Ice Climbers
There's no chance of them being cut for any reason other than technical limitations, so let's talk about that.
I think these are overblown as a reason for
cutting them. Technical limitations may and probably will
affect their design, but the chances that Sakurai would cut them altogether? Very low.
First of all, I would note that while Sakurai was talking about problems programming the Ice Climbers, it's possible that he wasn't actually referring to problems implementing them as they were in Brawl. It's very possible they were intending to give Nana
more advanced AI and were having trouble implementing this on the 3DS. Just because they were having problems with the Ice Climbers doesn't mean they were having problems with what you think they were!
It doesn't seem like the 3DS should have a problem implementing the Ice Climbers at least at the level they were in Melee, so I find it unlikely that they'd be unable to get them to work.
Anyway here are more likely scenarios:
- They solve the issues and implement the Ice Climbers the way they wanted
- They wanted to improve the Ice Climbers AI, but were forced to keep them around the level they were in Brawl or Melee
- They are unable to even keep them to Melee level AI and then:
- They reduce Nana's AI, making her even more dumb
- Or they improve her ability to return to Popo so that she spends less time separated
- Or they make Nana and Popo nearly inseparable
- Or they make Nana and Popo completely inseparable (Nana has no separate damage meter)
- They can't get them to work, and so they cut them from the 3DS, but not the Wii U
- They can't get them to work, and so they cut them altogether
In any of those scenarios, they also have the option of reducing Nana's AI on the 3DS only. Sakurai said that the versions will have the characters practically the same, but if they can't even get the Ice Climbers to work at a Melee level, I could see him changing his mind on that. I don't think that the scenarios where they get cut are very likely, even in the event that they can't get them to work as intended.
So anyhow...
Ice Climbers chances: 99.6%
Ice Climbers want: 60%
They're ok. The wobbles and that kind of stuff annoys me. Fortunately, that probably won't be an issue. I don't want cuts if they can be avoided (since I assume cuts won't be precursors to me getting all my most wanted newcomers), but I would be less upset about them being cut than I would be about a lot of other characters.
Bandana/Waddle Dee: 20%
I think there's going to be a lot of skepticism for a number of reasons (3 Kirby reps being enough, Sakurai not wanting to overly promote Kirby, being one of Dedede's moves, etc.). Seems like people are expecting him to get some love though.
Nominations:
Jigglypuff x5