Lor Starcutter
Want - 90%
The Starcutter is actually my top choice for a Wii U Kirby stage. However, I attribute most of that to how I imagine it. Think outside the box and you'll see how redundancy fades. This Smash Bros. doesn't have a proper "transitioning" stage yet like Castle Siege. Think of the Lor Starcutter as the default platform. The match begins here and you phase into it after every transition. After a set time limit, you would briefly drop to Egg Engines, Dangerous Dinner, and the scene of the Magolor boss battle, where the terrain and hazards change (Magolor is a stage boss in vein of Yellow Devil or Ridley). There would need to be a short period of seconds to travel between each area within 2 minutes before repeating for the best representation. As for the Starcutter, have all four mini Landias appear as ridable platforms and stage hazards like the Arwings in Corneria or Venom. Why not implement a mechanic where you can briefly ride them to fire stars at enemies.
Oh, and the music, think about all the possibilities for music! Another Dimension? C-R-O-W-N-E-D? Landia Battle? Any takers? Huh, huh!?
Chance - 75%
As to whether or not Sakurai would consider it, the Lor Starcutter is a game and plot critical location throughout Return to Dreamland, so it would be hard to miss. He could spice it up differently from the Halberd as well. Although, a stage based on Epic Yarn seems to be a contender for the Wii U, which has unique possibilities of its own. He could always pull something out of Triple Deluxe for the 3DS version, which uses the same engine as Return to Dreamland. You also have Mass Attack, Canvas Curse, Squeak Squad, and even Superstar Ultra as possible choices.
Overall, Smash 4 has your planes (Pilotwings), trains (Spirit Train), and automobiles (Shy Guys in Rainbow Road). Now all it needs is spaceships!
Two Retros
Want - 20%
Out of all potential newcomers this site has pondered, none of the retro characters really appeal to me. Not that things couldn't be done with them when being recreated though.
Chance - 30%
BluePsychic said:
The issue I have with the whole "retro" concept, is at this point some people think a retro character is a requirement, and really, there aren't a whole lot of good options left.
This. Sometimes it's ridiculous the paradigms people follow when it comes to predicting rosters every successive Smash game.
As for Little Mac and Pac-Man,
neither of them are considered retros. Both have managed to stay relevant in memory and capital through franchise revivals (Punch-Out!! Wii) and less-than-stellar spin-offs (Pac Party, Ghostly Adventures).
Also, the Sal Romano leak doesn't narrow down newcomers, but locks in three at this point. Remember, we got no indication that Rosalina & Luma would join the battle.
Predictions
Masked Dedede Alt. Costume
Want - 45%
Masked Dedede always seemed like a "super form" to me rather than an alternative costume. There's some alternate moves that hammer possesses which would be suitable for Final Smash territory. But at this point, it could go the other way, which would be fine.
Chance - 87%
Has appeared in two games. Limited costume choice on said character. This is probably the most definitive choice for King Dedede's alt costume. It gives him enough distinction with mask and his hammer could easily be swapped out for the new one. The only problem is that it wouldn't improve his wardrobe too much.
There's always the less flashy alternative, Samurai Dedede:
But then again, Little Mac's receiving the Pink Sweatshirt and the Wireframe. Hope they have their own sets of recolors to match. So...
Flynn
Want - 60%
Flynn's appeal titillates my softspot for the "exotic character" and his series is more than deserving of a character. But if the SMT copyright barrier were out of the way, I would take Jack Frost over Flynn in a heartbeat. Just look at my support sig!
Imagining how Flynn would play, he could be an indirect summoner of sorts. Like, he could call forth the projections of different demons for his specials (maybe a few of his standards) a la Zappa from Guilty Gear. Bring in customizations and you could pull in much more demons into play.
Chance - 0%
Yeah, Flynn's not likely at this point because of third party saturation and Atlus is now a Sega subsidiary, who was acquired after Sonic was revealed for SSB4. As awesome as it would be to see Flynn, Jack, or NiGHTS in a Smash game, it already buffers up the representation against the other companies, which is downright rude. Ultimately, Atlus's new parent company gives them a much better fate than having them erode under their former conglomerate. There's many politics in the entertainment business that won't spare one company for the sake of one crossover.
Nominations
Alt costumes used like recolors by CPU x3
Double Cherry item x2
