MartianSnake

First off, let's begin with probably the most obvious choice, if only because he's got a passing resemblance to another character...

Robin Hood - A character I see in a lot of disney platform fighter fan rosters, usually because he's got some similarities to Link. But despite that I do think he is a good choice. He really is the most obvious choice for a Dark Age rep. He'd make use of his sword and bow to make for a rather well rounded character. I'd also like to implement disguises in some fashion, though I'm not too sure how.

Next up, the world's greatest criminal mind!

Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective) - My personal choice for best Dark Age villain, sorry Prince John, sorry Horned King. For the longest time I hesitated to include him, purely due to his SIZE. Which is about the size of a real rat-errr mouse. Then I remembered that doesn't matter. Smash sized up Olimar and Ratigan has always been BIG and IMPOSING for Mouse standards. Ratigan's Moveset would be full of cunning traps and sophisticated setups, complex evil plots with big payout. Until he's losing... if Ratigan is at a high percentage, he'll lose his Composure, changing his animation and bits of his moveset to be a bit more feral. This form is less focused about big brain schemes and more on KO-ing the opponent as quickly as possible. He'll regain his Composure after KO-ing a single foe, satisfied for the time being. unless he's on his last stock or one minute remains on the timer, then he's like that until the match ends.

Now, I'd end here, but there's one more film that I feel NEEDS recognition, a franchise that deserves to be in the game. You might know what I'm talking about, but maybe not the exact character...

Pooh Bear (Winnie-the-Pooh) - Winnie the Pooh is often either left out of disney platform fighters, or they'll pick Tigger and call it a day. Now, I love Tigger. But there's a really obvious choice that's consistently ignored. A lot of people struggle imagining Pooh as a character that can work in a fighting game, plenty of people struggle imagining anything related to Pooh being near violence. I dunno about these ideas, Animal Crossing is a remarkably similar case and they got two fighters in Smash. A history of punching dudes has never been a requirement in platform fighters. Now I do admit having Pooh wavedash and uppercut Maleficant would feel off for his character, which is why I'm proposing a support style character. His playstyle would focus more on assisting his teammate(s) more than damaging foes, gifting boosts that'll encourage his friends to protect the small bear.

A lot of his moveset would involve spreading Hunny around the stage, something that heals allies and slows down opponents. He'd also be able to stick balloons to his allies to boost recovery. He does have offensive attacks of course, but most'll be animated to resemble silly little accidents rather than anything with harm meant behind it. His most offensive attack is probably throwing out a beehive, which summons bees to attack whoever is currently standing in Hunny.

That's all I've personally selected from the dark age, sorry that it's so small. Tigger, Basil, and Horned King were considered, but rejected for varying reasons. Love them all though

• Disney Castle - The obvious first pick for a stage, this would take inspiration from Prism Tower. A traveling stage that stops on and around at various points around the iconic castle.
• Fantasyland - A simple battlefield clone that hovers above Fantasyland, you can see a lot of the iconic rides down below.
• Adventureland - This is your standard hazardless Pokemon Stadium clone, floating above the jungles of Adventureland.

Alright, you can probably guess what's going on with the lands, so i'll spill the beans. Tomorrowland and Frontierland are also stages, and also use classic competitive friendly layouts. Tomorrowland has a single moving platform, Frontierland has a single static platform. I figure it best to get these out of the way quickly, and it's a thematic set.

The next few stages are gonna be based on individual rides from the lands mentioned above. Although I'm counting Disney Castle as a Fantasyland attraction.

• Jungle Cruise - One of the big classic disney rides. Jungle Cruise would be a simple slow-paced moving stage, occasionally a hippo or crocodile would rise out of the water to act as a smaller platform. But most of the action would be on the boat itself.
• Big Thunder Mountain - I knew I wanted one of the disney mountains to be a stage, and this strikes me as the best choice. It would have a main platform resting diagonally, with two or three semi-solids above. The train would occasionally speed through as a powerful stage hazard.
• Alien Encounter - I struggled for a long time coming up with a good Tomorrowland stage, but I finally settled on this iconic defunct attraction. The main stage would be simple enough with a few moving semi-solids. And you'd watch the events of the "show" play out behind you. Including the alien's escape. After this point lights would flicker and platforms would electrify, among other things.
• Haunted Mansion - This stage doesn't have a counterpart for the land it's typically found in. And I don't have many ideas for layout or anything like that, but c'mon. It's the Haunted Mansion! It's incredibly iconic and beloved by fans of all ages. And I do genuinely believe if a disney platform fighter were to only have 10 stages, Haunted Mansion would NEED to be one of them.

So there you have it folks, there's really not too much else to add here. There's not really any cuts present here.

• Cinderella - I feel like representing one of the classic three Disney princesses is a must, most people go for Snow White, which I'm not against. But there's other options for that film (and an upcoming film) aside from the princess, which I feel isn't really the case for Cinderella. If I want to represent the original three disney princess films, I'll need to play things smart like that. Anyways, enough about background, let's talk how she'd play. Of course, she'd use her animal friends for some moves, and she'd have some sort of spiking down air involving her slippers. I'm also imagining she'd take a page out of Ness' book and borrow some abilities from her Fairy Godmother, which could lead to some fun moves.
• Alice - Now, I don't think Alice is too surprising of a character, but it might surprise you to learn that she's the only wonderland character I'd add. While it's true wonderland has a ton of wacky characters that would be fun to play as, those characters all revolve around messing with Alice and introducing her to weird things. My logic here is why split up wonderland into 3 or 4 reps when you can condense that all into one wild moveset. Alice would make use of all the weird things she's discovered to fill the screen with a flurry of weirdness. She can grow herself, shrink others, swing a flamingo around, paint opponents red, throw teacups, etc, etc.
• Peter Pan - Here's a character that wouldn't be too crazy, he'd be a speedy and floaty character with not a lot of range, considering his main weapon is a little knife. I do think it'd be interesting if he could share Pixie Dust with his teammates in Team Battles, giving them a peach style float.
• Captain Hook - Here's a character I briefly hesitated to include due to the inevitable inclusion of another pirate, but I think there's a lot to set Hook apart from that future inclusion, not to mention he's one of my favorite Disney Villains. His manner of swordfighting is much more fencerly than other characters. Less focus is put on slashes in favor of stabs, maybe a tipper mechanic would work for him? Bombs and guns could also be something he could reasonably use, something to pressure his rivals into getting close to him, as his ranged options are more explosive. Obviously Tick Tock Croc would be included in some way, but I can't make up my mind as to how.
• Maleficant - Now here's a character that's on everyone's roster unless they deliberately want to challenge themselves. If a disney platform fighter only had 10 slots, she'd be there. I don't have much to say that hasn't already been said. Fire magic. Teleportation. Sleep spell. Thorn creation, dragon super. Obvious moves.
• Merlin - I've passed over previous Big Blue Magic Mentors like Yen Sid and Fairy Godmother before, but I'd be a fool not to include Merlin. There's a lot of charm in just including a classic wizard in the game, and he'd make use of simple magical blasts and levitation and all that. He'd also of course have plenty of moves utilizing his shape-shifting.
• Madam Mim - A surprising pick that'd act as a parallel to Merlin, sharing some moves and having others deliberately designed to be the exact opposite to Merlin. So she's somewhat of a clone, a bit of loose one, though.

So that's who I'd pick! For me, the two most tragic cuts have got to be Prince Phillip, a character I've got a weird attachment to, and think would be fun, but there's better options out there for swordfighters, and he doesn't have much else outside of that. And Cruella De Vil, a beloved villain who's hugely popular. It's just a shame that her two biggest traits, smoking and skinning puppies, probably wouldn't fly in a roster like this. And without that you're mostly just left with her vehicular madness, which I feel works best for Mr. Toad.

I did not forget about the Jungle Book, you'll see something from it eventually.

We'll begin with the heroes of the Golden Era.

• Grumpy - This pick may strike you as odd, choosing one of the dwarfs over Snow White. But in my defense I think Grumpy would bring a lot to the table! I'm envisioning a small heavyweight, someone that can pack a punch while dodging others with ease! Combine that with pickaxe and minecart moves and he'd sorta be like how a lot of people imagine Captain Toad would fight, not to mention a certain other minecart enthusiast already in smash. The other dwarfs might work as alts, but I'm unsure as I'd want his additude to reflect in the moveset.
• Pinocchio - This'll probably be the least surprising character in this batch. Pinocchio is really the only Golden Age main character I can properly envision playing as in a platform fighter. Much of his moveset would revolve around all the no-good trouble he gets into, but Jiminy would be present at all times to try and steer him in the right direction. His nose has a tipper mechanic.

Next, I'll be moving onto Golden Age villains.

• Honest John & Gideon - Now here's an idea I don't think I've seen in other disney rosters. These two would act as a duo fighter, and I believe them to be the only true "double-billed" duo in my plans for this project. They'd lean heavy on slapstick based attacks and trickery. Although for the record the slapstick would be more violent than anything most of the Mickey cast has to offer.
• Chernabog - So here's a character I've seen in a lot of disney roster ideas. Usually as a boss, and for good reason! He's probably the best option for that role! But... I was tempted to try something different. But first, let's address some issues you may have. First off, size. The guy is HUGE. Easy solution: shrink him. I'd still want him to be a large an imposing figure, probably the biggest character in the game. But I think he could easily use his dark magic to shrink down to playable scale. He'll most definitely grow to his proper height during his Super. Second concern, legs. Now, Ol' Chernie's been portrayed with legs before, but I dunno, it just never feels right. My solution? Chernabog's lower half will be covered by a whirling green vortex of tormented souls! He's able to scoop them out and chuck them at his foes, and they'll inflict torturous statuses. As a final note, he'd have no voice, all his vocal sounds would come from instruments that are present in Night on Bald Mountain.

And finally, the Package Rep.

• Mr. Toad - From the largest character, to one of the smallest. I feel like Mr. Toad has a bigger shot than most people probably think. If only cuz his ride sorta boosts his notoriety. He'd be short and quick, and he'd revolve around summoning his car in for a lot of his attacks. His speed, size, and power are increased whenever he's taking a wild ride.

So there you have it! There's a lot more obvious cuts in this batch than the last. Evil Queen, Stromboli, and Sorcerer Mickey are all characters I've seen support for in other fan rosters, but ultimately they either conflict with other characters I have plans for, or they simply didn't speak to me, personally. No disrespect if you want any of them though! Other considerations included Headless Horseman, Panchito Pistoles, and Yen Sid. But they all had some issues I couldn't sort out in my brain. Namely it's impossible for me to imagine Yen Sid dashing.

Oh, and as for Snow White? Don't lose hope yet, i may have plans.

Let's get this started with the obvious:

• Mickey Mouse - An obvious choice, an obligatory choice! I don't see this guy not appearing in a disney platform fighter unless there's a weird demand from higher up, which I don't think would be the case. Obviously he'd need to be the everyman jack-of-all-trades beginner character. Being gimmicky has never been Micheal's thing. There is occasional concern I've seen that plain ol' Mick is too... plain to work in a fighting game, I've seen insistence to pass him over in exchange for Sorcerer or King Mickey, which I feel would be a mistake. In my opinion Mickey in a Disney Platform Fighter should blend his cheerful everyman persona with his classic troublemaker persona, create a character that causes a lot of trouble but sincerely means well. I'm not saying you can't reference the more action focused interpretations. But I'd be subtle with it. Maybe he pulls out his keyblade in a super rare idle animation?
• Donald Duck - Another obvious choice, and one I won't dwell on long. Mickey might be the mascot, but Donald is most definitely the fan favorite of the mickey cast. I feel like Donald definitely leans well into a speedy bruiser style of fighter. I can definitely imagine a move where he scoops you up into a fight cloud. Maybe he has a Rage mechanic?
• Goofy - Goofy is a character I'd only consider leaving out of a Roster if I was REALLY low on slots. He'd be a lot of fun. This is a character where 90% of his moves should be accidents, even the ones where he's trying to throw a punch should kick you instead. By all accounts he's this game's Drunken Boxer archetype. I'd make much of his specials sports related as reference to his most famous material. And if there's Star KO's you already know what he's gonna say.

Next up, the slightly less obvious picks.

• Minnie Mouse - Oddly, I rarely see Minnie in these rosters. When I do, half the time she's a skin for Mickey! Which doesn't sit right with me. She deserves her own slot, even if I do think she'd share some moves with Mick. Yeah, I think a semi-clone to Mickey works for her. But obviously she should be changed enough to reflect her interests. I'm picturing a move where she throws a Bow, and it entangles anyone it hits with ribbons. Could be fun!
• Pete - The Big Bad Bully of the Mickey Canon, and the oldest disney character still in use today! He'd be our first heavyweight and act as a beginner character for the weight class in a similar way to mickey. Pete's not a complicated cat, his moveset should follow suit. Sadly I don't think him spitting out chewing tabacco could be a move.

And finally: the slightly surprising.

• Scrooge McDuck - Scrooge McDuck represents a lot of things. The disney comics, tv cartoons new and old, an iconic game, etc, etc. Let me start this by saying if a disney platform fighter only had 10 slots, Scrooge would be one of them. I do think he's that important, and I do think disney knows he is. Scrooge is a surprisingly spry old man, this would reflect in gameplay. He'd use his cane as a pogo stick and his wealth to his advantage. And while I'm not the biggest fan of summoning random characters for attacks if it feels unwarranted. I do think it'd be completely fair to have his grandnephews show up in his Smash attacks.
• Oswald the Lucky Rabbit - Look, either you add Oswald or you deal with fans begging for you to add Oswald for years and years. Luckily, I like Oswald. So he's being added to the thought dump roster. While basing him off his epic mickey appearances is tempting, I'd rather have him act as a tribute to his original toons. A Mr. Game and Watch for his shorts, complete with a black and white filter on his base look. I'd still reference Epic Mickey subtlely when I can, namely I'd cast Frank Welker to reprise his role instead of whoever they got for disney speedstorm.

So there you have it! Not anything too surprising, but I like what I've presented. In terms of missing characters, Daisy is obviously the biggest name not here. Sorry for that. Considered making her a semi-clone of Donald, but I just can't visualize it in my head. I would've loved to include Clarabelle Cow, Mad Doctor, or Phantom Blot, but either I can't visualize them well enough or they conflict with a character I'd prefer to add over them.

Peach
Bowser
Daisy
Piranha Plant
Yoshi
Donkey Kong
Wario
Toon Link
Zelda
Young Link
Sheik
Kirby
Meta Knight
Pokémon Trainer
Mewtwo
Jigglypuff
Lucario
Samus
Ridley
Roy
Ike
Chrom
Fox
Falco
Wolf
Inkling
Villager
Captain Falcon
Wii Fit Trainer
Ness
R.O.B.
Min-Min
Pyra/Mythra
Snake
Ryu
Mega Man
Terry
Joker
Cloud