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The Villager took his most iconic thing, he even moves like a Balloon Fighter when using the move. Sure, he uses boxing gloves too, but Little Mac can perform many varieties of punches, the Balloon Fighter just flies.
I could see the Balloon Fighter using other moves... but his biggest thing has already been taken. The Balloon Fighter is done.
Want - 50%
Indifferent.
Gangplank Galleon - 60%
With K. Rool having a decent chance to be in, I'd be shocked if this stage didn't get in along with him, seeing as other potential newcomers, as well as all known newcomers so far, seem to have home stages of their own. This stage makes the most sense as a home stage for K. Rool.
Want - 100%
Tbh, I've never played any of the original DKC games, which is something I'm not happy about. I've seen footage of the games on Youtube, and they're fantastic. I want Gangplank Galleon not just to give K. Rool a home stage, but also because it means we'd get a remix of K. Rool's battle theme, among other potential remastered songs. (I didn't care much for the remix of the theme in Brawl)
Balloon Fighter Chance: 1%
Though he is not impossible, he is very unlikely due to Villiger using balloons. And it doesn't help that Tingle, who I think will be the Zelda newcomer, uses Balloons too.
Balloon Fighter Want: 75%
I'd honestly love him. While Villager uses balloons and Tingle would use them, BF's moveset would be focused ENTIRELY of balloons, which would make for some fun gameplay.
Gangplank Galleon: 70%
If King K. Rool gets in, it's a given. If King K. Rool doesn't get in, it isn't that likely. Then again, we have the Pyroshpere and people are still saying Ridley may not get in, so maybe GG could be in without K. Rool.
Though K. Rool is pretty likely, so I'll give it high chance.
Gangplank Galleon Want: 100%
Yes plz. I want K. Rool at 100%, and Gangplank Galleon must come with him!
He's not that interesting, and he doesn't have much in the way of a move set. He has balloons... and now so does Villager. What else does he have? Anything?
Well, the issue with this is that you're wrong about what the newcomers have gotten. Rosalina got Mario Galaxy (based off of Gateway Galaxy) and Mega Man got Dr. Wily's Castle. Those stages represent Rosalina and Mega Man's series, but they do not represent where they live. Rosalina did not get the Comet Observatory. Mega Man did not get Dr. Light's lab. K. Rool doesn't have to get his location from DKC, he just needs to get something from a game he's been in.
It's already pretty assured that we'll get some kind of Donkey Kong Country representation due to Returns and Tropical Freeze being the most recent games. But K. Rool won't necessarily get his home stage from DKC1. If K. Rool gets in, what I would expect is for stages representing the classic DKC 1-3 or DK64 to have much higher chances in general, and it would open up the possibility of stage concepts associated primarily with K. Rool (they probably don't have any chance without K. Rool getting in). Gangplank Galleon is a good choice for classic DKC, but it's not the only one.
Hell, a troll move for K. Rool's home stage would be to add a skin to the Little Mac stage to represent the final fight with K. Rool in DK64.
So overall, I'd say its chances are enabled by K Rool getting in, but it would still be one of a number of classic DKC stages they might use, and it's possible they'd just stick to DKC Returns or Tropical Freeze for DKC stages. It's also possible they'll just make original stages that just are DK themed, as they did in Smash 64 and Melee.
Gangplank Galleon chances: 15%
One of the better DKC choices if K Rool gets in, but I think it's more likely than not that we won't see it even if he does (chances increase to maybe 20%). I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see any classic DKC (of course, many DKCR and TF stages are reminiscent of classic DKC stages).
Gangplank Galleon want: 51%
It'd be cool, but what I really want is K. Rool. I don't care if we get his boss arena or a pirate ship themed stage so much. It wouldn't be as cool as a Bowser Castle stage, imo.
Predictions:
Sheriff: 7%
I dunno. People seem to think that retros are somewhat likely by virtue of Sakurai needing to put retros in. But he doesn't need to scrape the bottom of the barrel.
Shulk: 55.76%
I don't see much reason for this to change.
Balloons Fighting with a Man Pros
+Considered for Melee? Even though it's 13 years old?
Cons
-Villager took the one thing he does and turned it into a special move.
-Flippers, the one thing they got in-game is DCed for IV.
Overall... they are getting less support and a newcomer for them isn't looking to be a yes. Villager takes him down this time, unlike Mac, who has been seen to do more than just flap around.
OVERALL RATING: .3%
Want: SUPER HAPPY EDIT TIME! After proceeding to play some Balloon Fighter again, it's raised to 30%. I took it into consideration, @YoshiandToad
Gangplank Galleoooooooooooooooon
Chances: 25%- Only if K Rool Gets in. Which isn't getting any likelier.
Want: 55%- If K Rool gets in, yes.
Predictions
Da Sheriff- 5% for inflation rating. @Erimir
had a good point, this is really bottom of the barrel!
Shulk-Monado Pun?- 57%
Balloon Fighter
Chance - 1% - The villager stole his notable trait, but it could happen.
Want - 5% - Other retro characters I want before him.
Gangplank Galleon
Chance - 60% - It's really attached to K. Rool's chances, but since K. Rool is likely his iconic stage is likely. Of course it's possible that Gangplank Galleon won't appear with K. Rool, or only Gangplank Galleon will appear, or he will get another home stage, but it is possible, especially if K. Rool is in.
Want - 100% - Yes! This stage would be awesome and the music even better.
Chance - 0% - Yeah, when someone takes your only trademark, it's hard to justify your inclusion. Villager didn't kill him, he straight up slaughtered his chances.
Want - 40% - Didn't find him all that interesting, even before Villager.
Gangplank Galleon Stage
Chance - 66.75% - Just a rough guess. It's 75% of my 89% K. Rool ranking.
Want - 70% - Might be a more interesting Pirate stage than the Ship in the Great Sea, at least.
Predictions
Sherif - 1.36% - A low score due to being a retro.
Shulk - 57.45% - A mild increase to his score due to increased anticipation for X, and getting mentioned.
Chances - 60%
I'm a little up in the air on this one, honestly. I think there's a great chance we get two, maybe three DK stages this time around. One will undoubtedly be from Returns, another will probably be a past stage, and the final one may end up being another horrendously bad unplayable piece of crap from the Arcade era. Now, hopefully, either the past stage will kill two birds with one stone by being 75m, or perhaps there won't be some obligation to add another Arcade stage each new game.
In that case, I can see them reaching back into the original trilogy for stage ideas, and I think Gangplank Galleon is the single most likely option to revive. It's basically the Bowser's Castle of the DK series in that it's the most iconic location not yet a stage in Smash. It would serve as a continuation of the Pirate Ship stage from Brawl, much like New Pork City was from Temple; however, the Galleon would differentiate itself by being a far more photorealistic, far more gigantic ship than its predecessor. There's also its potential to accompany K. Rool, a highly probable character, as a home stage; considering the pairing of other newcomer candidates with home stages (Ridley, Palutena, Chrom), it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see the Galleon follow suit.
Want - 100%
If not for the visuals, for the music. Hopefully the sound team takes full advantage of the absurd amount of awesome tracks from DKC and fleshes it out with 12 or more songs, rather than arbitrarily cutting off at 7 like it did on Rumble Falls.
Balloon Fighter:
Chances and Want: 5%
Villager using Balloon Fighter's signature mechanic as a recovery is in a whole new ballpark from him using boxing gloves like Little Mac. He's also just one retro character out of many.
Balloon Fighter:
Chance: 2%. With many references to the game already in the game (Villager uses a balloon hat as a special move) severely diminishes the chance of this guy. Since flying is the only thing he can do anyway.
Want: 1%. I liked this game, but I feel a Balloon Fighter wouldn't add anything to the gameplay. It would be, and I don't like this phrase, a waste of a character slot.
Gangplank Galleon:
Chance: 60%. I believe that if King K. Rool gets in, this is almost guaranteed. As such, I will rate this stage as I would him.
I believe that this a good choice representing a huge piece of Donkey Kong's history, the Donkey Kong Country series. Honestly, if this stage (and King K. Rool) don't appear in some form, I will be quite disappointed.
Want: 80%. I actually have never played a Donkey Kong Country game for more than a few minutes. But from I've learned about King K. Rool, having him and this stage in the game would be a great thing to have in the game, and anything less is a crime.
Plus the Pirate Ship we have sucks.
Sheriff: 1%. I don't think anyone would expect this.
balloon fighter - 0.01%
you know I never understood why people thought he had a good chance, just because you have balloons doesn't mean you get a playable slot, now the villager influences that want - 0%
good game, still don't want him in smash, it'll feel like an waste to me
in fact. . . does he even have any moveset potential then balloons? maybe it was a good idea just for the villager to use them gangplank galleon - 7.50%
see here's the thing, I've got no doubt k. rool will have some stage to represent himself, but first, really it be this? I mean it is iconic but its old, plus not to mention the pirate ship for wind waker will most likely return, and second, will k. rool even be in the game? he's not confirmed yet, and without him, i'll find it hard to swallow that this stage will even be considered then,
it mostly just hinges on the fact that k. rool is an likely newcomer, if he gets confirmed, this will skyrocket to the 30s, if he's disconfirmed it'll drop to 2%, for now since there's doubt i'll leave it at 7.50% till more gets learned want - 95%
the stage is iconic as heck, it'll be a great stage, along with if it has a similar feel to one of my favorites: the pirate ship,
you know, the pirate ship it self has a lot of controversy, it'll be nice to see what it gets as an rating . . .*hint, hint* sheriff - 1.35%
ya know when I first joined these forms, I used to hear his name quite a lot, along with a lot of talk that'll he'll be the next R.O.B or something,
now I guess those days died down seeing how this is the first time I've heard his name in months
its going to be a bit bad for him shulk - 61.27%
i'm expecting an noticeable buff for him, the west got popular choice little mac, we're bound to get an popular choice from the east then, few come as high as shulk,
nominaitons: pirate shipX5 (legend of Zelda)
what I said *hint, hint* for a reason you know
DAY IS OVER!
WOLF HAS RETURNED! . . . .well . . . . . he never left to begin with. . . .
dang, day ended fast. I'll just share for the lulz I guess
Balloon Fighter
Chance - 0%
Disconfirmed
Want - 10%
I really really like Balloon Fight. It's my favorite NES title and I still play it frequently to this date. Can go a really mean distance in Balloon Trip and got some sweet scores going. It has great physics, great multiplayer ... overall a very enjoyable, well done game that doesn't get half the attention it deserves (Sorry kids, but your flappy bird ain't got nothing on balloon trip)
HOWEVER, I never understood how a balloon fighter would work in Smash. At all. Sure, the gimmick of fighting in the air and having to replenish your balloons was interesting, but that's it. It's just a recovery gimmick at most, and making a moveset out of that sounds like a genuine pain. I understand why they went with Ice Climbers instead, definitely. And I like seeing that Villager takes the most of what balloon fighter can be, a recovery gimmick, and bring it to the game.
Gangplank Galleon
Chance - 10%
Even if K. Rool made it in Smash, there's no guarantee this stage would make it too. It's far from the equivalent to Bowser's Castle, seeing how Bowser's Castle has been in almost every single Mario game. Gangplank Galleon was just one of many iconic fights for the Krok, and personally, I would imagine some other locations appearing that reflect K. Rool's diverse characters more.
Want - 10%
Yes, it's great and all but ... frankly, the pirate ship thing has been done, and it wasn't that great. Having "A bigger ship!! With a song that was already in the game!!" is not an exciting prospect. Give me the Flying Krok and a rendition of Crocodile Cacophony, and then I'm excited. There's no need for the Wii U game to have similar stages to Brawl.
Prediction
Sheriff - 4.8%
Lots of peeps seem to just not care about Sheriff.
Shulk - 61.7%
oh for the love of ... again?
sorry for the late update, system update cause a little bit of an error
Balloon Fighter Chance: .79% Want: 27.88%
that is all, he not only murdered his chances, i'll also imagine he dropped down his want significantly down to where it is now, balloon fighter's dreams of getting into smash are probably now gone . . . . along with his head Gangplank Galleon Chance: 32.27% Want: 65.30%
nice! not only is his ship well received, it also has a decent chance of happening, now we only need information of the krusty kremling kutthroat himself, good tidings are finally happening to the kremling krew, now only if they can succeed to torture the kongs again . . . such sweet memories of those times
today we are rating sheriff, back on the arcade, please rate sheriff in chance and want! can he become a new G&W? or will he fall down into Nintendo obscurity forever
in addition, please rate shulk in chance and want! . . . . . . again! will he hold his 8th spot on RTC's list? will he finally have everyone know his name? only you can decided that today, once and for all (because I doubt we'll rate him again after this)
also please predict howAdam “Authorization” Malkovich? will fare, I will add something else added, but I just learned he existed just about 10 minutes ago,
and now for our more exiciting prediction (and one I know) please predict the chance of two DK newcomers! can the K.rool fans and Dixie fans finally get together for peace, or will cranky steal the show! (or will this entire idea fail)
and with that i'm now done, i'll be hanging around, but for now smell ay later!
Before I rate Sheriff, I will go with the absolute priority. I will rate Monado Boy first. I have prepared something for his rerate. While my post before was well-detailed, I wanted to go a step further and uncover the evidence as to why Shulk is one of the most likely newcomers to appear in SSB4. So, without further adieu, here is my rating for Shulk.
Oh! Shulk, Sheriff, predictions, and nominations will have Xenoblade quotes!
Heir to the Monado, Shulk
Chance: THIS IS THE MONADO’S POWER! (78%)
Here’s the thing, I don’t know why we are rating him again. Sure, I helped nominate him to the top again, but I don’t believe that he needs another rerate in a short amount of time. Nothing has changed other than Little Mac getting confirmed and more X gameplay was shown; both of these things don’t add or remove anything in Shulk’s case. Now, I have given Shulk a 3% increase from my previous rating; the reason for this is because some things have come to my attention. They’re nothing major, but they slightly help Shulk. Now, this post is absolutely gigantic. As a result, I will sum up my points in one to three sentences. If you want more detailed reasoning, then click on the spoilers!
First off, let’s start by listing the negatives.
1. Xenoblade is still a new franchise. However, it’s incredibly unfair to call Shulk “too new” when other characters were more new than him prior to their Smash debuts.
Xenoblade is still a new franchise. This is unfortunately true, though I don’t think that this hurts Shulk’s chances too much. While it definitely doesn’t have the longevity or the notability of Mario or Zelda, Xenoblade is still very well-known and highly praised. One argument that I often hear against Shulk is that he is “too new,” which I find to be as stupid as calling Ridley or King K. Rool “too big.” Why? Xenoblade came out in 2010 in Japan, thus you have had 4 years to warm up to Shulk before he could potentially appear in Smash. That time period is actually longer than some vets before their debut appearance in their respective Smash appearances. You know when Pokemon Red and Green (or Blue as it’s called here in America) came out in? 1996. When did the first SSB come out in? 1999. Pokemon to SSB 64 is a shorter time span than Xenoblade to SSB4. If we look at Pichu, Pokemon Gold and Silver were released in 1999, 2 years before Melee. Heck, Lucario only existed for 3 years before his debut in Brawl if we count his initial debut to be Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew; Lucario’s game debut was in 2006 with Pokemon Diamond and Pearl and those games were released 2 years before Brawl. Outside of Pokemon, Fire Emblem also follows this case. Ike’s first Fire Emblem game, Path of Radiance, was released in 2005 and Brawl was released in 2008; Path of Radiance was released 3 years before Brawl. Fire Emblem: Awakening came out in 2012 in Japan, that’s two years before SSB4 might be released. Xenoblade Chronicles has been released for a longer time than Awakening, so does that mean that Chrom, Lucina, Robin, and all of the other Awakening characters that people want in Smash are too new as well? A much better example is Roy in Melee; his game was released after Melee, being too new didn’t stop him there. My reasoning for bringing up these characters is to make a point; why should people call Shulk “too new” when other characters were much more new than him in their respective Smash debuts. His series is new, but that doesn’t mean that should prevent his inclusion in SSB4. I will argue that it holds true for characters like Alph or Wonder Red, as there hasn’t been sufficient enough data to prove if people want these characters, but it definitely doesn’t hold true for Shulk. I just find the notion of Shulk being “too new” to be an absolutely stupid and tasteless argument that I can’t believe that people are using against Shulk.
2. Shulk has only appeared in one game so far. Despite the fact that he could be a one-off, we’ve seen various one-offs in Smash (like Sheik). The X protagonist won’t get in over Shulk as he isn’t demanded and we don’t even know whom he is.
Shulk only appeared in one game. This isn’t detrimental, but it’s still something notable. Maybe Sakurai would think that Shulk doesn’t deserve to get in SSB4 since he only appeared in one game. However, we’ve seen various one-offs in the Smash universe, so I don’t find this to be hurtful towards Shulk. I mean, Lucas has only appeared in Mother 3 and he got in Brawl. Speaking of one-offs, I’ve seen arguments against Shulk saying that he would be a one-off and wouldn’t get in Smash. I disagree with this. Shulk is the first protagonist of Xenoblade and is still a very highly requested character. There is no way that someone from X is going to get in before Shulk, especially when people don’t know who the main protagonist is (we don’t even know the NAME of the main protagonist of X yet!). Sheik is a one-off character from the Zelda universe and she got in Smash; Roy is also a one-off and he got in Melee and people are clamoring for his return. So, I find this to be a weak argument as well.
3. Xenoblade’s sales weren’t the absolute best. While this is true, some franchises represented in Smash didn’t have impressive sales either. Xenoblade’s sales won’t make Sakurai overlook him.
Xenoblade didn’t have the best sales. While sales are important, you have to understand that Xenoblade had a limited release in the US. Copies are scarce and the game was only released in GameStops in the US. I am not so sure how well it sold in other areas, but the game definitely left an impact on those who have played it and haven’t played it. So, I find Xenoblade’s poor sales to be a minor factor in this case. Some series with poor sales are getting represented in Smash; the biggest example here is EarthBound. One new interesting development is that Captain Rainbow getting some content in Smash. Remember that fat Little Mac trophy? That was from Captain Rainbow, an obscure game that was only released in Japan and it had extremely poor sales. In fact, the sales were so bad that the European port was cancelled! While Xenoblade doesn’t have the best sales in the world, I don’t think that Sakurai will overlook Shulk and Xenoblade at all.
While these things hurt Shulk, I find them to be somewhat minor towards his chances. Why? It’s because there are so many positives to Shulk that they outweigh all of his negatives.
1. Monolith Soft has been very active in Nintendo’s latest games, even participating in Brawl’s development. Monolith Soft is also a first party company to Nintendo, meaning the rights to use Shulk and other content from Xenoblade wouldn’t be difficult to get at all.
Monolith Soft has been very active in the development of several Nintendo games. They have worked on games like Animal Crossing: New Leaf, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. One game that they also helped in the development of is Super Smash Bros. Brawl; since Sakurai has worked with Monolith Soft before, he can easily go to them and request to put Shulk in Smash. Maybe even Monolith Soft would like a say and request Sakurai to put Shulk in SSB4. On the topic of Monolith Soft, I must address two quick things. First, Monolith Soft is a first party company; this means that Xenoblade Chronicles is a first party series and Shulk doesn’t face legal issues. The rights to use Shulk can easily be obtained, though I can imagine that Sakurai must ask for permission to use Shulk and any other content from Xenoblade Chronicles. I mention this, as it’s a rather popular misconception since people believe that Shulk is a third party character. Second, Nintendo didn’t buy out Monolith Soft when Xenoblade was released. They owned them prior to that moment. So, those who say that Nintendo bought Monolith after Xenoblade and using that as a point are rather wrong.
2. Sakurai acknowledges Xenoblade and its existence. He might be a fan of it for all we know.
Speaking of Sakurai, he acknowledges Xenoblade. While he has to have the knowledge of many Nintendo franchises, it’s still nice to see that he is at least aware of Xenoblade and how big this series is. In fact, on his Twitter, he posted a pic of Shulk’s sword, the Monado.
For all we know, Sakurai could be a fan of Xenoblade and would love for the series to get represented in Smash. This definitely helps out Shulk’s case, especially when the time stamp of this pic is during SSB4’s development. For all we know, Sakurai could be a big fan of this game and would love for it to get represented in Smash.
3. Shulk isn’t a generic swordsman; he could be one of the most unique characters in Smash thanks to his sword, the Monado. He would be one of the easiest characters to create a moveset with.
Shulk has uniqueness. We’ve seen all sorts of characters have a unique element to them. Villager has his items, Mega Man has the Robot Master’s weapons and tons of projectiles, Wii Fit Trainer attacks with yoga poses, Rosalina has her Lumas and puppeteer moveset, and Little Mac has his Power Meter and punches. What does Shulk have that could make him unique? The god-slaying sword, the Monado. The Monado is what sets up his uniqueness. I hate how people call him “generic” and that he would be “just another sword user.” It tells me that these people haven’t played Xenoblade, haven’t seen footage of the game, or are using excuses to hate Shulk. Shulk has various Monado Arts that he can use in battle. He can use Monado Buster to charge up the attack and this in turn would increase the length of the Monado for his neutral special, use Monado Eater to send out a projectile and that projectile will cause poison damage as his side special, use Monado Speed to recover in his up special, use Monado Shield as a reflector and move around with the move being active as his down special, and use Monado Cyclone to create a massive pillar as his Final Smash. Other than Monado Arts that I’ve mentioned (there are others like Monado Enchant, Monado Armor, and Monado Purge), he has his own Arts like Back Slash, Slit Edge, Shaker Edge, Stream Edge, and Air Slash. Sometimes Sakurai isn’t faithful to some characters, thus Shulk could use Arts from other characters, like Reyn’s Aura Burst or Dunban’s Gale Slash for example, in some of his standard attacks. If Shulk had another gimmick like Little Mac’s Power Meter, it would could a Level Up system where his attacks would become more powerful and level up as Shulk continues to dish out damage at his opponents. Shulk can also have visions, which help him see into the future and prevent something horrible from occurring. However, I have a hard time imagining how the visions can be incorporated in a moveset as the pacing of Smash Bros. is far different than the pacing of Xenoblade. While the Monado is a big sword, it’s nothing like Ike’s sword. Shulk’s speed and weight would be in the middle, unlike Ike who is slow and heavy. Shulk’s play-style could involve prediction, which could be similar in vain to the visions. If you predict your opponent correctly, you could use one of Shulk’s devastating attacks to deal damage or finish off the opponent. If you predict wrongly, you could leave yourself wide open for an attack. I know that Sakurai is having trouble creating movesets for various characters nowadays since there aren’t many characters left who would fit in this environment, but Shulk already has moveset potential and it would be easy for Sakurai to convert Shulk as a fighter.
4. Shulk has absolutely no competition. Isaac and Saki aren’t comparable to Shulk and could easily get on the roster; it’s absolutely pointless and stupid to say and start arguments that they are. Even if Shulk was competing against the other Rainfall heroes, Zael and Aeron, Shulk blows them away with the critical reception, sales, and popularity Xenoblade garnered.
Competition? That’s non-existent. I have seen some sort of “blond trio” group of Shulk, Isaac, and Saki. The truth of the matter is that neither of these characters even compare to Shulk. Saki? His game is an on rails shooter and his uniqueness is set up with projectiles and melee combat from his sword; this sword doesn’t have any sort of mythical powers like the Monado and Xenoblade is a JRPG. This one is by far one of the dumbest of debates. Isaac? You can argue that they are fighting to become the quintessential JRPG rep, but I don’t see these two competing and I think that they can both get in. Isaac’s moveset potential comes from his psynergy and seeing some Golden Sun footage for various attacks that Isaac can use, they are nothing like Shulk’s Monado Arts and the regular Arts that other characters can use in Xenoblade. These series aren’t even comparable to Xenoblade right now; Xenoblade is getting time in the limelight, Sin and Punishment had a revival and was forgotten shortly after, and Golden Sun hasn’t been heard from in years. The competition with the other Rainfall heroes is also rather small. Zael’s and Aeron’s respective games did not meet with the same success that Xenoblade did. Xenoblade had better sales and better critical reception than The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower. I can see them get on the roster as DLC characters, but I can’t see them be in direct competition with Shulk. If they are seen as competition, then Shulk has beaten them by a landslide. Zael’s, Aeron’s, and their respective game’s popularity are miniscule compared to the popularity that Shulk and Xenoblade have. I can’t see Shulk have any form of competition to worry about.
5. Nintendo has been acknowledging Xenoblade as of late. The series has an immediate future and Nintendo might push Xenoblade to become something even bigger.
Xenoblade is currently getting recognition. Alright, this is a minor point that I have added from my original post, but it’s still something that kind of helps Shulk. You think that Nintendo would want to not mention about the Operation Rainfall games and that they would put those games behind them. However, to my surprise, they are acknowledging and embracing Xenoblade. With Xenoblade getting mentioned in the latest Nintendo Direct and even having its own Puzzle Swap, it shows that Nintendo might push to make Xenoblade something even bigger. With X getting released some time in the future, Xenoblade is sure to have an immediate future. I am unsure if X is a sequel to Xenoblade, but I am confident that it is. In any case, I don’t believe X helps Shulk and I don’t think that he would get in Smash just to promote X. We aren’t even sure if he’s in the game! Regardless, I find that Nintendo acknowledging Xenoblade and giving it credit may affect Sakurai’s decisions.
6. Shulk is one of the most requested characters worldwide. The casual fanbase might not know who Shulk is or what Xenoblade is, but there are already unknown characters to the casual fanbase that are already on the roster in Smash. This is a character that is impossible for Sakurai to ignore.
This is the most important. Shulk has worldwide demand; more specifically his popularity is coming from Japan. People in America and other areas may have not played Xenoblade, but they have at least heard of it and might think that Shulk would be a cool addition in Smash, thus he is still getting requests in those areas. In fact, his Operation Rainfall support is still going strong to this day. It’s critical in Japan as they help Sakurai determine who would be popular picks on the roster. According to Chrono, Shulk is by far one of the most requested characters in that region. Who know who else is? A confirmed Mega Man, a god-tiered requested King K. Rool, and a possibly leaked Palutena. Shulk is also the most requested character that is not from a represented series in Japan. He did have competition for that category in Starfy, but Shulk now dominates it in Japan after when Starfy was confirmed to return as an Assist Trophy. Even in various polls, Shulk has managed to be consistent on the top of numerous lists. Even when these are just polls, want lists, and requests, they add up to hundreds or even thousands of times that Shulk’s name has been mentioned. I’ve heard arguments that Shulk shouldn’t be in Smash Bros. as he is an unknown or obscure character. While newer gamers probably won’t know who he is, he still has the requests and the popularity from Xenoblade to back up his notability. There are characters that we know that others don’t know. One of the biggest examples here is Little Mac; the people in the US were absolutely ecstatic to see him get included while the Japanese viewed him as obscure and as an unknown character. I also recall people in the Daily Miiverse Pics thread say that they have no idea who Captain Rainbow was or what his game is even about when the fat Little Mac pic was shown in a Pic of the Day. Just because Xenoblade and Shulk have relative obscurity among the casual fanbase shouldn’t hurt Shulk by any means, especially when the king of Nintendo obscurity is getting represented in SSB4 in some form. So, calling Shulk too obscure or too unknown for SSB4 is yet another weak argument as Shulk has the fans and the support to help push him into SSB4. Shulk is definitely a character that is impossible for Sakurai to ignore.
Honestly, this is what I think and believe his chances are. I am not convincing you guys that he is a shoo-in, but he is definitely an extremely likely contender for Smash. He just fits in so beautifully like a glove that I would be heavily surprised if he wasn’t added on the roster. When it comes to even several leaks, I always turn my head in doubt if they don’t mention Shulk or Xenoblade at all (especially worse when I see these leakers say that the Monado would be an item in the game).
Personally, I don’t know why we are rating him; he is perfectly fine where he is on the chance results. Regardless, I think that Shulk is one of the biggest contenders in Smash and is a force to be reckoned with. Shulk has earned a spot on the roster and I think that he is ready to claim it. He is not a shoo-in, but I find his chances to be incredibly strong. I guess this is a reason why people call him “The Incredible Shulk.”
Want: BEHOLD THE POWER OF THE MONADO! (100%)
Did this tell you anything? I am rather passionate when it comes to wanting Shulk in Smash. This is a character that needs to happen and if he doesn’t, I will be enraged.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve kind of supported Shulk before, but I wanted him to have a character from a brand new series get represented in Smash and he was my best bet. I mean, Pikmin was released in 2001 and Brawl was released in 2008; that’s a massive gap, but I digress. Now that I have played Xenoblade, I have grown to want Shulk so much! Just anything that I hear that could help him in his favor, whether it’s major or minor, makes me happy like a little kid on a sugar rush! (I was also heavily disappointed when I saw a leak of a picture featuring Shulk got debunked.)
I find Shulk to be an incredibly likable character. He isn’t an idiot like some RPG heroes are and he doesn’t use ferocity in his battles. He is a smart character that thinks his battles through and would do anything to save those from danger.
In case you don’t know, Shulk is currently my second most wanted newcomer, behind a confirmed Little Mac and not counting god tier Bomberman.
While many characters would offer a lot of things in the Smash universe, there is one thing that Shulk can do that many characters can’t: represent Xenoblade. Xenoblade is a fantastic game with amazing characters, graphics, music, gameplay, story, an incredible sense of exploration, a battle system that isn’t stressful to the player, and so much more. This game needs to be represented in Smash and not doing so is an absolute crime.
In regards to Shulk getting confirmed in the future, I cannot see this happen soon. I find it likely if there is a worldwide Direct and Monolith and Sakurai would show something in the Nintendo Direct. He might be a character that would be announced at E3 or a character we would find out about when the game is released.
Shulk needs to get in Smash and this will definitely be a character that I might main.
Seriously you guys, you must play Xenoblade if you haven’t already. You are missing out if you don’t.
If Shulk is in Smash, this better be his trailer theme:
Hopefully… all of you will know his name…
I just want to say that I am sorry if my fanboying or these arguments are annoying you. Please don’t let my support for Shulk discourage you from playing Xenoblade.
Sheriff
Chance: Good thing he’s here. No? Anyone? (5%)
He is one of Nintendo’s oldest characters. Sakurai definitely knows about him thanks to his trophy in Melee. Though, this doesn’t prove that Sheriff would be the most likely retro candidate for Smash; I haven’t seen this guy’s name pop up often. Want: Not bad. Not bad at all. (50%)
He would be cool. Though, I wouldn’t care if he got in.
Adam Malkovich Prediction: His chances are weak, but don’t drop your guards! (.73%)
He’ll get lower than Anthony Higgs. I’m pretty sure the pessimism will definitely lower his scores. 2 DK Newcomers Prediction: The chances of this must become even stronger! (42.03%)
I took the overall chance score of 4 DK Characters because that is basically what this concept is.
Every character has hogged all the glory from him! Who is this character? Nominations: Captain Rainbow 5x
In case you are curious, this post is 3873 words long.
Sheriff:
I've recently come into liking the idea of Sheriff.
I hadn't realized the retros in Melee and Brawl included one popular and one historical.
Takamaru is definitely the popular pick, with Lip as the runner-up.
But for historical, I think the only real choices left are Sheriff and Daitoryo.
I like the idea of both, and even though Daitoryo is more "retro Nintendo" than anybody, it's less likely, and very much "out there"
Recently, I've started supporting both.
I'd say his chances are actually around 40%, it is more likely that he won't be added, but he could be. With retros it's somewhat of a toss-up.
If you would have asked me yesterday, I would have probably said 10%.
But if he can be unique, I'm all for him.
Well not ALL, but I like the idea of/want.
My want score would be 60%
I want him more than I don't.
Shulk:
...Hell yes!! It's Shulk, *******!
Alright, this is a character we're more likely to see, rather than not.
The fan demand is strong.
The relevancy is recent.
The abilities are unique.
The series continuation is confirmed.
And the Shulk is in Smash Bros.
That's my reasoning.
And all I need.
He fits every criteria. And I don't want to hear any "too new", because 2/5 of the newcomers so far have debuted in 2007.
I don't want to hear "one game", because Sheik, Ness, Lucas, and Roy.
This represents a new series, Nintendo's newest major series that already is getting a sequel, most likely because the first was so critically acclaimed and sell for a jillion dollars online.
Even if he's not in the sequel, doesn't matter. It's not like we'll see Isa and Matthew get in over Saki and Isaac.
I don't see them not making Shulk playable.
He makes too much sense, and is one of the 2 major characters with almost nothing going against them. I'd argue the other to be Palutena, but looking at this thread's results, I don't think I have to explain myself on that one.
He is not 100% guaranteed, and isn't exactly a shoo-in, but he's damn well close.
I was originally going to say 65%, but I just got myself extremely hyped just talking about him, so I'm going to have to say 77%
Want: 99.99%
Only characters in my top 6 get 100%, and he's closer to #9 on my wanted list.
Predictions:
Adam: Nobody is going to score him over Ridley. I don't think he'd get in over Dark Samus either. And he's on equal grounds with Anthony, Rundas, and Sylux, way too much competition as a 4th Metroid rep to receive high demand or... anything. For him to be highly expected or requested, he'll have to wait for the SSB game that comes out AFTER the one with Ridley's debut. 7%
Wait... he doesn't have any fans... I think 4.23% is a much safer prediction
2 DK newcomers: High. Very high. Dixie has a good shot. Cranky has a good shot. K Rool has a good shot.
Multiple series have recieved muliple characters every Smash game, with some even getting 3 in Melee, and Pokemon always getting 2. This is not unlikely. And I expect it to be voted as such. So... 69.32%?
Wait... this is WAY too optimistic... we aren't getting THAT many newcomers. I'll vote high for it, but I'm not so sure others will. I think it will be slightly below 50%, as most probably think it's less likely to happen than happening. So... 40.38% And my nominations might change once I see who else is being nominated, but for now... x4 Tiki x1 King Boo
Before I rate Sheriff, I will go with the absolute priority. I will rate Monado Boy first. I have prepared something for his rerate. While my post before was well-detailed, I wanted to go a step further and uncover the evidence as to why Shulk is one of the most likely newcomers to appear in SSB4. So, without further adieu, here is my rating for Shulk.
Oh! Shulk, Sheriff, predictions, and nominations will have Xenoblade quotes!
Heir to the Monado, Shulk
Chance: THIS IS THE MONADO’S POWER! (78%)
Here’s the thing, I don’t know why we are rating him again. Sure, I helped nominate him to the top again, but I don’t believe that he needs another rerate in a short amount of time. Nothing has changed other than Little Mac getting confirmed and more X gameplay was shown; both of these things don’t add or remove anything in Shulk’s case. Now, I have given Shulk a 3% increase from my previous rating; the reason for this is because some things have come to my attention. They’re nothing major, but they slightly help Shulk. Now, this post is absolutely gigantic. As a result, I will sum up my post in one to three sentences. If you want more detailed reasoning, then click on the spoilers!
First off, let’s start by listing the negatives.
1. Xenoblade is still a new franchise. However, it’s incredibly unfair to call Shulk “too new” when other characters were more new than him prior to their Smash debuts.
Xenoblade is still a new franchise. This is unfortunately true, though I don’t think that this hurts Shulk’s chances too much. While it definitely doesn’t have the longevity or the notability of Mario or Zelda, Xenoblade is still very well-known and highly praised. One argument that I often hear against Shulk is that he is “too new,” which I find to be as stupid as calling Ridley or King K. Rool “too big.” Why? Xenoblade came out in 2010 in Japan, thus you have had 4 years to warm up to Shulk before he could potentially appear in Smash. That time period is actually longer than some vets before their debut appearance in their respective Smash appearances. You know when Pokemon Red and Green (or Blue as it’s called here in America) came out in? 1996. When did the first SSB come out in? 1999. Pokemon to SSB 64 is a shorter time span than Xenoblade to SSB4. If we look at Pichu, Pokemon Gold and Silver were released in 1999, 2 years before Melee. Heck, Lucario only existed for 3 years before his debut in Brawl if we count his initial debut to be Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew; Lucario’s game debut was in 2006 with Pokemon Diamond and Pearl and those games were released 2 years before Brawl. Outside of Pokemon, Fire Emblem also follows this case. Ike’s first Fire Emblem game, Path of Radiance, was released in 2005 and Brawl was released in 2008; Path of Radiance was released 3 years before Brawl. Fire Emblem: Awakening came out in 2012 in Japan, that’s two years before SSB4 might be released. Xenoblade Chronicles has been released for a longer time than Awakening, so does that mean that Chrom, Lucina, Robin, and all of the other Awakening characters that people want in Smash are too new as well? A much better example is Roy in Melee; his game was released after Melee, being too new didn’t stop him there. My reasoning for bringing up these characters is to make a point; why should people call Shulk “too new” when other characters were much more new than him in their respective Smash debuts. His series is new, but that doesn’t mean that should prevent his inclusion in SSB4. I will argue that it holds true for characters like Alph or Wonder Red, as there hasn’t been sufficient enough data to prove if people want these characters, but it definitely doesn’t hold true for Shulk. I just find the notion of Shulk being “too new” to be an absolutely stupid and tasteless argument that I can’t believe that people are using against Shulk.
2. Shulk has only appeared in one game so far. Despite the fact that he could be a one-off, we’ve seen various one-offs in Smash (like Sheik). The X protagonist won’t get in over Shulk as he isn’t demanded and we don’t even know whom he is.
Shulk only appeared in one game. This isn’t detrimental, but it’s still something notable. Maybe Sakurai would think that Shulk doesn’t deserve to get in SSB4 since he only appeared in one game. However, we’ve seen various one-offs in the Smash universe, so I don’t find this to be hurtful towards Shulk. I mean, Lucas has only appeared in Mother 3 and he got in Brawl. Speaking of one-offs, I’ve seen arguments against Shulk saying that he would be a one-off and wouldn’t get in Smash. I disagree with this. Shulk is the first protagonist of Xenoblade and is still a very highly requested character. There is no way that someone from X is going to get in before Shulk, especially when people don’t know who the main protagonist is (we don’t even know the NAME of the main protagonist of X yet!). Sheik is a one-off character from the Zelda universe and she got in Smash; Roy is also a one-off and he got in Melee and people are clamoring for his return. So, I find this to be a weak argument as well.
3. Xenoblade’s sales weren’t the absolute best. While this is true, some franchises represented in Smash didn’t have impressive sales either. Xenoblade’s sales won’t make Sakurai overlook him.
Xenoblade didn’t have the best sales. While sales are important, you have to understand that Xenoblade had a limited release in the US. Copies are scarce and the game was only released in GameStops in the US. I am not so sure how well it sold in other areas, but the game definitely left an impact on those who have played it and haven’t played it. So, I find Xenoblade’s poor sales to be a minor factor in this case. Some series with poor sales are getting represented in Smash; the biggest example here is EarthBound. One new interesting development is that Captain Rainbow getting some content in Smash. Remember that fat Little Mac trophy? That was from Captain Rainbow, an obscure game that was only released in Japan and it had extremely poor sales. In fact, the sales were so bad that the European port was cancelled! While Xenoblade doesn’t have the best sales in the world, I don’t think that Sakurai will overlook Shulk and Xenoblade at all.
While these things hurt Shulk, I find them to be somewhat minor towards his chances. Why? It’s because there are so many positives to Shulk that they outweigh all of his negatives.
1. Monolith Soft has been very active in Nintendo’s latest games, even participating in Brawl’s development. Monolith Soft is also a first party company to Nintendo, meaning the rights to use Shulk and other content from Xenoblade wouldn’t be difficult to get at all.
Monolith Soft has been very active in the development of several Nintendo games. They have worked on games like Animal Crossing: New Leaf, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. One game that they also helped in the development of is Super Smash Bros. Brawl; since Sakurai has worked with Monolith Soft before, he can easily go to them and request to put Shulk in Smash. Maybe even Monolith Soft would like a say and request Sakurai to put Shulk in SSB4. On the topic of Monolith Soft, I must address two quick things. First, Monolith Soft is a first party company; this means that Xenoblade Chronicles is a first party series and Shulk doesn’t face legal issues. The rights to use Shulk can easily be obtained, though I can imagine that Sakurai must ask for permission to use Shulk and any other content from Xenoblade Chronicles. I mention this, as it’s a rather popular misconception since people believe that Shulk is a third party character. Second, Nintendo didn’t buy out Monolith Soft when Xenoblade was released. They owned them prior to that moment. So, those who say that Nintendo bought Monolith after Xenoblade and using that as a point are rather wrong.
2. Sakurai acknowledges Xenoblade and its existence.
Speaking of Sakurai, he acknowledges Xenoblade. While he has to have the knowledge of many Nintendo franchises, it’s still nice to see that he is at least aware of Xenoblade and how big this series is. In fact, on his Twitter, he posted a pic of Shulk’s sword, the Monado.
For all we know, Sakurai could be a fan of Xenoblade and would love for the series to get represented in Smash. This definitely helps out Shulk’s case, especially when the time stamp of this pic is during SSB4’s development.
3. Shulk isn’t a generic swordsman; he could be one of the most unique characters in Smash thanks to his sword, the Monado. He would be one of the easiest characters to create a moveset with.
Shulk has uniqueness. We’ve seen all sorts of characters have a unique element to them. Villager has his items, Mega Man has the Robot Master’s weapons and tons of projectiles, Wii Fit Trainer attacks with yoga poses, Rosalina has her Lumas and puppeteer moveset, and Little Mac has his Power Meter and punches. What does Shulk have that could make him unique? The god-slaying sword, the Monado. The Monado is what sets up his uniqueness. I hate how people call him “generic” and that he would be “just another sword user.” It tells me that these people haven’t played Xenoblade, haven’t seen footage of the game, or are using excuses to hate Shulk. Shulk has various Monado Arts that he can use in battle. He can use Monado Buster to charge up the attack and this in turn would increase the length of the Monado for his neutral special, use Monado Eater to send out a projectile and that projectile will cause poison damage as his side special, use Monado Speed to recover in his up special, use Monado Shield as a reflector and move around with the move being active as his down special, and use Monado Cyclone to create a massive pillar as his Final Smash. Other than Monado Arts that I’ve mentioned (there are others like Monado Enchant, Monado Armor, and Monado Purge), he has his own Arts like Back Slash, Slit Edge, Shaker Edge, Stream Edge, and Air Slash. Sometimes Sakurai isn’t faithful to some characters, thus Shulk could use Arts from other characters, like Reyn’s Aura Burst or Dunban’s Gale Slash for example, in some of his standard attacks. If Shulk had another gimmick like Little Mac’s Power Meter, it would could a Level Up system where his attacks would become more powerful and level up as Shulk continues to dish out damage at his opponents. Shulk can also have visions, which help him see into the future and prevent something horrible from occurring. However, I have a hard time imagining how the visions can be incorporated in a moveset as the pacing of Smash Bros. is far different than the pacing of Xenoblade. While the Monado is a big sword, it’s nothing like Ike’s sword. Shulk’s speed and weight would be in the middle, unlike Ike who is slow and heavy. Shulk’s play-style could involve prediction, which could be similar in vain to the visions. If you predict your opponent correctly, you could use one of Shulk’s devastating attacks to deal damage or finish off the opponent. If you predict wrongly, you could leave yourself wide open for an attack. I know that Sakurai is having trouble creating movesets for various characters nowadays since there aren’t many characters left who would fit in this environment, but Shulk already has moveset potential and it would be easy for Sakurai to convert Shulk as a fighter.
4. Shulk has absolutely no competition. Isaac and Saki aren’t comparable to Shulk and could easily get on the roster; it’s absolutely pointless and stupid to say and start arguments that they are. Even if Shulk was competing against the other Rainfall heroes, Zael and Aeron, Shulk blows them away with the critical reception, sales, and popularity Xenoblade garnered.
Competition? That’s non-existent. I have seen some sort of “blond trio” group of Shulk, Isaac, and Saki. The truth of the matter is that neither of these characters even compare to Shulk. Saki? His game is an on rails shooter and his uniqueness is set up with projectiles and melee combat from his sword; this sword doesn’t have any sort of mythical powers like the Monado and Xenoblade is a JRPG. This one is by far one of the dumbest of debates. Isaac? You can argue that they are fighting to become the quintessential JRPG rep, but I don’t see these two competing and I think that they can both get in. Isaac’s moveset potential comes from his psynergy and seeing some Golden Sun footage for various attacks that Isaac can use, they are nothing like Shulk’s Monado Arts and the regular Arts that other characters can use in Xenoblade. These series aren’t even comparable to Xenoblade right now; Xenoblade is getting time in the limelight, Sin and Punishment had a revival and was forgotten shortly after, and Golden Sun hasn’t been heard from in years. The competition with the other Rainfall heroes is also rather small. Zael’s and Aeron’s respective games did not meet with the same success that Xenoblade did. Xenoblade had better sales and better critical reception than The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower. I can see them get on the roster as DLC characters, but I can’t see them be in direct competition with Shulk. If they are seen as competition, then Shulk has beaten them by a landslide. Zael’s, Aeron’s, and their respective game’s popularity are miniscule compared to the popularity that Shulk and Xenoblade have. I can’t see Shulk have any form of competition to worry about.
5. Nintendo has been acknowledging Xenoblade as of late. The series has an immediate future and Nintendo might push Xenoblade to become something even bigger.
Xenoblade is currently getting recognition. Alright, this is a minor point that I have added from my original post, but it’s still something that kind of helps Shulk. You think that Nintendo would want to not mention about the Operation Rainfall games and that they would put those games behind them. However, to my surprise, they are acknowledging and embracing Xenoblade. With Xenoblade getting mentioned in the latest Nintendo Direct and even having its own Puzzle Swap, it shows that Nintendo might push to make Xenoblade something even bigger. With X getting released some time in the future, Xenoblade is sure to have an immediate future. I am unsure if X is a sequel to Xenoblade, but I am confident that it is. In any case, I don’t believe X helps Shulk and I don’t think that he would get in Smash just to promote X. We aren’t even sure if he’s in the game! Regardless, I find that Nintendo acknowledging Xenoblade and giving it credit may affect Sakurai’s decisions.
6. Shulk is one of the most requested characters worldwide. The casual fanbase might not know who Shulk is or what Xenoblade is, but there are already unknown characters to the casual fanbase that are already on the roster in Smash. This is a character that is impossible for Sakurai to ignore.
This is the most important. Shulk has worldwide demand; more specifically his popularity is coming from Japan. People in America and other areas may have not played Xenoblade, but they have at least heard of it and might think that Shulk would be a cool addition in Smash, thus he is still getting requests in those areas. In fact, his Operation Rainfall support is still going strong to this day. It’s critical in Japan as they help Sakurai determine who would be popular picks on the roster. According to Chrono, Shulk is by far one of the most requested characters in that region. Who know who else is? A confirmed Mega Man, a god-tiered requested King K. Rool, and a possibly leaked Palutena. Shulk is also the most requested character that is not from a represented series in Japan. He did have competition for that category in Starfy, but Shulk now dominates it in Japan after when Starfy was confirmed to return as an Assist Trophy. Even in various polls, Shulk has managed to be consistent on the top of numerous lists. Even when these are just polls, want lists, and requests, they add up to hundreds or even thousands of times that Shulk’s name has been mentioned. I’ve heard arguments that Shulk shouldn’t be in Smash Bros. as he is an unknown or obscure character. While newer gamers probably won’t know who he is, he still has the requests and the popularity from Xenoblade to back up his notability. There are characters that we know that others don’t know. One of the biggest examples here is Little Mac; the people in the US were absolutely ecstatic to see him get included while the Japanese viewed him as obscure and as an unknown character. I also recall people in the Daily Miiverse Pics thread say that they have no idea who Captain Rainbow was or what his game is even about when the fat Little Mac pic was shown in a Pic of the Day. Just because Xenoblade and Shulk have relative obscurity among the casual fanbase shouldn’t hurt Shulk by any means, especially when the king of Nintendo obscurity is getting represented in SSB4 in some form. So, calling Shulk too obscure or too unknown for SSB4 is yet another weak argument as Shulk has the fans and the support to help push him into SSB4. Shulk is definitely a character that is impossible for Sakurai to ignore.
Honestly, this is what I think and believe his chances are. I am not convincing you guys that he is a shoo-in, but he is definitely an extremely likely contender for Smash. He just fits in so beautifully like a glove that I would be heavily surprised if he wasn’t added on the roster. When it comes to even several leaks, I always turn my head in doubt if they don’t mention Shulk or Xenoblade at all (especially worse when I see these leakers say that the Monado would be an item in the game).
Personally, I don’t know why we are rating him; he is perfectly fine where he is on the chance results. Regardless, I think that Shulk is one of the biggest contenders in Smash and is a force to be reckoned with. Shulk has earned a spot on the roster and I think that he is ready to claim it. He is not a shoo-in, but I find his chances to be incredibly strong. I guess this is a reason why people call him “The Incredible Shulk.”
Want: BEHOLD THE POWER OF THE MONADO! (100%)
Did this tell you anything? I am rather passionate when it comes to wanting Shulk in Smash. This is a character that needs to happen and if he doesn’t, I will be enraged.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve kind of supported Shulk before, but I wanted him to have a character from a brand new series get represented in Smash and he was my best bet. I mean, Pikmin was released in 2001 and Brawl was released in 2008; that’s a massive gap, but I digress. Now that I have played Xenoblade, I have grown to want Shulk so much! Just anything that I hear that could help him in his favor, whether it’s major or minor, makes me happy like a little kid on a sugar rush! (I was also heavily disappointed when I saw a leak of a picture featuring Shulk got debunked.)
I find Shulk to be an incredibly likable character. He isn’t an idiot like some RPG heroes are and he doesn’t use ferocity in his battles. He is a smart character that thinks his battles through and would do anything to save those from danger.
In case you don’t know, Shulk is currently my second most wanted newcomer, behind a confirmed Little Mac and not counting god tier Bomberman.
While many characters would offer a lot of things in the Smash universe, there is one thing that Shulk can do that many characters can’t: represent Xenoblade. Xenoblade is a fantastic game with amazing characters, graphics, music, gameplay, story, an incredible sense of exploration, a battle system that isn’t stressful to the player, and so much more. This game needs to be represented in Smash and not doing so is an absolute crime.
In regards to Shulk getting confirmed in the future, I cannot see this happen soon. I find it likely if there is a worldwide Direct and Monolith and Sakurai would show something in the Nintendo Direct. He might be a character that would be announced at E3 or a character we would find out about when the game is released.
Shulk needs to get in Smash and this will definitely be a character that I might main.
Seriously you guys, you must play Xenoblade if you haven’t already. You are missing out if you don’t.
If Shulk is in Smash, this better be his trailer theme:
Hopefully… all of you will know his name…
I just want to say that I am sorry if my fanboying or these arguments are annoying you. Please don’t let my support for Shulk discourage you from playing Xenoblade.
Sheriff
Chance: Good thing he’s here. No? Anyone? (5%)
He is one of Nintendo’s oldest characters. Sakurai definitely knows about him thanks to his trophy in Melee. Though, this doesn’t prove that Sheriff would be the most likely retro candidate for Smash; I haven’t seen this guy’s name pop up often. Want: Not bad. Not bad at all. (50%)
He would be cool. Though, I wouldn’t care if he got in.
Adam Malkovich Prediction: His chances are weak, but don’t drop your guards! (.73%)
He’ll get lower than Anthony Higgs. I’m pretty sure the pessimism will definitely lower his scores. 2 DK Newcomers Prediction: The chances of this must become even stronger! (42.03%)
I took the overall chance score of 4 DK Characters because that is basically what this concept is.
Every character has hogged all the glory from him! Who is this character? Nominations: Captain Rainbow 5x
In case you are curious, this post is 3839 words long.
Shulk is the star of a newish Nintendo IP called Xenoblade. This franchise was brought to America after "Operation Rainfall", a large effort that eventually convinced Nintendo doing this would bring in profit (And whoo boy, it did!) and satisfy the fans. As a result, Shulk became a fan favorite icon of the series. It's had a strong following as well in it's recent times. And what have we been graced with, if you remember E3 2013?
That's right, X. X appears to be a spiritual sequel to Xenoblade, borrowing a variety of system advancements and it's combat system. It's safe to assume that Nintendo has acknowledged the series warrants a sequel of sorts and that it is a usable IP. By this mark, is it really surprising that we'd get some sort of representation of a popular series that retains acknowledgement by Nintendo in Smash Bros, a game mostly about Nintendo and the characters that have appeared on their consoles?
Competition:
There's two standpoints on this view.
Operation Rainfall: This is no contest. The other two Rainfall games did nowhere near as well, weren't well recieved by many people as much as Xenoblade, and didn't really have as memorable characters. By that standpoint, who else to include but Xenoblade's own protagonist?
Blonde Trio (Saki, Issac, Shulk)
There's a variety of reasons why this arguement is a tad questionable.
Saki is from a series that isn't exactly well known by many. It's more of a cult classic (something Xenoblade WAS) that got an okay sequel on the Wii. Saki was nowhere to be seen, however. I expect the protagonist of Star Successor to appear in the game in some form. Without contest, Saki is at the bottom.
Issac VS Shulk is one of the biggest (and stupidest) battles that's had on Smashboards? Are they really competition from each other? Issac is one of the protagonists in the series of Golden Sun. While it was better recieved than S+P, it hasn't ever gotten as much steam as Xenoblade did. Yes, it had Dark Dawn, but dawn was recieved at a generally okay status. Not really great as a successor to Golden Sun, and nowhere near the following of Xenoblade. Sales figures are important, BUT. The bigger issue is that Xenoblade and Golden Sun are two heavily different RPGs. We can't compare them in that sense like we can Super Mario Bros and New Super Mario Bros. So with this thrown out, Issac isn't really at a good point here.
Xenoblade, not only is a world-known IP, a well recieved game, a fantastic RPG, but a strong contender for getting some appreciation from Sakurai. With the only character fitting being Shulk, it's time to head onto...
What makes Shulk different?
Most people assume he'd be like Ike. Slow, because the Monado is big, and the like. Honestly, Shulk can be one of the most unique newcomers this side of Rosalina.
And to support me? Gonna take a note from @Hotfeet444 who manages to sum up my thoughts on moves.
What exactly is standing in his way?
Well, I just shot that stuff down. So not really much. He easily stands out from the cast. He can have a great moveset.
The Facts and Issues have been stated. Overall Rating? 75%. (And not one utter of the word, Recency.)
AMMO DEPLETED SEEK COVER AND RELOAD FOR ANOTHER DAY
Want: 100%- Shulk is my next most wanted Newcomer behind BWD. MORE PEOPLE NEED TO PLAY THIS GAME IN FULL, BABY!
No. This is not the OP of the Shulk thread; the OP of that thread isn't exactly detailed. I have typed this up prior to his rerate.
I was considering asking the OP of the Shulk thread for permission to take the thread over, but I am afraid that I could come off as rude or if he will expand it even more.
No. This is not the OP of the Shulk thread; the OP of that thread isn't exactly detailed. I have typed this up prior to his rerate.
I was considering asking the OP of the Shulk thread for permission to take the thread over, but I am afraid that I could come off as rude or if he will expand it even more.
Ah, I wouldn't know the feeling. Groose asked me himself to take over the Midna thread, and the only other thread I own is for Honey Queen
Well if Shulk continues doing so well, he may rise up to 3rd in likelihood and 1st in want. That would surely be interesting. I had always wondered why he was in neither top 5.
Ah, I wouldn't know the feeling. Groose asked me himself to take over the Midna thread, and the only other thread I own is for Honey Queen
Well if Shulk continues doing so well, he may rise up to 3rd in likelihood and 1st in want. That would surely be interesting. I had always wondered why he was in neither top 5.
people are pessimistic about characters that have only been in one game, along with newer franchises, there also was a stupid debate of competition between him and the other two blond protagonists (Isaac and saki), which really had no competition anyway
along with the fact that dispite xenoblade being big news, many don't think it deserves a rep,
add in that people think there will not be many newcomers, only lowers it a bit, along with people thinking all the fan favorites in first too, only lowers it more
he's 55.76% before, count in all the negatives makes it a fine score for him, he's not a shoe in, but got a dang good chance with only few not agreeing
Sheriff
Chance: 3% - He may be older than Game & Watch, but he didn't have anywhere near the same impact on Nintendo's emergence into the video game industry that the Game & Watch handhelds did.
Want: 0% - He existed in a time before video game developers thought artistic design was important, and it shows. I've seen the official artwork for this guy and there is absolutely nothing that seperates him from the millions of generic cowboys found in children's cartoons and preschool books.
Shuk
Chance: 73% - I feel he's the second most likely newcomer, trailing only to Palutena. There's nothing I can say that can match what Brawler610 said.
Want: 89% - I wish I got a chance to play Xenoblade.
Chance - 0.95% - Yeah, he's retro and somewhat significant, but why him? He's not particularly groundbreaking move set-wise for a retro, and would make a perfectly fine Assist Trophy, so why?
Want - 35% - Mm... Would rather have Dillion for a western character.
Shulk
Chance - 60% - X makes him a bit more likely than before in my eyes. Still not completely convinced, though. Giving it some thought, I see Xenoblade as more of a Stage or Assist Trophy series, if you asked me, so I'm not completely certain he is in.
Want - 50% - Don't like him, don't dislike him. While I'm certain the Moundo might be interesting, I'm not personally finding it so after some research.
Predictions
Adam Malcovich - 0.66% - Should do bad, but not Sandbag-bad.
A generic Wild West sheriff with an ugly design and no personality from an obscure game. Mr. Game & Watch was more important and sold a lot of units. Ice Climbers were more unique. Pit was both more unique and more popular (he actually had Smash fan demand).
What is Sheriff going to do, aside from use a pistol which would have to be redesigned to not look like a pistol? His only reference in Smash so far was a trophy in Melee which just consisted of his original blocky sprites.
Sheriff chance: 0.1%
Sheriff want: 0%
No thank you. There are plenty of better choices, even among retros. The Duck Hunt Dog seems unlikely to me, but it's actually iconic and has personality, and for that reason alone would be a better choice. For example.
Shulk re-rate
I don't see that anything much has changed since even the first time I rated him. I'm a little bit more optimistic about the roster size - I now think that Sakurai was trying to manage expectations with his comments. We're not getting everyone we want, but I think we'll still be seeing at least a handful of more newcomers. Shulk isn't competing against anyone very specifically, but he is kinda in the "free agent" bracket (new series). And I don't think we'd see Shulk, Isaac*, Chrom, Takamaru and Samurai Goroh all being newcomers using swords... And hell, lots of people want Ganondorf to add a sword too. At some point there's a limit, and I can only see at most two, or maaaybe three of those characters getting in at the same time.
*Isaac probably could get away with not having a sword be in his move set, or at least not a major part of it.
But I've also covered a lot of other characters since we last rated him, and I think there are more viable newcomers than I did back then. So all in all, I'm dropping his score a little from my first ranking.
Shulk chances: 36%
Shulk want: 75%
I like Xenoblade Chronicles a lot, but my enthusiasm isn't based on Shulk himself. I like most of the other characters better (personality-wise), and really, it's more the music and environments that make the game.
Another thought that occurred to me is that while Dunban is very unlikely as a playable character, he'd be a great Assist Trophy using Blossom Dance. Another possibility would be Shulk and two other party members (chosen at random?) doing a Chain Attack for his Final Smash.
Anywho...
Predictions:
Adam Malkovitch: 5%
*shrug*
2 DK Newcomers: 30%
Sheriff:
I have no passion for this character at all. He might get in as an oddball retro pick, but I'd put Takamaru over him any day. Chance: 15%. Want: 0%
Shulk:
I don't get all the love for this nobody. Whatever moveset you could make for him would just as easily go well with a Fire Emblem rep, and that series deserves it more. Chance: 50%. Want: 0%.
Predictions:
Adam Malkovitch: 5%
2 DK Newcomers: 40%
ah welcome mate to the forms,
also to the rate their chance thread,
hope you enjoy your stay and this fantastic community, feel free to ask for any questions you may seem to have, I'll be around to answer them,
also it seems you got the system down too, i'll just be ar-
Sheriff
Chance: 2%
When it comes to retro characters, the Sheriff is one that I don't find very likely. His advantages? Well, he's Nintendo's oldest character, and Sakurai has mentioned his existence before...and that's about it really. His negatives? OBSCURE AS HELL. At least some people remember ICs and G&W. Sheriff, outside of this site, not so much. Also, Sheriff is just, well, a generic sheriff. Granted, a spaghetti-western inspired moveset would admittably be nice to see, but my point still stands. And finally, Dillon exists.
Want: 10%
Mostly so I can make dumb Town With No Name references that none of my friends will get. "Give me a drink, Donkey Kong."
Shulk
Chance: 60%
Shulk has a couple things going for him. He has quite a bit of backing in Japan and in America, and he comes from a very acclaimed game that's only barely one generation old. Not to mention all the controversy surrounding Xenoblade's localization. He might be a little to recent maybe, but that doesn't seem like too much of a detriment.
Want: 50%
ALL ABOARD THE INDIFFERENCE TRAIN!
Predictions
Adam: 0.90%
I can already hear the Ridley supporters bellowing "0 CHANCE/WANT"
4 DK newcomers: 34.13%
Nominations: Shadow X5
Someone help me get Shadow to the top, plz. We gotta rate this guy soon.
Shulk:
I don't get all the love for this nobody. Whatever moveset you could make for him would just as easily go well with a Fire Emblem rep, and that series deserves it more. Chance: 50%. Want: 0%.
Not at all true that it would go just as easily with a Fire Emblem rep, and Xenoblade Chronicles got better reviews than most Fire Emblem games (only Awakening was better, and it was by a statistically insignificant amount). The sales were not amazing, but as mentioned, the limited release had a large part to do with that - demand for the game was clearly much higher than supply, seeing as it was selling for over twice the MSRP on Ebay.
I'd agree that Xenoblade shouldn't get a slot before Fire Emblem. But Fire Emblem already has two slots (I'm assuming). So, you know, they both deserved and got a rep before Xenoblade. I don't think it deserves a third more than Xenoblade deserves a first, personally.
Especially given the characters people think are likely, who mostly would be somewhat interchangeable, unlike Shulk.
Sheriff
Chance 15%
He could be the new Game & Watch surprise imo, however Sakurai could easily pick another Retro rep to surprise us.
Want 5%
Neutral to this guy
Shulk
Chance 75%
1 of the most wanted characters in Japan & he hails from a critical acclaimed game, that caused a major fan following despite having very limited copies. That imo is hard to get unnoticed by Sakurai
Sheriff: 10% The only problem Sakurai could see is that there really isn't lots of potential for this guys. Most people rating him slightly high because he could be the G&W, but don't really talk about the potential.
Sheriff Want: 5% Nah, I don't think he's worthy of merits at all.
Shulk Chance: 75% Going to raise my chances for this one, but until the leaks and hints have been given, I'm going to have Shulk's chances stay in to the 3/4 zone.
Shulk Want: 100% Ever since that fake leak popped up recently, my mind has been telling me he fits so ****ing well in this game. He has immediately noticable merits and deserves to be picked by Sakurai. If Sakurai wants to represent masterpieces like Mother, then he better be in this game, or it's a wasted opportunity.
He is kind of significant in a way, being one of Nintendo's earliest games. However, the game itself didn't leave much of an impact on Nintendo, and it was relatively unpopular, mainly because of it's control scheme. And the Sheriff doesn't even do much other than shoot bandits with a gun. I think he is indeed possible, but his potential his extremely small, and he'd has competition from other retros such as Takamaru and Lip, who are both more popular, well known and have more potential.
He was Nintendo's first game IIRC, so that's the sole reason I'm rating him as high as I did.
Want - 50%
He can't offer much, but at the same time, I wouldn't really mind if he was in or not. I'm indifferent to him.
Shulk - 75%
Just going to agree with those giving him high ratings.
Want - 75%
Could be cool, but I haven't played Xenoblade myself. I've only done a bit of research on the game.
Adam Malkovich Prediction - 1.56%
Not entirely sure about this one....all I'm sure of is that it will be pretty darn low.
2 DK newcomers prediction - 32.40%
A few may rate this relatively high, but I think most will give it low ratings.
Medli+Maker team x5
Might as well nominate the partial rival to Yarne+Owain team now that the 2 DK newcomers concept is about to be rated. I'm not really sure who else to nominate.
Sheriff
Chance-5%
Want-0%
Honestly I think there are much more deserving characters and Sheriff is a tad too far out of left field for me. Plus I do not know much about the character.
Shulk
Chance-80%
Shulk is from one of Nintendo's most recent IPs and is receiving another game this year with X. Regardless if Shulk is in X or not, (I think he will be) Shulk will likely become the face of the series as Marth has done so with FE. Nintendo needs more new series representation and Xenoblade is an excellent choice. Shulk also has a lot of potential to be unique because of the Monado. He is not a generic sword user like many people think. Similar to how Isaac is actually unique in his own way with the djinn and magic. Like others have stated, Shulk has his fair share of popularity in both the east and the west. He would definitely become one of the characters met by initial confusion because of his obscurity, but would then skyrocket in popularity. Think FE and Earthbound characters in melee.
Want- 100%
My number one pick for a newcomer in smash. Xenoblade is an amazing game and Nintendo needs to do the franchise justice by implementing it into their all-star collection that is smash bros