Looking back at this image, which was seen as gospel at the time, makes me seethe. The definitive wording of "they cannot be removed and reintroduced" and "viable contenders list"; the treatment of Master Chief as impossible/irrational but Banjo as fine; the top of the list being worded in such a manner that it sounds factual without actually saying it is; the obvious narriative-pushing in the case of characters like Mona, Fi, Mallo, Fossil Fighter, and Monita, it's all just so manipulative... Smash hype culture has basically died as of late thanks to a lack of leaks and the slight homogeneity of the fighters passes, and frankly I think we're all better off for it, even if it has improved since the days of 3DS/Wii U
