SourceGaming’s Smash NX Predictions/Roundtable

Smash NX rumours have been persistent now for quite some time. We at SourceGaming are going to way in on what we thought Smash for NX COULD be, should the port rumours turn out to be true.

Participants: TheAnvil, Wolfman_J, Smashchu, Soma, Delzethin, Martin, LIQUID12A

What will Smash NX be?
How will it be presented? Will it be an entirely new game, just a port with all the DLC, or an enhanced port? Can we draw from similar scenarios for other games, like Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for example?
I’m personally somewhat torn on this. I do feel that it won’t be a straightforward port, as I’ve previously expressed. I feel like either Smash NX will see the Wii U version launch as a platform to extend and improve (think Disney Infinity), or that in a far more likely scenario we’ll see an enhanced port, ala USF4 and UMvC3. There’s so little room for improvement over the Wii U version in terms of its gameplay mechanics or its graphical quality. At this point in time all we really need from a new Smash game would be more of the same. People aren’t ready to lose everything they gained through the Wii U entry and its DLC.  -TheAnvil

Nintendo isn’t looking to sell Smash for NX to the same crowd, they’re looking to attract a different one. That’s the point of remakes/remasters that cross generations, to allow a new audience a chance to buy an older game. On that premise, I do think Nintendo could probably get away with a GoTY-type package, although extra goodies would definitely be an incentive for re-purchasers. -Soma

It could just be a straight port – which is fine; even if NX is backwards-compatible and successful, it’s unlikely that Wii U games would sell well on it anyway – but Sakurai clearly gets the appeal of new content in games with multiple versions. Don’t expect, say, a story mode, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was had something beyond that. – Wolfman_J

It’d probably be an enhanced port, with some new content to give people who already own one version of Smash 4 a reason to buy the NX version.  We know the Wii U’s install base was on the small side, and the NX is going to be an attempt to win back the crowd, but a lot of Smash fans already have one of the versions of Smash 4.  A straight port for the NX might get the attention of people who passed up on the Wii U, but it probably wouldn’t sell enough to justify the cost and man hours of porting it in the first place.  Between that and how the development team would probably jump at the chance to do more, I think it’s more likely than not there’ll be something new.  -Del

Personally, I think the most likely route they’ll take is a compilation of the Wii U and 3DS versions. While a straight up port of the Wii U Version wouldn’t really take that long, the NX is supposedly a handheld and home console in one unit which makes it seem like it’s trying to be a “pseudo-successor” to the Wii U and 3DS. So it wouldn’t really make much sense too just port one version over and leave the other versions content on a last-gen machine technically speaking. It would also make the game a heck of a lot bigger. -Martin

Straight port is the safest assumption. Is under a year enough to make enough new content to justify rebranding the whole game? -LIQUID12A

Will it contain new features?
Adding to the former point, what new things can we expect to see? Will we see New characters? Returning characters? Stages? A new mode? etc
It’s probable that we’d see most of the above, though I would suggest that it’ll be centric around the new content. The DLC is a good parallel to draw from this, for example, we got trophies of Ken Masters from Street Fighter and Jeanne from Bayonetta in the DLC of the Wii U/3DS versions of the game. A new mode is something I’m more hesitant on, as we’re not really sure how long this will have been developed for. Was the Smash 6 job posting our first indication?  -TheAnvil.

I don’t see new characters happening, except possibly Ice Climbers, but new stages and new modes seems like a possibility, especially if Sakurai is involved. If not, this might just be a lower-effort port, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. -Soma

Some of each, probably.  Well, I’m more hesitant on new modes; I could see some smaller things, but not a full story mode or anything that complicated.  Characters, stages, and the like sounds very likely, though. -Del

Having more content would be a no brainer in the context of things. I think we’ll see more characters and possibly more stages to entice the people who already have a Wii U/3DS to upgrade to the latest version. Modes aren’t necessarily out of the question either, but it severely depends on how much development this port is getting (and like Anvil said, whether or not it started back in late 2014 as Smash 6.) -Martin

I could maybe see 4 characters tops included. Anything beyond that is pure speculation given the decisions we saw with characters like Corrin, who didn’t have an accompanying stage, for instance. -LIQUID12A

How much of Smash for Wii U will remain intact?
It’s no secret that each Smash game has seen modes, features, characters, stages etc lost between iterations. Even if this is a port, will everything remain in tact from the Wii U version? We have many 3rd Party characters now, will potential licensing issues result in them being cut (see: Hakushon Daimao in localisation of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom).

Considering Capcom, Sega and Square all had DLC characters (suggesting recent communication with these companies was successful), and Namco actually made the game, I don’t think we’d lose any content from any company. It’s also probable that licensing the characters for DLC would have included a hypothetical Smash NX (these characters are also all getting Amiibo). -TheAnvil

One thing worth noting is that many of the third party remixes – the Tetris themes, for instance, or the “Mega Man 2 Medley” – are partially copyrighted by Nintendo. This could have been done specifically to make it easier to use those songs in future Smash entries. – Wolfman_J

I can’t imagine that any content will be lost in Smash for’s transition to NX. -Soma

Agreed.  I think they’ll use the Wii U version as a base for the NX version, with all of its content kept. -Del

The fanbase would be absolutely alienated if we lost characters over a simple port. A new installment proper, sure, but a UMVC3-esque port? -LIQUID12A

Yeah… I’m pretty sure they probably had things in Third-Party contracts just in case if they were to port the game so they wouldn’t have to renegotiate the contract again. -Martin

Will any content from the 3DS version find its way into the game?
3DS has exclusive stages, trophies and even a fairly popular exclusive mode.
I don’t think everything from the 3DS version would be used. I do think that they’d bring over some of the more popular things though. A few stages are possible, especially Magicant. If Smash for NX was to get a defining mode, it’s possible that Smash Run could be remastered and redefined. -TheAnvil

I wouldn’t bet on all, or even most of the 3DS stages to be brought back (assuming, of course, it’s more than just “Smash Wii U with all the DLC”). Maybe, say, five new stages and five returning ones that are either the most popular, interesting, or otherwise additive? There’s a fair amount of stuff only on 3DS I imagine Sakurai/the development staff would want to keep in for continuity. – Wolfman_J

Most likely, the game will include stages from the 3DS version.  I do not think Smash Run will be included because the mode would not work well without an individual screen – Smashchu

I feel like some might return, but similarly I don’t really see Smash Run returning unless it’s been significantly revamped. -Soma

It’ll depend on the creative direction they want to take.  Maybe they’ll want to bring in some stages, trophies, et cetera from the 3DS version.  I’d be up for seeing Yoshi’s Island (Brawl, Prism Tower, and Arena Ferox, myself.  But at the same time, they might decide they’re better off focusing their efforts elsewhere.  Even if we’re believing the rumors, it’s too early to call.  -Del

I think stages and trophies are a high possibility, and Smash Run not so much due to possibly having to be adapted for Smash Wii U which would take up development time. -Martin

Without the purported technical limitations of the 3DS version, how will this affect the NX port?

Sakurai directly addressed the technical limitations of the 3DS. They resulted in the Ice Climbers being cut, as well as character transformations being removed entirely. It could be assumed that this lead to Squirtle and Ivysaur both being cut, and even more arguably the Chorus Men (if you subscribe to Gematsu). Will some of these ideas be revisited?

I’m 99% sure that Ice Climbers will return. Though I think Transformations will stay separate from here on out. -TheAnvil

Ice Climbers are definitely a possibility. The improved processing power will also allow them to work in 8-player Smash. -Smashchu

Again, it’ll depend on how they want to handle it.  As far as characters go, they might want to eventually put any characters new to the NX version back into the other two.  If they go in that direction, the Ice Climbers still wouldn’t work.  The question is if they’d be okay with NX-exclusive content…and I don’t know the answer to that.  -Del

If they actually decided to add new characters to a port, then Ice Climbers are plausible. Just keep your expectations in check. -LIQUID12A

It could possibly give into a wide array of newcomers that couldn’t be possible in previous Smash games. While the most common names dropped are Ice Climbers and Chorus Kids, I could see the floodgates being open for Plusle and Minun making it in as well (if Brawl’s files were even pointing to them.) -Martin

What role, if any will the Smash Ballot play in this game?
The Japanese Ballot stated that it would be used in consideration for future software. Do they plan on using the results for Smash NX?
I think it’ll play a big role, we only got a brief accounting of the Ballot in the final Smash direct, I’d be surprised if at least some Ballot favorites didn’t get added. -TheAnvil

I don’t think it’ll have any effect. -Soma

I don’t know.  They might decide to focus on characters who got a lot of Ballot nominations.   Or maybe instead they’d focus on characters who missed the initial roster.  Or they might look for characters in situations similar to Corrin, any who could bring new abilities or playstyles to the roster and who are relevant right now but might not be several years down the road.  Once again, it all comes down to the creative direction they want to go in.  -Del

Personally, I think the Ballot will probably be used in this iteration for characters that wouldn’t be necessarily profitable for DLC. -Martin

A part of me doubts that the Ballot results would be used for a port of the same game a year later. This once again ties into my point about time. How many new characters(not cut veterans) could they possibly make in under a year assuming this is a launch title? -LIQUID12A

How many new characters? (New as in new to Smash NX)
I think considering time-spans, the safest guess would be between 5 and 7. Since the final DLC characters were released in February of 2016, that would leave roughly 13 months between then, and the March 2017 NX release, which is a very similar time frame of the DLC from start to finish. 7 is my magic number.

Absolutely no way of predicting a solid number. As you know, I rarely, if ever, consider characters a solid lock. And unless we get a concrete idea of when the next roster is selected, we cannot deduce it via trends of the time either. The safest bet I’ll give you is the Inklings because of Splatoon’s runaway success. Anything else is a massive wild card. -LIQUID12A

How many new stages?
7+, one for some of the new characters, and the odd 3DS stage. -TheAnvil

I don’t feel confident enough to give an exact number.  There’d probably be a mix of returning stages and new ones, some tied to characters, some based on other games that don’t have characters in.  -Del

What could a new mode be?
Smash Run was so well received, I think an enhanced version of that would be pretty likely. – TheAnvil

Part of me wonders if they’d make a smaller scale Adventure mode, like the one Melee had.  Or maybe they’d expand on Smash Run.  Or something new entirely?  Or maybe no new modes at all.  Hard to say.  -Del

The 3DS Smash Run was toned down from it’s original vision due to system limitations. So with a more powerful system, I could see them porting it.  -LIQUID12A

New music pieces?
Absolutely -TheAnvil

…Please? – Wolfman_J

One can hope – Smashchu

If there are new stages, then of course!  -Del

Jam new music into the implemented stages. It can’t be that hard. -LIQUID12A

New Trophies?
Ones specific to the new characters. -TheAnvil

Most likely.  -Del

The Inkling trophy exists. I think this is a safe assumption. -LIQUID12A

How will the DLC content from Wii U/3DS work with the new game?
I think it’d either be included in the game, or it would still be bought separately and free for those who already bought it. They might draw heat from people who already bought it if it’s included in the base game. (Jill/Shuma Gorath MvC3). -TheAnvil

I would not be surprised if DLC fighters aren’t included, but the content could link up to the NX version. So, if you bought the content for the Wii U or 3DS, it could be transferred to the NX – Smashchu

It’ll come with all of the DLC characters. The entire point of remastered editions is that they (almost always) come with all of the DLC content bundled in. -Soma

They’ll probably be included at no extra cost.  This version would be building off the two that already exist, after all.

…Or at the very least, anyone who already purchased DLC for another version would get a code to add it to the NX version.  -Del

Super Smash Bros NX. Game Of The Year Edition. Nah, I’m kidding, but you get my gist regardless, right? -LIQUID12A

PushDustIn: I agree 100% with Soma, so I didn’t bother adding my own prediction.

What do you think Smash for NX. will be? Leave your comments below!