TheNerdyOne’s DLC wishes

Hello, viewer! I was also invited by PushDustIn to write for this blog, and I figure a rundown of my most wanted fighters and such for DLC would be a good way to introduce myself and give you a feel for my interests as they relate to Smash! So, without further ado, let’s jump right into it!

We’ll start off with me top 5 fighters (in no particular order, as who I want the most seems to change with the day). I considered covering my most wanted stages, Assist Trophies, and the like, but I had trouble coming up with much for those, and the main focus for DLC is the characters anyway.

Inkling (Splatoon)

Nothing too shocking here, the Inklings have been pretty popular among the Smash Bros. community recently, and for good reason. I am quite excited for Splatoon, it looks like a great game with a lot to offer, and this is honestly probably largely thanks to how much Nintendo is pushing the game. They’ve described Splatoon as their attempt to do to shooters what Mario Kart did to racing games, and that’s amazing. This alone implies to me that Splatoon is here to stay, and I’m sure it will sell well enough to warrant more games in the future. I think Splatoon has already earned its spot in Smash Bros., and I’m sure it will continue to prove itself. The concept itself if just so unique.

And, consequently, the Inklings would likewise be very unique fighters in Smash. They could transform into their Squid form using their neutral special move, and while they are in this form they could move around at a much quicker pace, while avoiding the fighting and staying hidden, waiting for their opportunity. Of course, they would still have to be visible in this form (probably by leaving a temporary ink trail), but it could still be used for sneak attacks during more hectic matches. Other than that, their moveset could use the various weapons available in their game, with, perhaps, their standard attack using the standard Ink Blaster.

As for alternate costumes, Splatoon offers many different colors of Inklings, with many different styles. I would imagine the main costume would make use of the Hero outfit from the singleplayer campaign, but the rest of the costumes could use any variety of customization options from the game.

Captain Toad (Super Mario)

Admit it, Toad deserves to be in Smash more than any other potential Mario newcomer, even more than Bowser Jr. or Rosalina (as much as I love their additions). He is the single main Mario character still not playable in the game. I suspect that this is largely due to Toad not having much to differentiate his moveset from those of Mario, Luigi, and even Peach. He would really just end up being a combination of those three, taking a more or two from each of them. But that is no longer the case, Toad finally has something that really makes him unique. There’s no reason for him not to be included in the game.

“But wait,” I hear you cry, “how can Captain Toad be a fighter if he can’t jump?!” While some may see this fact as a problem, I see it as an opportunity. Captain Toad’s moveset could take advantage of this fact in order to make him in to something truly unique. Some have suggested that, since his heavy backpack is the reason for his lack of jumping ability, his moveset could be based around emptying and filling up said backpack, with his weight and jump height being affected by how full the backpack is. While I do like this possibility, I don’t feel as though it properly represents his character. After all, every time we see Captain Toad his backpack is completely full, and this possible moveset just feels like it’s focusing on getting around the jumping issue rather than the character itself.

I personally think that Captain Toad should do something completely new with the jumping mechanic, something no other character has done in Smash, and that is to never actually jump. Instead, when you press the jump button, a small propellor platform, like those seen in his game, spawns underneath and quickly flies upwards, temporarily remaining the top of its climb before despawning. The player could influence its direction with the control stick, allowing it to move horizontally a bit as well. The rest of his moveset can be filled with references to his game, there’s plenty there to create something cool. If properly balanced, Captain Toad could be a really fun character.

Serperior (Pokemon)

I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a completionist. I think that it would be cool to get a grass starter so that we can have a starter of each type. However, this is not the main reason I want Serperior. Not only is Serperior one of my favorite starter evolutions ever, if not my favorite, but they can also bring so much more to Smash than any of the others. As you may be starting to notice, being unique is a big part of what makes me like a certain fighter. Nothing more unique to Smash than a giant snake.

I’m sure that, at this point, many are wondering how Serperior would work, as they don’t have limbs. Well, Serperior does have two small arms, which take the appearance of large leaves, which could be used to hold items. Grabs can be done using the Wrap move, where Serperior grabs the opponent with their tail. Really, there’s nothing that Serperior couldn’t do. The moveset could use moves like Slam, Leaf Tornado, Vine Whip, and Leer.

As of right now, Sceptile is obviously the most popular Pokemon newcomer as far as Smash is concerned, definitely the most popular grass starter. This is largely because they were featured in a recent remake, in which they relieved a Mega Evolution and became much more relevant. However, if I’m doing my math right, the Black/White remakes should be releasing around the same time as Smash 5, give or take a year. They’ll more than likely receive a Mega Evolution (which I am very excited to see), and they’ll be the most relevant grass starter at the time, with much more to offer than Sceptile.

Excitebiker (Excitebike)

Sakurai considered this fighter for inclusion in Melee as an NES rep, but decided that jumping would be an issue and went with the Ice Climbers. However, with a little creativity, jumping isn’t an issue at all. The easiest way to go about it would be to attach pistons, or hydraulics, or something similar, to the wheels of his motorcycle. To jump, these pistons would activate, pushing the wheels down, and the bike into the air.

Not to sounds like a broken record, but he would be a very unique fighter. While technically the second mounted fighter, the first being Bowser Jr., he doesn’t quite have the fighting resources that the Clown Car provides. Obviously, he would be forced to fight either with his bike or his fists/feet. It would be really cool if his attacks were based off of various tricks that are often done on motorcycles, especially the aerials, even though his game is more about racing. He could of course do things from his game as well, like activating his boost or laying down puddles of oil.

Not much more to say about Excitebiker. He’s from a game that was extremely popular and rather revolutionary at the time, and has definitely earned his spot in Nintendo history. A course based on the game was even featured in Mario Kart DLC, alongside F-Zero, as a reference to how influential the series has been.

Chibi-Robo (Chibi-Robo!)

While Chibi-Robo may not necessarily be quite as unique as my other choices, he could still be a very interesting fighter. While the original game has yet to get a true sequel, the franchise has gotten a number of games over the years, the most recent being Chibi-Robo: Photo Finder. While the games aren’t wildly popular, the little guy is persistent.

He has a good variety of moves, seeing as the original game gave him a good variety of abilities that he could use to explore. He can use the Chibi Blaster for long-range attacks, the toothbrush/spoon/squirter for close-quarter combat, and the Chibi Copter as a recovery move. I really like the idea of him being given a “charge” mechanic. He starts out each match/life fully charged, all of his stats are unusually high. Over time, these stats diminish, requiring him to plug in to the stage (using his down-Special) for a short period of time to recharge. While recharging, he is restricted in movement by the length of the cord, though a good hit would be enough to yank it out and send him flying.

Honorable Mentions

Captain Charlie

This lovable captain from Pikmin 3 woudl essentially be a heavy-hitting version of Olimar, making use of Rock Pikmin rather than Purple and White Pikmin. I would love for his Final Smash to utilize the Vehemoth Phosbat, having it swallow Captain Charlie and give the player control of the beast for a short time. But, ultimately, he would be an Olimar semi-clone at best, and I would prefer more unique fighters for DLC.

Ray MkIII

This fighter could make great use of the move customization system offered in Smash 4, as customizable moves are a trademark of his series. I would love for each of his specials to be a customizable move from the game, and his custom moves could represent different gear. However, some other fighters currently have this gimmick covered, such as Palutena.

Andy

I love myself some Advance Wars, and would love to see it represented in Smash! The problem with Andy, at least for me, is that I have trouble coming up with a really interesting moveset for him that stays true to the games. He would obviously fight by summoning troops from his games, but I could never, despite efforts to do so, come up with a good way to implement that. If anyone thinks that they have such a way, please feel free to share!

So there you have it, my most-wanted DLC characters! I’m extremely excited to see what Sakurai and his team have in store for us, even beyond the characters.