Sacred Treasures (even though the game never says only Pit can use them), yet is fine with Alph using the Hocotate Ship. There is an obvious bias for Kid Icarus in Smash 4, and I don’t understand how one could argue otherwise. Yes, Sakurai did not even try to be impartial with Smash 4, and both the Kid Icarus and Fire Emblem over-representation show it.

    The section about franchise representation really highlights why Corrin was undeserving and why FIre Emblem is overrepped. He doesn’t have that history, that legacy. Most of the world never got to experience him and his game, and in Japan he was very recent. I don’t get how Sakurai could withhold characters in Melee and Brawl for representation reason, and then just cave in Smash 4 for series like Fire Emblem and Kid Icarus. Did he just give up?

    “Would you prefer to live in a world where Corrin never appears in Smash?”
    Oh, if only…

    Yes, Sakurai should have went with another ballot character or gave attention to a neglected series. Corrin was by the far the most disappointing DLC character in the game. The DLC could have fixed some of the problems in the roster but instead they made them worse. What a wasted opportunity.

    Advertising should NEVER be a reason to add a character. It means their addition is based solely on timing rather than their own merits, and the majority of the time advertisement characters become irrelevant by the next game (Roy). Adding a character for advertising makes a character’s inclusion look like a cynical marketing technique rather than a passionate addition.

    To wrap things up, Corrin was not a deserving character. Sakurai outright lied to us when he said that the last few DLC characters would be fanservice. I may be strongly against Cloud being in Smash, but I can admit that there’s an obvious fanservice to have him in the game. Meanwhile, Corrin wasn’t added due to any popularity or demand, but because he was in a recent game that had just come out in Japan. Fire Emblem is a niche franchise with only fourteen games, yet somehow gets more characters than series much, much bigger than it like The Legend of Zelda, and just as many as Pokemon. I don’t get how people can argue that it is a big enough series to warrant six characters, especially when Sakurai himself outright said he thought Corrin was pushing it. Fire Emblem was basically on life support before Awakening revived it, and Nintendo was gonna outright cancel the series if it failed, yet now they try to pretend it’s a major IP because Awakening sold well even though they wanted to kill it off right before it. Fire Emblem is NOT on the level of Mario, Zelda and Pokemon, nor Kirby and DK for that matter. Hell, even Animal Crossing is bigger than Fire Emblem. Yet Nintendo is now pretending it is to justify it’s push everywhere.

    I really hope the next Smash (a real new Smash, not a Smash 4 port) does the right thing and trims the Fire Emblem roster down for the better. Corrin was a mistake.

    MagcargoMan on January 2 |
  6. But Palutena can’t be used as an example of Sakurai bias because Sakurai never made her, all he did was remake her to look like the Kid Icarus version of Gardevoir.

    I don’t really care on who gets in (since I’m either going to be playing as that character or beating that character up), all I care about is how big the roster’s going to get.

    Bob on January 2 |
    • Now that you think about it, her and Gardevoir are alot alike.

      Even their fandoms are just as thirsty. *hint* *hint* *wink* *wink*

      awesomeaussie27 on January 2 |
    • At first I didn’t quite buy his reasoning for so many Kid Icarus enemies in Smash Run, but since Kid Icarus content was largely reduced in the Wii U version, I have come to believe it. Really, since Dark Pit was relatively last minute and low effort, Kid Icarus is pretty on point for the most part.

      Arthur 97 on January 3 |
      • What did it lose in the Wii U version besides Smash Run enemies?

        MagcargoMan on January 4 |
        • Uh, about 40% of the enemies were KI (Made up statistic: do not quote) so many trophies got cut, and made it less prevalent in the Wii U version since you didn’t constantly see KI enemies in it. So it may have only lost the enemies, but it was much less in your face in the Wii U version. Plus, since one of it’s stages is massive, it really doesn’t get played all that much so it kind of fades into the background.

          Arthur 97 on January 4 |
          • It still has more content in the Wii U version than a lot of bigger, longer-running series. Trophies and Smash Run enemies (which everyone lost due to no Smash Run) isn’t much. It still has two stages (one is from Brawl, but still), three characters, two assist trophies and six items on Wii U. Not to mention the new difficulty system for Classic Mode in both versions is ripped from Kid Icarus.

            MagcargoMan on January 4 |
          • It may be overrepped, but it still isn’t quite as obvious as some others. Maybe part of it is the fact that I rarely play those stages except online (I detest Skyworld as a stage not because of the KI part of it), but I find it much less present in the Wii U. And Dark Pit was a last minute clone; I give those three passes.

            Also, KI lost a lot more with Smash Run than most. Mario was probably the only one that could challenge it. It also only has 4 items. The drill is a “Smash” item in the vein of the bumper.

            Arthur 97 on January 5 |
          • The clone thing isn’t really a valid reason. He could have gave another series a clone instead.

            There’s five even if you don’t count the drill (which you should, it has the exact same design as it did in Uprising): Back Shield, Killer Eye, X-Bomb, Ore Club and the Daybreak. Also the Hocotate Bomb functions exactly like the Boom Rocket from Uprising. Long story short, Kid Icarus has the third-most amount of items in the game (not counting Smash originals). If you don’t count the drill, it still ties third place with Kirby.

            MagcargoMan on January 5 |
          • The characters, assist trophies, items, and difficulty system are shared between the 3DS and Wii U versions, so bringing them up as points is redundant. I think what Arthur was getting at was the difference in the amount of Kid icarus content between the 3DS and Wii U games. Since Uprising was on the 3DS, it was easier to port models from that game into the 3DS version for bonus content like trophies and Smash Run enemies, but a lot of that ended up being left out of the Wii U version. One of the reasons for this is that the 3DS version focused more on handheld games, while the Wii U version focused more on console games.

            Spiral on January 9 |
  7. In my opinion, the biggest problem was with how they presented the Smash Ballot. Yes, people had a big part on the blame, it was over-hyped. But on the other hand, I feel like it was, at least “half of the hype”, a natural reaction, normal. I think part of the blame is because they didn’t communicate correctly, they never said how many characters would’ve been chosen, didn’t gave notices and updates to the fans until the very end iirc, didn’t showed the results or at least characters high on the voting list (as unrealizable as they were, it still mattered to a lot of people)…If they had said it was only one character, things would be much much less hyped by the internet. I mean, they’re a business, and it’s important to communicate clearly with the clients.

    Ar on January 3 |
    • I feel like showing the results would have just made things worse – Bayonetta was the most realizable character they could get (whether that means that they couldn’t get the rights to the other characters, couldn’t feasibly get them working on the 3DS in the time that they had, or didn’t have the inspiration to make movesets for them is unclear), and people would have complained even more if we got an idea of which characters almost made the cut but didn’t.

      I feel like the final Smash direct (and the ballot) would have been received a lot better if we had gotten a second ballot character instead of Corrin (who didn’t seem to be added based on popularity, even in Japan – the only reason we have to go on is to promote a new Fire Emblem game when Smash already promoted Fire Emblem a lot), but that’s just my opinion.

      Megadoomer on January 3 |
      • I honestly believe there was someone who placed higher than Bayonetta on both the US and Japanese polls and that Bayo got in over said character due to being easier and because SEGA’s been chummy with Nintendo lately.

        I found it rather suspicious that Sakurai said she was in the Top 5 for the US instead of her specific place and the he didn’t even mention at all where she placed in the Japanese one,

        MagcargoMan on January 4 |
        • I feel like the votes were spread so thin that it’s unlikely that the same character would have done better than Bayonetta in both polls. (either that, or they fell into one of the issues that I already mentioned, like not working on the 3DS)

          Take K. Rool for example – sure, he’d be popular in North America and England, but he might not have as big of a fanbase in Asia or the rest of Europe, which would make a difference. With no limit to the amount of options that people could have chosen, Bayonetta’s popularity in both North America and Europe could have pushed her above characters that were only popular in one of the regions.

          Megadoomer on January 5 |
          • There’s multiple articles on this site about character requests in Japan that show that K. Rool is heavily requested there like he is in the west.

            MagcargoMan on January 5 |
  8. When I first saw Corrin join Smash, I was very surprised by it. Not just only they brought somebody I hardly know, but brought another Fire Emblem character for the final DLC. But unlike everybody who’s outrageously angry and upset with his inclusion, I was never disappointed with him since I wasn’t expecting anything during that time. Instead, I was happy to see a new character joining Smash. And Corrin was definitely a different FE character I’ve ever seen. He wasn’t any clone of Marth or any blue haired hero. He wasn’t just a generic sword fighter as his sword wasn’t mainly focused in his movesets. Similar to how Robin was more focused on magic than his sword, Corrin was more focused on his shape shifting abilities, and that is something that made Corrin more unique than any FE characters, and I was well surprised by that.

    But even then, I do agree on the point why he was chosen upon promotion. Why chose a game that was already released in Japan before it did in the West? Wasn’t there any other games to promote before it was out? Xenoblade X may had their possibilities, but maybe denied due to some difficulties. Splatoon wouldn’t make sense either as they’ve already did promoted through Mii costumes. Western favorites like Shovel Knight won’t worth it either as they weren’t released in Japan yet that time. Other choices could’ve made the possibilities, but in my belief, I don’t think this was decided by Sakurai alone. Sakurai did explain that he was worried for having too many FE characters, and we know he wasn’t lying because he’s always reasonable when it comes with bringing new fighters. This is what makes the huge differences with crossover games, between official game companies and fanmade games like MUGEN. MUGEN doesn’t need to have a license or permission to borrow characters from certain games. They don’t even need any reasonable ideas or limitations to bring that character into their games. They’ll just simply add that character in it, like it or not, weak or over-powerfully strong, it doesn’t matter. But official game companies doesn’t do it that way, that’s not how it works when making crossover games professionally. Every games have their ownership, and it is important to make a contract, have permission to borrow it, and have discussion on who should join in and how that character would work in that game. For this case, Sakurai may had other options, but this is the entire Nintendo company, and Intelligent Systems who own the series, that made the decision, and Sakurai accepted it. Not just only Smash alone, but other crossover games like Marvel VS Capcom does the same method too, having both director and the supporting company to decide who should join in by sharing possible ideas.

    Eventually, I don’t know if Sakurai bias was involved or not, or even existed. However, as I have said this before so many times, Sakurai isn’t a god nor a genie from a magic lamp to grant wishes in an instant. He is just a human being like us. He have his own doubts, but does thing fairly. He can change things around, but can think of something more. He have his reasons, and he does explain it widely. Its just hardcore fans who doesn’t understand nor even listen to his answers as they’re being too selfish on their own desires; and that’s the biggest problem every crossover games have toward those fans. When the game doesn’t bring in the character they want the most, they just simply throw not just only salt, but rocks and pitchforks for more anger issues. They’ll never understand why that character couldn’t make it as they live in a give and take society. Even then, I don’t blame Sakurai for whom he chose. Nintendo was fully involved in this project. It’s their character, they wanted Corrin to join Smash, and Sakurai accepted that offer. But even then, it’s nobody’s fault, its never been. But the reason for the fans to be angry, is their own fault for expecting too much as hyping irresponsibly. That’s right, hype responsibly is Source Gaming’s #1 tip of the century.

    No matter if Corrin’s entry was right or wrong, I’m glad to see him join Smash. To be honest, I didn’t know who he was in the beginning, but thanks to his entry, I’ve learned more about him, even I haven’t played his game either. Corrin will return to the Switch port, but maybe not to the next new Smash game which I’m aware of. But even then, he had his chance, and I’d respect it. Much more, I agree entirely to this article, and really thank Cart Boy for such great effort on making it. Thank you, and good luck on the Bayonetta article!

    zoniken on January 3 |
    • Robin actually has sword moves than magic moves. Which is unfortunate, coming from someone who wanted him in.

      I really think you’re being biased in that third paragraph, acting like the reason for his inclusion is infallible and thus anyone who doesn’t think it’s a good one is some salt-buzzword ignoramous who can’t understand Sakurai’s flawless decision. Yeah, it’s totally hyping, and not the fact that a niche series has more characters than Zelda that got people rightfully upset.

      MagcargoMan on January 3 |
      • I actually didn’t care for how much they up played their magic abilities. Yes, they had to make them unique, but, come on! That isn’t even proper use of a Levin sword!

        Arthur 97 on January 3 |
        • Honestly, when I played Awakening (before Smash 4, mind you) I thought it was pretty dumb how the Levin Sword might as well have not been a sword since it basically worked like a tome. I like how Smash made it a proper melee weapon.

          MagcargoMan on January 4 |
          • It may make more sense, but it has always been a projectile I believe. Still, throwing in a random Brave sword spawn might have been cool.

            Arthur 97 on January 4 |
  9. If Sakurai is bias he isn’t going to admit it. I have theories about why this happened but it isn’t to do with Sakurai’s Fire Emblem bias but poor timing of the other suspect I have in mind.

    My guess is Corrin’s game being out at the time (in Japan) made him win over the other choice I think may have been on the table.

    haruhisailormars on January 3 |
  10. I think it is right to break down Corrin a bit then join it and be cohesive:
    1. Corrin as a fighter
    – One of the 4 characters with changeable sex besides Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, and Robin
    – Built for Long Reach sweet-spots and moves.
    – Dragon transformation for flavor. Also represents the water element alongside Greninja.
    – Dragons are also key to the Fire Emblem franchise. It’s an important element that needs to be represented.

    So I think Corrin is a cool character when put in a vacuum.

    2. Corrin as a Fire Emblem rep
    – Marth and Ike have 2 games each (Marth’s games also have remakes so technically 4). That being said Ike’s games were the worst selling in the FE franchise. So he was put in 4 as a Smash Veteran rather than as promotion.
    – Robin, Lucina, and Roy have 1 game each.
    – Roy is not popular in the Fire Emblem fandom, but he was put as a nod to Melee (Only other choice was Pichu who is disliked by the Melee and Pokemon community since Toon Link is a revamp of Young Link). He was also added as a promotional character over other FE choices like Sigurd and Leif.
    – Lucina was easy to implement and it’s justifiable why she’s a Marth Clone and represents the best selling game in the franchise (at the time).
    – Robin also represents the best selling game in the franchise (at the time) and the aspect of weapon durability and magic.

    Corrin makes sense and now he has a more legit reason to exist in Smash as Fates has been the best selling game in the franchise so far. I’d think Ike, Lucina and Roy would be removed rather than Corrin for the next installment.

    3. Fire Emblem in Smash Bros. besides characters
    – Fire Emblem doesn’t have any items in Smash.
    – Fire Emblem has only one assist character in the form of Lyn, the first female Lord. She’s also popular.
    – The trophies list is small, Melee only had character trophies, Brawl added 4 characters from the Tellius games and Lyn, and 4 added Chrom, and popular/important characters from Awakening.
    – Fire Emblem has had 3 stages, only one is a location from the series. The others represent some of the aspects of the series.

    The easiest way to represent Fire Emblem is through the characters as the trophies show. Assist Trophies can also show elements of the series that are not represented like the Pegasus, Manaketes, and Wyverns.

    4. Fire Emblem as a series
    – Fire Emblem has always been popular in Japan, Mystery of the Emblem sold 776,000 units. Compare this to Earthbound’s 300,000 sales in Japan and Super Metroid selling 780,000 units. Unlike Metroid though, the sales didn’t fall down so hard. Binding Blade sold almost twice (345K) as much as Metroid Fusion in Japan (180K).
    – While there has been a lot of talk about FE needing to sell 250,000 units or the franchise would be dead, Shadow Dragon reached that in Japan alone and New Mystery of the Emblem also sold above that. It wasn’t in a big risk of dying.
    – There’s been a lot of doujinshi, official manga, and side material like Fire Emblem TCGs.

    Fire Emblem is a franchise that is big in Japan, not the most popular, but certainly has its devoted fanbase over there.

    5. Inclusion
    – The only 2015 Nintendo titles that were released in Japan, and had new characters were Splatoon, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Codename STEAM and Fire Emblem Fates.
    – Splatoon was probably too successful to be added. Plus it released in America at the same time.
    – Xenoblade Chronicles X wasn’t successful in Japan.
    – Codename STEAM bombed hard. Also was already out in America.
    – Fire Emblem Fates was successful in japan, but not super crazy like Splatoon. It also wasn’t out in other regions.

    I do think this was the logic used to pick Corrin over the other characters. It seems like a pragmatic decision over an artistic one.

    Conclusion:
    Western People are sour over Corrin for some big reasons:
    – The manner in which they were chosen over the other 3 candidates. I really think it mostly came down to the localized version being out around the time of the DLC. Since Fates sold the best yet, it may have paid off to choose Corrin.
    – Franchise overrpresentation. I think this is very contentious, but most of the content that can be put out for the franchise is characters.
    – Roy as DLC. Made to throw a bone at Melee players, but it just showed to many that Nintendo is giving preferential treatment.
    – Culture Shock between Japan and the USA. Many had little to no knowledge of FE before 2013 and now there’s 3 new guys in Smash. That and stigma against “anime” characters.
    – The Ballot.

    Now the big problem is if these characters continue appearing because they are veterans and people groan if they continue appearing. Lucario, Mewtwo, and Charizard did get new Mega Evolutions to keep them relevant in the franchise, but like Jigglypuff, all the characters besides Marth seem like they will only appear in Smash because they are veterans.

    I do think the way Corrin was introduced, but I like the character and I do think they’re better individually than Roy, Ike, and Lucina who would be the first 3 in the chopping block. I still think 6 characters is too much, but I would bolster other franchises over cutting characters.

    ex275w on January 3 |
    • “I’d think Ike, Lucina and Roy would be removed rather than Corrin for the next installment.”

      Ew please no. Ike has more right to stay than Corrin since he’s not a one-off lord like him.

      I don’t know why you brought up those sales. It’s pretty telling that no game in the series before Awakening sold over a million copies. Meanwhile, Animal Crossing: Wild World alone has over 12 million worldwide. DKCR sold six million on the Wii. Fire Emblem is pretty small potatoes in the sales department.

      And I don’t see the need to add a 2015 character just for the sake of it. Also Charizard, Mewtwo and Lucario didn’t need Megas to relevant since they are one of the original starters, one of the first and most iconic legendary Pokemon and the mascot of Gen IV that is still heavily marketed respectively.

      MagcargoMan on January 4 |
      • Well we don’t know if Corrin is a one-off. Thinking about it though, Ike does seem really improbable since if he was to be removed it wouldn’t been in this title since he wasn’t relevant to the franchise but was relevant due to being in Brawl.

        I brought up the sales because in Japan, the country that Smash Bros. that Smash Bros. was created in part to celebrate it’s video game character Fire Emblem as a brand and property is a bigger fish than when looked at a global perspective. Comparing Japanese sales shows that Mario, Zelda, Metroid routinely sell much more in America than Japan almost by a factor of 2+ copies per copy sold in Japan. Few IPs have more proportional sales in Japan than in America.

        If I’m not mistaken all the DLC followed a theme:
        Mewtwo: Most requested cut character
        Roy: Most requested cut Melee character
        Lucas: Most requested cut Brawl Character
        Ryu: Popular fighting Game Character
        Cloud: character popular in America
        Bayonetta: Smash Ballot winner popular in Europe

        Now Sakurai did mention he decided to make the final DLC for some reason he wanted to promote an upcoming game, he even admits this in the Direct. I mean plenty of stages concern the most recent title in a franchise. NSMB 2 only has a stage to promote that game. So sure you have Splatoon and that was big so that doesn’t need promotion and the game is out worldwide, Xenoblade Chronicles X didn’t do so hot in Japan and that was the other upcoming game was fire Emblem Fates.

        So Corrin meets the requirements he may have looked for,
        – Game is not released in parts of the world so it can be promoted
        – Character is popular in Japan
        – Character has distinctive traits as a fighter

        Judging again by Fates’s sales Sakurai I think hit it right on the money. I would’ve preferred ELMA myself though.

        What I mean with Charizard, Lucario and Mewtwo is that they are popular Pokemon but new mons like Greninja might’ve made overtaken them in the franchise if they didn’t do something to reinvigorate their popularity. Not a coincidence that Lucario is the poster boy for Mega Evolution and Mewtwo and Charizard have 2 Mega Evolutions. Mewtwo also got a movie where it mega evolves and Charizard X was revealed in the Pokemon Origins Special. Helps that you could get them in the newest games.

        With Fire Emblem it has the same trait as Pokemon in that it is constantly putting new faces in the limelight. You can’t suddenly bring Ike back in Fire Emblem except as DLC or a remake. So Fire Emblem characters run into the same problem as Jigglypuff where the reason they would be continue to be around is because they were in the past Smash games. I guess they would eventually become retro picks but still, imagine the next Smash comes out and they put another 2 Fire Emblem characters from FE15, but don’t cut out the current ones because well they are popular fighters. Now Fire Emblem has more characters as Mario.

        ex275w on January 4 |
        • I still don’t see why there NEEDS to be an advertisement character. They never get in on their own merits and become irrelevant by the next game.

          MagcargoMan on January 5 |
          • I hate to break it to you, but every character in Smash is an ‘advertisement character’ in some form or another.

            anonymous SG fan on January 5 |
          • Right… Mario was only added in the first game to promote Super Mario 64. Not because he’s the main character of Nintendo’s flagship franchise or anything…

            MagcargoMan on January 5 |
          • Sarcasm aside, thank you for proving my point.

            Anonymous SG Fan on January 5 |
          • But I didn’t

            MagcargoMan on January 5 |
  11. The irony is, I don’t think that many people actually liked Corrin that much in Fates. I hear they are exceptionally bland which is not something you really want in a main character. All the more reason I don’t like avatars as main characters.

    Arthur 97 on January 3 |
    • Maybe not in the West, but in Japan Corrin was the most popular female character in Fates.
      Link:
      https://mynintendonews.com/2015/11/29/heres-the-fire-emblem-if-fates-character-popularity-poll-results/

      anonymous SG fan on January 3 |
      • I don’t think that means much. In the Awakening poll the most popular characters were Chrom and Lucina, and Robin was in the top 3 for both Male and Female categories. Seems like a lot of people just voted for them because they’re the main characters. It’s like how Pokemon popularity polls tend to have Pikachu as number one half the time.

        https://www.nintendo.co.jp/fe/kakusei_bk/kekka/index.html

        MagcargoMan on January 4 |
        • Are you implying that Pikachu is not a popular Pokemon?

          Anonymous SG Fan on January 4 |
          • I’m saying that there are people who will vote for the main character simply because they’re the main character.

            MagcargoMan on January 4 |
          • Even if that were true, it doesn’t make those votes any less valid.

            Anonymous SG Fan on January 4 |
      • Therein lies another problem in the lack of concern over the West. The West is large share of copies sold; they might want to give it more thought than, “Put Little Mac in.”

        Besides, main characters do have a bit of an advantage in that kind of poll. Plus, how many people actually voted in it? They usually have a relatively small voter base.

        Arthur 97 on January 4 |