With the recent news about the Nintendo Switch, one idea got rolling again: “If King Boo is in the Mario Kart segment of the Switch Trailer and the stage looks like one from Mario Kart 8, that could mean that we will get new characters for the Switch port of Mario Kart 8. Right?… So… How about Smash? Will it get a Port for the Switch? Will it get new characters? How many they could be? And which ones?”
Well, I’ll make my mission to give you some alternatives to answer those questions. But first, I want to talk about some hits and misses of my last series of articles about this very same topic…
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I recommend you start at the beginning:
1.- How Many Characters Could the Next Smash Have?
[Amount of Characters] [Fighting Archetypes]
2.- Potential Characters for the Next Smash (Part 1)
[Super Mario] [The Legend of Zelda] [Pokémon] [Fire Emblem]
3.- Potential Characters for the Next Smash (Part 2)
[Donkey Kong] [Metroid] [Kirby] [Star Fox]
4.- Potential Characters for the Next Smash (Part 3)
[F Zero] [Mother] [Kid Icarus] [Retro Characters] [New Wave Characters]
5.- Potential Characters for the Next Smash (Part 4)
[New Mii Fighters] [3rd Party: Konami] [Sega] [Capcom] [Bandai Namco] [Square Enix] [Other 3rd Party Characters] [Indies]
As you may see, It’s a long series (like 90 pages long) but I tried to make it light in tone and easy to read; and remember, every part has multiple pages, so don’t miss them!
For the rest of us, don’t worry, this time it won’t take you the whole afternoon to read it. (I hope.)
I’ll start with the “Elephants in the room” about those articles, I recommend you to read them, as those old articles have some issues that got corrected here.
Almost everyone that commented disagree with the “five representative slots” for the Pokémon and Fire Emblem franchises.
And they’re right! It’s rather improbable that two of the fastest growing Nintendo franchises get a cut in their representation, even more now that we might get an expanded roster instead of a new one. I did this in order to start a debate, and it apparently worked. The idea was to reduce the representation of both franchises to the point to leave only their most iconic characters, and if one starts to think in more than seven characters, that pressure is weaker, thus, letting in characters that may not be iconic enough.
If you want my opinion, I believe that, if we get a completely new game, we might get between six and eight Pokémon characters at release date. And for Fire Emblem six might be a reasonable number. Sadly if this happens to be true, if we get more characters from bigger franchises it may hinder the chance to get characters from smaller groups, like the “Retro” or “New Wave” which could present more interesting newcomers.
I’ll talk about their possibilities for Smash 4.5 on the Switch [later on this article].
To be fair… can anyone come up with a definitive answer to the Bayonetta ownership?
She was created by Platinum Games, but Sega has her distribution rights and owns her copyright. But at the time of Bayonetta 2, Sega stated that they weren’t involved in the game’s development or its distribution, working just as consultants. And being a Nintendo exclusive means that Nintendo owns the game to certain extents… So, who owns the character?
At the moment, in my opinion, the best way to categorize Bayonetta is to count her in the Third Party group. However, not in the Sega group but in the “other Third Parties” group or under the Platinum Games banner, taking Wonder Red with her as a possible second representative [EDIT: Wonderful 101 is owned by Nintendo, but was developed by Platinum Games, so it’s on a grey area betweeen being first party like Star Fox Zero, or Third Party as Bayonetta, as for this articles I take their group based on their Developers instead of their Publishers, and in this case, Platinum games isn’t owned by Nintendo, unlike Monolith soft, that is owned by Nintendo (First Party) or is commercially affiliated, like GameFreak, Intelligent System or even HAL (Second Party)… Thanks for your great feedback guys!]. Feel free to disagree.
The distribution of characters in groups was 100% arbitrary. In some cases it was easy, as clearly Samus and Zero Suit Samus belong in the Metroid group and not the Star Fox one. But for some of you Yoshi and Wario needed their own group based on the fact that they have their own symbols. I don’t agree with that, but I understand. Especially in Wario’s case, because he got his own series of spin-off video games with new and exclusive characters and chances to keep getting new games. Like what happened to the Donkey Kong franchise, which after the Donkey Kong Country series is being considered its own separate thing despite sharing spin-off appearances with the Super Mario family (including Yoshi and Wario).
Also, as stated in the first article: Franchises with just one character don’t have growth trends, so if I group them, they can gain some traction, but grouping Wario with the “Retro” characters (characters of franchises that were born before the Nintendo 64) seems a little off compared to grouping him with the Super Mario group.
On the other hand, F-Zero and Mother could be grouped with the Retro characters, as franchises that are in a long slumber (not dead as noted by “Ar”), but I decided to give them their own group in order to compare them to Kid Icarus, as a dormant retro franchise that came back versus two franchises that may come back… Eventually. But yeah, those two franchises could become “Retro” representatives.
- Dream Smasher – Banjo & Kazooie - October 24, 2018
- Dream Roster: SoulCalibur VI - January 26, 2018
- SG Choice: Dear Santa: - December 25, 2017
I really appreciate all the work and consideration that went into this list. There’s a lot of great characters here. Hopefully we’ll see at least a few of them in the next Smash. Great job!
Thanks =), Those kind words are always welcomed.
I try to give every character a fair treatment, as everyone has their favorites and want them to be well represented, and some characters really surprise me with an incredible moveset potential that could work really well in Smash.
Scorpion has been DLC in Injustice: Gods Among Us in 2013.
Right! that’s a good point. But, at least for now, Smash is “E for everyone +10” and Injustice is “Teen”, so it could be a problem with that, unless, for some reason Smash 4.5 gets a “Teen” rating, which could be cool if they want to get Snake Back (as Brawl was Teen as well)
Also, in Injustice Scorpion doesn’t have a Fatality, just a Super Move (that could work in Smash, like Cap. Falcon’s Blue Falcon)
I didn’t know a certain character can’t be in a game with a certain rating. better call Sakurai & tell him to pull Bayonetta.
I’m not against Scorpion in any way it could be awesome. What I meant is that he could feel “incomplete” with the lack of blood/Fatalities, and this “incompleteness” could alienate his fans, something similar to Ganondorf’s case.
Again, Bayonetta.
That’s what I meant.
A lot of people would be salty if he gets in without some bloodshed.
But I included him as an option because he is a good option that I would like to see.
I’d want most of the roster back (DLC characters included from the start) but remove Bowser Jr and Olimar. And bring in Shantae as a newcomer.
And for what reason would a port of Smash 4 remove characters exactly? I’m a fan of the idea of adding Shantae (though I think it’s unlikely) but a port isn’t going to cut characters. Even talking about a potential Smash 5, why would they cut the Pikmin franchise from Smash?
I agree with Bannedorf here. It would be really weird to remove characters on a port of the game, even more 2 “original” characters, why would you cut them? (I ask honestly, not everyone likes every character).
Also, Shantae would be interesting, as she was born on Nintendo.
Why the hell would you cut them and not someone like Dark Pit or the excess Fire Emblem characters?
Especially Olimar. He represents Pikmin. Why would you cut Pikmin?
I really love all of the detail and research put into these articles! Ive said it before, but they’re probably my favorite content on the site.
Also, as Sun and Moon pokemon go, given the leaks and the confirmation by Nintendo that Ultra Beasts can be captured, and the implications that they’re connected somehow to the human NPCs, I wonder if they could be viable choices. Particularly UB-01, since it’s heavily implied its Lilly. Just a thought.
Wow, thanks! that kind of comments pay all the efforts =).
Yeah,Ultra beast are something really interesting, even more when they are hinting so heavily that “at least” Lilly is one of them. She could be cool to play the more I think about her, but she looks like a pacifist, and it would feel really sad to beat her up =S.
Thats a fair point about Lillie’s (just got the correct way to spell it from the website) pacifism, its even something pointed out in her bio on the Sun and Moon website. At the same time, I guess it depends on if UBs can be used in battle and if they have abilities that other pokemon (Assuming thats what they are) don’t have. If Lillie is one, she’s probably the most plot relevant one, which would give her the edge in terms of a Smash Bros choice.
Whoops…
I agree with her plot relevance, if UBs aren’t pokemon, that is a complete game-changer. and we don’t know for sure if she is as pacific as she shows, because until now, everything points to that nothing is what it seems, like the Aether foundation probably being evil… at this point I don’t even trust Hala XD
Honestly, in my book Bayonetta counts as a 2 1/2 party character. She was made by Platinum Games but was published under Nintendo for the sequel and Sega for the original. Any game not developed by Nintendo falls under the 2nd party from the looks of it while games not developed or published by Nintendo fall under 3rd party. Since Nintendo only has publishing rights on one Bayonetta game but the rest is published by Sega she should count as 2 1/2. Weird, right?
I agree… It’s a really weird situation. Also, Wonder Red from Wonderful 101 is supposedly completely owned by Nintendo despite being made by Platinum games, like Star Fox Zero.
I’ll still call her a third party “developed” character, meaning that her creators aren’t owned in any part by Nintendo. but that’s really a can of worms.
Look on the main screen. Does is list Platinum games? If yes, then they own her. I can’t check because I don’t own her.
“© 2014 Nintendo
Original Game: © Nintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc.
Characters: © Nintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc. / Pokémon. / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. / SHIGESATO ITOI / APE inc. / INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS / SEGA / CAPCOM CO., LTD. / BANDAI NAMCO Games Inc. / MONOLITHSOFT / CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. / SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.”
But Sega may still own her… it’s a can of worms =P
Website lists a dual copyright of Sega and Nintendo.
I wish Sakurai would consider Mike Jones from StarTropics. It could be Japan’s introduction to the game series like Fire Emblem was to the West.
Ohhh… I was sure I was missing someone retro… StrarTropics was a great game, I haven’t played it, but I only hear good stuff about it. Is that game on the virtual console?
I’ll add him to the List!
It sure is on the Virtual Console (Wii and Wii U) as well as one of the games in the NES Classic Edition.
Yeah, I remember a review by the Gaming Historian [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnw0SiVO9lQ]
So this is another reason to buy that little NES. Good Call!
Azura can’t even use the Blessed Lance in game…it’s a B class lance and Azura herself can only get to C class. Box art always lies.
And Robin can’t use Nosferatu as a Tactician while Mewtwo can’t learn Shadow Ball, so what’s the difference?
Oh… I’ll never trust an official art anymore…
Also, Bob is right too, as she could get it in a “it was on sale on the store”… like the whole Lucas moveset =P
I appreciate the love for my under-appreciated Style Savvy and Codename: S.T.E.A.M., but as the resident champion of “hardcore for causal games,” I must point out that the adorable Sophie is you’re partner in Style Savvy Fashion Forward (otherwise known as Girls Mode 3 or New Fashion Boutique 2, because Europe). You’re thinking of Michaela(otherwise known as Evie is Fashion Forward because NoA just switched the region-lock on Nintendo of UK’s script, where her name is different, because Europe.)
Good List, though.
You are 100% right. Sophie is from Fashion Forward, IDK why I write Trendsetters, now is right. thanks for the good call.
Did you like her “moveset idea”?
Hey again. I actually went back and commented on Part 2 as well as replied to some of your replies to me on Part 1 from a while back. Only got around to them recently because I’ve been putting off reading all those comments for some reason. I’m trying to finish the rest of the articles in your series before I read through this one.
Hello!, yeah, I noticed it when I went back for more feedback before finishing the article, I’ll try to answer your comments there =)
I love how you guys actually summarise their playstyles and try to be as unbiased as possible! I can totally imagine Daisy being a fast character who pokes her enemies with short and powerful bursts of attacks!
Thanks, I tried to give every character the justice they deserve, as everyone has its own most wanted one, no matter how probable or improbable they are.
So glad you made another one of these. These are always fun to read if not time consuming. Also thanks for the shout out.
thanks =), I wanted to do it sooner, but I had no much free time =P. But I had it almost done when the Switch news arrived, so it couldn’t be any better timing =P.
Also, you are welcome. I try to read and answer all the comments, and that feedback was the inspiration to write this “conclusion”.
Oh boy, time for another wall of text from me 😀 I can’t help it, your articles give me so much to talk about and I feel obligated to talk about all of it. So, here we go.
I’d definitely say that Kamek could make for an interesting fighter, and if not him, then Kammy would work too. There’s definitely a lot of potential for a moveset, and Magikoopas appear in many different Mario games, making them relevant. I’ve come to like Nabbit more and more recently, which reminds me of his inclusion in Smash 4 as a stage hazard. He gains damage like a normal character, and he can even be grabbed and thrown. Heck, it almost feels like he’s halfway on his way to being a character!
If I had to pick a WarioWare character, I think 9-Volt is more interesting than Mona is, because of the potential to reference retro games with his moveset. I can’t really picture how Mona would work in comparison. Shifting to the Wario series, I’d say Captain Syrup could also be an interesting addition. Unfortunately, her most recent appearance was in Wario Land: Shake It if I’m not mistaken, and she doesn’t have much of a role in it as it is.
I’m all for a Toon Zelda, but it’s sort of a Metroid situation here: people want a new Zelda character, but do they want another Zelda? I’d be for it, but I wonder if people would be more satisfied with some variety. Linkle is in a similar position, though I think she’s unique enough that the design similarity to Link won’t matter as much.
I think you forgot to mention that there is a Dream Smashers for DK Jr., it’s an old one but it’s there: https://sourcegaming.info/2015/09/05/dk-jr-ds/
That being said, I’ve no particular connection to the character to add any commentary myself.
Pokemon’s an interesting one. Decidueye definitely has an interesting design and I’m curious to see how he’ll be used. Hopefully he’ll be relevant in the anime or an upcoming movie, since Sakurai has mentioned that those are usually his inspiration for Pokemon characters in Smash. Both of Lycanroc’s forms are interesting, and I wouldn’t mind either of them. If I had to choose one, I think I’d go with the Sun form, but if they were to bring back transforming characters as a mechanic, they might work as a pair. It’d probably be more interesting to see each one as a separate character, but that’s way more work. I don’t know enough about Type: Null or Silvally to make a call on him, though.
I don’t think Azura is an interesting character, but I do this she has good potential for a moveset. That being said, I don’t think Fates is still relevant enough to be worth drawing another character from. I don’t know much about Tsubasa, as I never played that game.
I say nay to Adam and nay to Anthony. Well, that was quick.
Alright, I can be a bit more detailed than that. It’s no secret that I’m no fan of Other M, but even then, from my understanding of both characters, I don’t think either is unique enough to be added in Smash.
Unfortunately, I’ve yet to play Xenoblade Chronicles X, so I can’t speak for those characters. I also don’t know a thing about Style Savvy, and I’ve only played the demo for Coodename S.T.E.A.M (it was really fun though, shame the game didn’t do so well). I don’t know enough about Starfy, to make a call on him (her? it?), but I am excited for Over Oasis, so I wouldn’t mind Tethu as a character.
I’m not too familiar with the Tekken series, but since Heihachi does have a Mii Fighter costume, it’s possible. And Valkyrie? Don’t you mean Palutena? /badjoke But for real, I’m not too familiar with this character to say anything about her. Same goes with Billy Hatcher and Arle Nadja, I’m afraid. I’m also not that familiar with Resident Evil characters, but I would have to lean towards no because of the use of realistic weapons in their game. Then again, Snake happened.
I’m not a fan of Yo-kai Watch, but I do think that Jibanyan could make for an interesting fighter, and considering how popular the series is in Japan, it’s probably on Sakurai’s mind. Steve feels like an odd choice to me for a reason I can’t quite explain, but I wouldn’t object to him. Were Laura Croft to make it in, I doubt she’d get to use her signature pistols, but if I’m not mistaken, her new version is more known for the bow. Scorpion sorta has violence tied to his character (unlike Bayonetta where the violence is more of a bonus), so I don’t know how well he’d transition into Smash, though he might be fun to play as. And Dovahkiin… I thought of it as a joke ever since I saw the Switch trailer, but as I think of it more.. I might actually be okay with that addition.
I’m also mixed on a Smash 4.5. On one hand, more Smash. On the other hand, what’ll that mean for Smash 5? We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m starting to lean much more towards wanting a new full Smash game than wanting a port. I guess in an ideal situation, we’d get both, but I think that’s unlikely.
So, in the end, a port may only get 7 new characters… that’s a tough one to pick, when you’ve given so many good options. I don’t know if I could pick the most likely or the most logical, but I’ll try my best to pick the 7 I would both want to see and are feasible choices. Of the ones you listed, I would go with Decidueye because of being a new Pokemon, King K. Rool because of the Mii Fighter costume and Sakurai knowing it’s wanted, Wolf because it might be easy to port and update him from Brawl, Ninten because Earthbound Beginnings is a little more relevant thanks to the eShop game, Ice Climbers because Sakurai did want them in Smash 4, Inkling because of popularity, and Takamaru because Sakurai does like adding new and unexpected retro characters.
On the other hand, if I were to pick seven characters solely on who *I* want, I guess I would go with Nabbit, Vaati, Lycanroc, Wolf, Isaac, Tethu, and Tails. That’ll probably not happen though. Anyway, great article as always!
sorry for the delay in the answer.
Yeah, Kamek/Kammy have a lot of potential, and could help to bring more villains to the battle, as some people tend to put Kamek in the Yoshi group. Nabbit in other hand really feel like Ridley in Smash for wiiU, and I don’t know if that is good or bad for them XD
Mona is more popular than 9 Volt, but him could have more interesting moves, but after all, both of them live in the shadow of Ashley. Yes, poor Cap. Syrup, I really wonder why she isn’t on the Wario ware games…
Toon Zelda and Linkle both have the problem that they “seem” more of the same, and as you said, people could find them like a “cheap option” compared to other different characters
Whops, I’ll add him ASAP
yeah, Decidueye seems to have the perfect fit, it only lacks the movie-anime relevancy that the other pokémon have. Type null and Lycanrock also have some charm, the first as a pokemon that could have a varied moveset with different elemental moves and Lycanrock could be another quadruped pokemon, as we only have the Dog from Duck hunt.
Azura, IMO, had her chance at the same level as Corrin, but the Avatar power was stronger, also she ended up being even less interesting that expected. Maybe if we get another SMTxFE Tsubasa could have a bigger chance, at least she looks the part to be in the game.
Hehe, Metroid really has that problem… more so if we are talking about a game that didn’t happen…
I tried to play the demos of some games I researched, and Style Savvy FF is actually pretty entertaining XD. But yeah, Ever Oasis looks interesting, I’ll try to get it when it comes out.
Heihachi was considered, but he also was in PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale (with cheese). And maybe that was a factor to leave him behind, also his moveset there is interesting, as he can connect combos easily and have a dash move that lead to varied alternatives… sadly that game is trash :Kappa:… nah, it’s pretty fun as a party game.
In other hand, yeah, Valkyrie is almost a visual mascot at this point, having more cameo appearances that canon ones.
Resident Evil, as far as I know is trying to go back to its horror past, but 4 (and 5 at some points) had a campy tone that could be translated well into smash, but yeah, handguns are a problem that could be hard to navigate.
I don’t like Steve, but he is one of the modern icons, so it could be a way to appeal to the younger audience that ask where is Kratos in Smash (It happened to me… *sighs*). I’m more into Lara and Scorpion, but as you said, violence is a central topic in Mortal Kombat, so it could be hard to translate him into smash without losing his “taste”.
Dovahkin… he could be very fun, but now Bugthedsa said that they can’t confirm Skyrim for Switch… =/
Yeah, Smash 4.5 is a really divisive idea, and having 2 Smashes on the same gen it could be a dream, but Sakurai’s arms will fall off with that much work x.x
Good pics, I hope that we get (if we get a smash 4.5) at least one of those. the only problem I have is “what will happen with the 3DS/WiiU versions, will they get those characters as DLC, or not at all?
thanks for the long comment! =)
Its been a while to see this article again, and I really enjoyed reading them all! Now before I’d like to comment on this, I must apologize that it’ll be a lengthy one again. So, here we go!
I really don’t know if there would be more Mario characters, but bringing Kamek and Captain Syrup may be an interesting choice. Kamek can represent himself as a villain of Yoshi Island series, while Syrup can represent herself as a villain of Wario Land series. I don’t know how Kamek work on this case, but Captain Syrup can use the genie boss as her Final Smash as a nostalgia reference.
Toon Zelda can be a better candidate than Tetra as being the main Zelda of the Toon universe, but rather being the original Zelda’s clone, I think its better for her using magic wands as her specials and Phantom as her Final Smash in order to differentiate with her original self. But for Linkle, alongside with Lana, I doubt that any characters from Hyrule Warriors would have a chance to join Smash, because their license also belongs to Koei Tecmo. If they need a permission to join in, that’ll mean Koei Tecmo must join in, and rather bring in their main franchise character in instead, like Ryu Hayabusa. In other words, their in the same case with Geno.
Alola Grass Starter (Owl 3)…or which is now officially named Decidueye, may have its possibility. Just like how Greninja was chosen before XY was released, Decidueye can be chosen in a similar way as a promotion. And since Smash doesn’t have a Grass and Ghost type Pokemon fighter, Decidueye can be a perfect candidate for this case.
I don’t know about DK and Metroid’s side, but for Xenoblade’s, I could agree more on Elma’s inclusion. I really don’t know much about Xenoblade X, but her Dream Smasher article did sound perfectly unique, so I think her inclusion may be plausible.
I laughed at Style Savvy’s idea for her inclusion, but is an interesting choice to be honest. This game was really popular among female players in Japan, and using her fashion abilities in Smash can be something hilariously unique. Eventually, I think her subtitle will be “Show’s Off her Looks!” (lol)
For the third parties…Heihachi was considered but rejected due to his moveset problems. I could agree more because I don’t think his movesets are really that iconic than Ryu’s. Tekken’s command mechanics are really complicated as its mostly focused on combos, and using that mechanic in Smash might have problems I guess. But eventually, I think using Kuma as Heihachi’s supportive Final Smash can be interesting. In other words, I don’t think having everybody strapped on the nuclear missile and get launched to death would work at all. Valkyrie is another interesting choice. Although she may not be popular in the west, her movesets does work perfectly in Smash. I do imagine her Final Smash would call out her comrades like Sandra, and use an aerial combo for bigger damages.
I doubt Billy Hatcher would join Smash because his games weren’t that quite popular. I did play the game before, but although it was unique, the controlling was terrible that I suffered multiple times of suicides. Arle may suffer due to her lack of popularity in the west, but I think her inclusion may be popular in some form. Her magic abilities does work perfect in Smash, but wonder what else she can do uniquely. Maybe using those Puyo slimes might work in some form.
Resident Evil is Capcom’s famous franchise alongside with Street Fighter and Mega Man, but might be impossible due to their ratings. They might end up being like Snake’s case, which they’ll be forced to change their real-life firearms to explosives. But either way, if I’d chose somebody from those three, I think Leon would be a better candidate as he’s more popular on the Nintendo side.
Jibanyan’s inclusion may have a high possibility, but the only problem he might have is how people actually view him and his franchise as. To be fair, Yo-kai Watch series’ popularity has been grown strongly on the anime than the game, and eventually, anime references and descriptions were later added to the later series. If Yo-kai Watch is referred to be an anime franchise, then I wouldn’t think they’ll join Smash because Sakurai won’t allow anime characters in it. But I wouldn’t think that’ll be the case, but it really gonna depend since Yo-kai Watch does have their problems too. Minecraft’s Steve’s inclusion is quite interesting as using the crafting ability as his moveset is quite unique. And since Microsoft have become supportive now these days, I think Steve’s inclusion may be possible. I don’t know about Lara Croft and Skyrim, but I strongly disagree Scorpion would join Smash due to his ESRB issues. Mortal Kombat has become more on the Xbox side due to its blood and gore contents, and I wouldn’t think the MK staffs would remove those things out if they’d join in, as I don’t think Nintendo accepts them either.
Okay, we’ve finally made it up to here! Now if the Smash for Switch were to become the Wii U version’s port, how many new/returning characters would join in? By comparing with Hyrule Warriors Legends, they’ve added 5 new characters in the game, while 5 more was later added through DLC. If then, maybe Smash for Switch will have 5-7 new characters added, while 5 more will be added as DLC if planned. Furthermore, I wouldn’t think they’ll change the characters that’s already been a stage hazard or boss and assist trophies and Poke balls as playables, and third parties may be difficult at this point too. So far, the characters I think they’ll join Smash port is…
New/Returning Entries: Ice Climbers, Medusa, K.Rool, Waddle Dee, Impa, Inkling, somebody from Rhythm Heaven
But I may be wrong. We know that Sakurai might choose characters that has been kept secretly from the Smash Ballot, and maybe some of them didn’t made it in the Top 5 or 10. But eventually, although I should not expect anything as to hype responsibly, I can’t wait to see Smash on Switch!
Thanks for the great article!
Now before I can remove myself, here are some other missed characters that you haven’t referred yet.
Fossil Fighters: Although it may not be popular than Pokemon, this game’s mechanics were unique that differentiated few parts of the monster capturing/breeding RPGs. Digging out the fossils and cleaning them to revive a dinosaur, and using them in battle…there aren’t other monster capturing RPGs ever do the same. In opinion, I could imagine they’ll bring the main heroine of the first game Rosie Richmond to use her pickaxe and drill, and even her vivosaurs as her movesets, or the secondary heroine from the first game Duna the Dinaurian to transform into a vivosaur as part of her specials.
Randi (Secret of Mana): I could prefer this game to be the “forgotten game”, but this game has been a popular game released for Nintendo and made by Square Enix. Despite few games were released on Playstation, most of the series were released on the Nintendo side. The first Secret of Mana was very popular since then, and I could imagine Randi, the main protagonist of this game, can equip with different weapons and use different movesets as his uniqueness.
Beck (Might No. 9): True, this game wasn’t successful than expected, but we could say the similar thing with Mega Man as his first game wasn’t successful either as that was Inafune’s starting point. There may be possibilities that Mighty No.9 would be improved in the later series if planned, and using his buster and dash attacks can differentiate with Mega Man rather than being his clone.
Sorry to add in more, but here are some characters that I suggest too with its uniqueness.
Red Savarin (Solatorobo): An action RPG made by Bandai Namco and Cyber Connect 2, who have created the .hack series and the Little Tail Bronx series such as Tail Concerto. This game was a huge deal for CC2 which they’ve wanted to continue Tail Concerto’s legacy, which resulted to release for Nintendo DS. The game may not have been popular, but it’s mechanics were unique, while the storyline was fascinating, and the characters were mostly furries which I love the most. (lol) Playing as the mercenary male dog Red, he can control his buddy robot Dahak for heavy damages, but even can get off to use his electrifying sword with different movesets.
Captain Rainbow: Another Nintendo character from his own game which was exclusive in Japan. Being a unpopular super hero, his main goal is to restore his name by granting a wish at the mysterious Mimin Island. The game may not be popular, but this game actually brought minor Nintendo characters like Takamaru and Little Mac back on stage, which both also appeared in Smash for 3DS/Wii U. Since this game was also known as a “sole Smash Bros”, I thought Captain Rainbow could have a chance to be in the game, with his equipped yo-yo and rainbow power as his weapon.
Magical Vacation: I think game has been forgotten as well, but this handheld RPG game was popular back then. We did have some character’s showcase trophy and sticker back in Brawl, so this game was at least focused by Sakurai. I don’t know which character would be best fitted, but maybe the main protagonist or some student who’s well iconic.
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For me, Yoshi is “inside” the world of Super Mario, and Kamek could work for both groups, but yeah, he could get the yoshi emblem and I won’t be mad. and as Spiral said above, Cap Syrup haven’t appeared since a lot of time… she could be at least in WarioWare as much as Waluigi =/
Yeah, getting Linkle or Lana need to having first Ryu Hayabusa as the Koei character, maybe the same could be said for Anthony from Other M… and Geno, as we now have Cloud, or Vaati as we have Megaman and Ryu
I’m totally on the “Decidueye for smash” hype train XD, and now that he showed its Ghost type, could have really cool and spooky moves
I’m more a fan of Fiora, but that’s right, that Elma dreams smashers article really set her apart as a cool option.
I know right? the girl from Style savvy could be an Outrageous Choice (read it in a valley girl style).
Hahaha, I laughed a lot with the idea of the Missile final smash for Heihachi, it could work like a mixture between the Villager and Olimar XD. also, his combo potential has the “advantage” to be only to be used on the ground, making him unreliable on the air to compensate that.
Poor Nadja, got hijacked by Eggman in the west. I ended up liking her character, and maybe she could “set up” the slimes as traps or even barriers for her advantage
Choosing between Jill and Leon is like choosing between best friends, Leon has the “”””GameCube exclusive”””” appeal, but Jill got the perfect remake on the gamecube too… They could have been in Brawl!!! ahhgg!!
Jinbanyan has the japanese appeal, and he is one of the new popular kids on the block, so his possibilities are high, sadly in the west we haven’t pay him that much attention
Yeah, I Scorpion would lost a lot of his “charm” if he get’s into smash… leaving just some washed up bare bones :V. Also, for me, he is more a Sony leaning character, but anyways, he is more in tone with the competition, but maybe that WB logo on the developers that want to get into the Switch could make it work…maybe for a Smash 5 with a Teen rating.
Um… that’s true, I don’t think we might get an assist character converting into a playable character for Smash 4.5, but that thing happen in Pokken with Croagunk… what a time to be alive! =o
I like your choices, The Ice climbers need to come back and Impa deserves a spot after Skyward sword, she was a great character there and she has been on the franchise from the manual of the first game.
Yeah, the poll sure give him a ton of ideas of characters, and maybe he has a surprise to us under his sleeve. The hype ride will never end!
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Ohh, I haven’t played Fossil Fighters. I remember that the enemy trio of that game was suggested on the Smashborads at the time of the ballot, but they didn’t get much attention. Maybe the protagonist would work better, and as you said, having a “digging-hatching dinosaurs” mechanic could work in an interesting way.
Secret of mana… I owe to myself to play that game, I have heard a lot of praise for it. and the series isn’t as dead as I believed, as it has a game remake of the first game for the Vita and iOS. maybe we could get a remake of Secret of mana on the Switch… that could be great =o
Also, having a lot of weapons could work well to differentiate him for the other swordfighters, and the charging mechanic could be easily translated to smash attacks
Poor Beck, he got a lot of bad rap because of that hack of Inafune. he could play interestingly in smash. Sadly, I don’t think anyone will pay a kickstarter for a sequel…
I didn’t knew about Solatorobo, I’ll try to get it to play, as I read that it’s fun and not that hard =P, also, having more furries could be a nice foil to the Space ones. and his mecha-mechanic (hehe) could be interesting, like a large Bowser Jr. with emphasis in grabs
Cap Rainbow, yeah he has a lot of charm, and as you said, he “is a friend” of Little mac and Takamaru, having him, at least as an assist trophy could have been cool.
Another game that I didn’t knew about, but this time it’s because it was japan only =P. Wow, you can play with a party of 6! I’ll try it when I can. but yeah as you said, it fell into obscurity after the sequel. The highly customization of the protagonist could be hard to implement tho.
thanks for the long comment, now I know about some interesting games that went over my radar… Well, that’s the spirit of Smash Bros. isn’t it?
Some times I would like to have an actual relevant character as my most wanted…
But that is just a idealized idea to at least see more people doing something for it.
The time I decided to be a Micaiah Supporter it was a great moment, I’m still focused of it… But I need more time, more knowledge to start debates with her… Maybe a miracle…
Ejem ejem.., You did a great work in this article collection, I admire your dedication.
PD: Fates is a barrel of Lies… Azura is just a plot device and IS didn’t respect her enough to at least make her able to use the Blessed Lance.
I totally feel your pain, as my favorite is Bub from Bubble Bobble (from Taito, but now owned by Square enix, so he is eclipsed by other bigger characters) and Isaac from Golden Sun… =(
thanks, it took a lot of time, so I’m glad to read that a lot of people liked it =)
Really?… wow, that’s incredible bad, I was sure that she will become an important and developed character… and they didn’t even bother to program her the weapon she has on her portrait XD
If we get a Super Smash Bros. 5 in the future after Super Smash Bros. 4 on the Nintendo Switch comes out and it’s successful. Here’s who I wanna see based on the chart you made:
Super Mario: Keep all 9 we have now and add Geno.
The Legend Of Zelda: Keep 5 we have now, Add Toon Zelda, and bring back Young Link and make him different than Melee.
Donkey Kong: Add King.K Rool and Dixie Kong.
Metroid: Keep Zero Suit Samus and add Ridley.
Pokemon: Keep all Pokemon we have now but bring back the Pokemon Trainer and make him control Charizard, Greninja, and Sceptile.
Star Fox: Bring back Wolf…..Cause he had no reason to be cut in the first place.
Kirby: Add Bandana Waddle Dee.
Fire Emblem: Keep all 6 we have now except make Lucina as a palette swap to Marth.
Mother: Keep both Ness and Lucas. We don’t anymore reps from Mother.
F-Zero: Add Black Shadow.
Kid Icarus: Keep all 3 we have now and make Dark Pit play different.
Retro: Keep all 4 we have now, Bring back Ice Climbers, And add Takamaru.
New Wave: Keep all 5 we have now including Wii Fit Trainer and Bayonetta and then add Elma and the Chorus Kids.
Third-Party: Keep all we have now, Bring back Snake, and then add Shovel Knight and Heihachi.
Actually you know what, Well I do like having Villager and Wii Fit Trainer in the game, Their movesets don’t make sense to them as playable characters IMO. (My bad for the insult.) So I’ll get rid of them and replace them with both Inkling and Issac. As for the Mii Fighters…..I’ll keep 2 but get rid of 1 and replace it with the Mii Mage. #ttc
Good options, I like that idea of using Red with Charizard, Sceptile and Greninja. it’s an interesting way to preserve those characters. The only problem is to balance them, making them viable as a team.
Also, yeah, Dark Pit needs to play different, this version of him isn’t good at all.
In my opinion, I like the wacky and original ideas of the Wii fit Trainer and the Villager, as they are characters that are somewhat unexpected as fighters, and that’s one of the strengths of smash, as everyone can play, everyone can fight.
but yeah, I get the idea you replace them with more interesting choices, as the Inklings are really suited to be in the game, and Isaac needs a comeback. I would put this 2 over Elma and the Chorus kids.
Maybe the gunner could get cut in order to get the mage, replacing it with someone similar, but IMO I would prefer having more mii fighters, and making them a little more balanced, as probably they are unviable to discourage their use, as they could be used with ill intentions, But it could be nice to use a mii of yourself to beat that character that you don’t like that much (cof cof Corrin cof cof) or fight alongside your childhood heroes in a viable way.
Thanks for commenting!