Welcome to the ninth edition of Rate That Character Round Up! We’re in the middle of E3 and very close to the first real reveal to Super Smash Bros. for Switch. But this doesn’t stop us to rate more characters! But first here is our latest RTC discussion video:
Starting us off we have NantenJex and his status report on Solid Snake:
Verdict:
Ultimately, Snake is a bit in the middle. He’s popular and unique which is appealing to Sakurai. He also doesn’t stick out as much now thanks to the other 3rd parties. However, he does risk making the game more mature and adding an extra layer of permissions that Sakurai will need to get. Then there is the number of veterans being added back in and Snake is not nearly as requested as Ice Climbers and Wolf. He might be better off as a DLC character but it could go either way.
50%
Next, NantenJex decided to take a peek at this spooky mansion next door:
Verdict:
Ashley is a strong contender for the next Smash. Her popularity has been recognized in multiple ways and will continue to be a fan favorite. It’s not really a matter of if Ashley will become a fighter, but when.
65%
Spazzy and Voyager formed a tag team to challenge the Pokémon Trainer’s place in Smash Bros.
Verdict:
The Pokémon Trainer and his trio of starters have a lot going for them such as popularity, renewed relevance, an
unique playstyle and a ready-to-go moveset. However, Red’s edition also comes with a hard template mechanic that already saw him removed from smash once. With that being said let’s see the final score.
50%
Who’s that Pokémon?! It’s…I mean…you already saw Lyranroc in the thumbnail and…it’s a video repost so…there was no point in asking you. And…and…OK, I let Zedi take the stage, sorry.
Verdict:
While Lycanroc is an interesting choice as it could act as the first Generation 7 and Rock-Type Pokemon in Super Smash Bros., he wouldn’t have as much priority compared to a starter or another plot important bipedal Pokemon, like Silvally.
65%
We all like wonderful men, right? And so does NantenJex, so he’s rating Wonder Red’s wonderful chances!
Verdict:
Wonder Red is often seen as a relevant star as his game was one of the few new IP between 2012 and 2016. If this is the period of time Sakurai is focusing on for newcomers then maybe Wonder Red has a chance, but the general failure of his title doesn’t exactly make him a well-known character to the wider audience of gaming fans. It requires specific circumstances and while I am more inclined to think with a glass half-full mentality there are certainly plenty of other characters that make more sense than Wonder Red for Smash. But I am not Sakurai.
55%
Now it’s finally time to rate a fan favorite: Dixie Kong! But is being a favorite enough? Let’s turn on NantenJex’ character-rating-machine.
Verdict:
Overall though, there is a good chance that Smash for Switch really aims to add a lot of fan favorites and if so Dixie is one of the most likely choices. She is really popular and an easy addition. There is always the chance semi-clones are chosen like in Brawl, rather than Melee and Smash For, and as we run out of key characters in the Nintendo pool I think having multiples of one series may become more common. I guess we will see.
50%
- Rate That Character Round Up #17 - August 5, 2018
- Rate That Character Round Up #16 - July 29, 2018
- Rate That Character Round Up #15 - July 22, 2018
Not sure if this is the right place, but I would like to comment on the recent Pokémon Character Corner and as it has no article here this seems to be the next best place.
Personally, I feel some relevant candidates have not been discussed, and I would like to bring up some points in their favour.
NIHILEGO
Buzzwole has been mentioned as the Ultra Beast representative, and while it has a lot of ridiculous personality and feels easy enough to translate into Smash (I honestly want its habitat from Ultra Sun as a stage) I feel it lacks relevance as a character, being exclusive to Sun/Ultra Sun and appearing in a single story cutscene plus a post-game mission / extra content. The “main character” Ultra Beast, the first to be revealed to the public and the only one to play a truly major story role in the original Sun/Moon, is Nihilego. I feel an eerie space jellyfish embodies the intrinsic otherness of the Ultra Beasts than a buff mosquito dude, and – similar to the Grass/Ghost Decidueye – its Rock/Poison typing would be unique and could bring something really new to Smash (I’m thinking something like field control plus damage over time). That, or it would fit perfectly as a Mii Figter wig.
SILVALLY
Like Mewtwo, Silvally is one of the few Pokémon to have a very specific backstory (it was artificially created to contrast the Ultra Beasts), plus it is the main Pokémon of a main character. Considerations on the potential of quadruped characters seem to often pop up in Smash discussion: Silvally not only is a quadruped, but it also has a (almost) unique characteristic in its ability RKS System which allows it to change to any type in the game. It would essentially fit the niche that the video gave to Eevee with a couple pros: its more developed body would make coming up with attacking/grabbing animations easier, and unlike Eevee its type changes are not permanent and are as easy as equipping a different item (which is done on the fly in the animated series).
ALOLAN POKÉMON
One of Sun and Moon’s major additions, these new versions of old Pokémon can be a way to bridge the gap between the older and newer games. My personal pick would be Marowak (which I could see as some kind of Ike/Palutena hybrid with some dance and fire-shooting moves thrown in) as it is decently prominent due to being a core part of one of the island trials and being used by a main character. However I feel the most relevant is Vulpix, in no small part due to its exposure in the animated series as Lillie’s partner, plus the only other fighters with a high ice affinity are the Ice Climbers. Vulpix would run into some of the problems the Character Corner outlined for Eevee, namely its quadrupedal and immature body shape, so Ninetales could be a better candidate. (Personally, I am expecting Alolan Vulpix as a Poké Ball summon.) Other candidates could be Raichu and Meowth, but I’m not sure they are all that popular.
Yeah! So glad to see Dixie on the list, thank you!
Here are the rest of my suggestions.
-Medusa (Kid Icarus)
-Parabô and Satebô (Satellaview mascots)
-Anyone from Megami Tensei (including sub-series)
-Slime (Dragon Quest)
Hey guys, longtime reader, first time commenter here.
I’ve been watching RTC every week since day one, and I’m curious to hear what your take is on Qbby from BOXBOY!
He’s one character who I think has a legitimately good chance of making the roster as a sort of surprise inclusion.
I’m not saying he’s the most likely character, just that he could very well be this game’s unexpected character, sort of like how Wii Fit Trainer, R.O.B., Mr. Game & Watch, and Ness were viewed as surprising inclusions when they made their Smash debuts.
It may sound outlandish, but hear me out.
Qbby has a lot of pros when you think about it.
1.
The BOXBOY! trilogy was developed by HAL Laboratory, a game developer who has incredibly significant ties to both Super Smash Bros. as well as Sakurai himself.
BOXBOY! was one of the few non-Kirby games from HAL in the past couple of decades, and it received not one, but two sequels in as many years.
HAL seems rather fond of their new character, as Qbby has crossed over with Kirby a few times, notably in the form of Qbby costumes appearing in Kirby games, and vice versa, as amiibo-unlocked bonus content.
Speaking of amiibo, a Qbby amiibo was bundled with the BOXBOY! trilogy’s physical release on 3DS, albeit only in Japan. While the mere existence of an amiibo is far from indicative of a character’s potential inclusion in Smash, it is quite rare for games that debuted on the Nintendo eShop to receive physical releases and even rarer for them to receive amiibo. Perhaps Nintendo and HAL felt BOXBOY! was popular enough to merit this.
More importantly than popularity, at least in my opinion, is the question of whether Qbby would fit into Smash. I would argue that he could.
The design philosophy of BOXBOY! is in line with the design philosophy of Sakurai himself: simple controls and concepts that anyone can pick up within minutes, applied to deep and complex gameplay that players can sink their teeth into the more advanced the become.
Like the Kirby series, BOXBOY! features gameplay that can easily be translated into Smash Bros.
With the ability to generate boxes that enable him to climb, hover, warp, and create bombs, Qbby has plenty of moveset potential, too.
He could be the first true puzzle genre rep in Smash.
With all that being said, Qbby does have some cons, as well.
As I said before, the game’s physical release and amiibo were limited to Japan, and the character seems to lack recognizability, certainly in the West.
Earlier I compared Qbby to Wii Fit Trainer, R.O.B., Mr. Game & Watch, but this comparison only applies to Qbby being a surprising and unexpected inclusion, as the three aforementioned characters represent significant Nintendo hardware and history in a way that Qbby simply does not.
Still, I think he’s got a shot, and would be fun to play as. Just my two cents!
“I see now,” said Winnie-the-Pooh.
“I have been Foolish and Deluded,” said he, “and I am a Bear of No Brain at All.”
After watching the Direct presentation yesterday, I realized that my already conservative estimate in regard to the number of newcomers (12-15 in the base game plus 4-6 more after DLC, fewer newcomers than For and probably fewer than Brawl). I’m now thinking I was not conservative enough.
With Ultimate’s focus on bringing back veterans, and Sakurai’s warning not to expect many newcomers, I now believe we’ll see fewer newcomers in the base game than any previous Smash (in other words, under 12), possibly with a few more later on in the form of DLC.
That said, it seems most likely that they will mainly focus on adding only the most popular, currently relevant, historically significant, and/or much requested fan favorite newcomers, meaning more obscure characters like Qbby have a much slimmer chance than I initially thought.
We’re in the end game now. We may only see one new character revealed per month from now until release, with a couple of surprise hidden fighters being discovered after release.
But I say that knowing full well that when it comes to Smash speculation, I can’t be certain of anything.
I’ve decided to expect nothing more than what we’ve already seen, so that any new reveals will be icing on an already amazing looking cake.
I may be late to comment this after the E3 event, but will do instead. However, before I could comment everything, let me comment on both Snake and Pokemon Trainer first…
Snake & Pokemon Trainer: I have already commented on both characters at Youtube before the event. But after the event, it proven me that I was wrong…and to be honest, I’m glad that I was. This does mean that Konami is getting better than before as they’re being more supportive on both Smash and Nintendo, so Snake’s return was acceptable. I was surprised with Pokemon Trainer’s return as the exchange mechanic is back without any problems. So far, as they both returned to Smash Ultimate, they’re all okay with me.
Now with all other characters…
Ashley: Nintendo does love her a lot as she makes so many cameo appearances throughout the Nintendo games. Not just only appearing in the Badge Arcade, but also having crossover costumes from Splatoon, the Japanese convenience store Lawson, and even Monster Hunter. She is popular enough as being important to Nintendo, as her inclusion to Smash as playable is plausible. However, as Takamaru has returned as an Assist Trophy for Ultimate, I think her return will be kept as an Assist as well too. Although she may not have a chance for Ultimate, maybe she’ll have it for the new Smash in the future, if Sakurai is planning for that though…
Lycanroc: He may be an interesting fighter as Smash lacks a four-legged fighter, and even a rock-type Pokemon for the Pokemon roster. However, I don’t think Lycanroc is that important enough to be in Smash. Sure, Lycanroc is the first Pokemon to have different forms beyond different version, while his Dusk form have brought attention as he also became Ash’s party. But even then, I wouldn’t think he would join in because of his new form or even his debut in the anime. It’s like how Zoroark wasn’t chosen even her success from the movie, while Sceptile wasn’t chosen even he obtained his Mega Evolution form. Presentation may be an important criteria for Smash alongside popularity and history, but I think that wouldn’t be enough for Lycanroc’s case. Plus, we don’t even know if there would be any Gen 7 Pokemon to join Smash Ultimate, so it’s really risky at this moment. I do sense it may remain as an Assist Pokemon, but we’ll have to see…
Wonder Red: I may not know him much as I haven’t played the game before. But at the same time, I don’t think he have a chance. Even the game is well popular, the gimmick is concerning. I know you’ve brought the Dream Smasher article of Wonder Red’s, but still I do think the mechanic may be too difficult to create. Gathering people to transform into a giant weapon can be difficult to create for Smash, while it can be difficult to imagine if we replaced that description with something else instead. Either way, I do think his chances are impossible at this moment.
Dixie Kong: I think her chances are good. Unlike K.Rool, she has been around a lot these days as a heroine character. However, it’s unknown how she would be created if she joined Smash. Making her an Echo Character of Diddy may be difficult due to different appearances, such as Diddy has a tail but Dixie doesn’t. It would make sense if she was created new from scratch, as Smash need more DK rep if possible, by making her using her ponytail to attack and carry items or opponent. Making her guitar as her Final Smash may be perfect, but it might change due to Sakurai’s view. As said, it’s up to Sakurai’s view at this moment…