Official Challenger Pack 11 Reaction Thread

[Alicorn]

I was on one of the Smash Discords and one person said the Final DLC trailer played out like Lifelight. That the song hinted at Sora and it flowed like water into the final reveal.

 

[Z25]

This is hilarious:

pic.twitter.com/b2ozB6awBB

— Mom (@mommilph) October 5, 2021

 

[Firox]

Side note: Did anyone think it was gonna be a Dark Souls ***** for a minute there? Cause I did.

I know Ndukauba is gonna flip cause Sora was his most wanted character.

Yup. Totally thought that fire at the beginning would be a bonfire for the Ashen One.

 

[Willbuysmash4mw]

You know what Smash used to be, not what it is. Get over yourself.

This is a waste of time. If you wish to wallow in your ego, so be it.

You just tied yourself in knots.

The original claim I responded to was that Smash was not just a marketing machine and I had not played Smash or I would know this, but my post about Smash 64 clearly shows I have and I understand the original intent of Smash very well while most of you are the ones who purely think it is a marketing machine because a lot of you are not even old enough to have owned a N64.

If Smash is just a marketing machine with little to no value as a game itself then I am right to want Nahobino in Smash to take advantage of that and it WOULD make a difference for SMT V sales.

 

[TeenGirlSquad]

Oh, I completely forgot about Geno… yeah, his chances have gone from squat in this game to jack squat for pretty much the whole series.

Not really. After Ridley, K. Rool, and Banjo got into the same game, it's clear that anyone who is highly requested by the fans can get in. Sora must have been a logistical nightmare but it's clear that the ballot actually held significant weight with Sakurai's decision-making and Nintendo's priorities, so they got him in. And at first, the fact that we got four Square Enix characters and none of them were Geno may seem like a huge blow, but it just goes to show that SE is not nearly as "stingy" as it was always thought. As long as fan demand remains high, he will always have a chance.

 

[subterrestrial]

today I learned meme magic is real & thoughts actually manifest reality

the universe is inherently probabilistic, malleable, and only collapses into a set structure when viewed

 

[Tree Gelbman]

Holy **** I just realized the little kid from the Sixth Sense is now a voice actor in Smash Brothers.

Wild. Nutty. Truly.

 

[Dan Quixote]

Holy **** I just realized the little kid from the Sixth Sense is now a voice actor in Smash Brothers.

Wild. Nutty. Truly.

"I see KOed people"
- Sora about to personally drag me to the blast zone using Sonic Blade

 

[ryuryunonoroi]

I will confess, I had largely written off Sora specifically because of Disney being notoriously strict with their IPs and licensing combined with Square Enix IPs and their rights being a jumbled mess in general. Nintendo goes to great lengths to avoid enmeshment via contracts as well. Trying to visualize how the dynamics of that triangle would play out left me doubting. But four years (2015-2019) is plenty of time to get things ironed out in a way that all parties can come to an agreement.

Considering how many naysayers brought up how expensive it would be to bring in content from Square Enix AND Mircosoft AND Disney now, among others, it makes me wonder exactly how these licensing agreements might be structured specifically for Smash. I'm assuming at this point that the biggest benefit being given to the third parties, aside from obvious exposure for their IPs and thus paying customers, would be royalties they get for each pass sale.

I'm one of the few who doesn't subscribe to the belief that a roster like Ultimate's couldn't happen again, or even that all the characters couldn't return for the next game. Though the manner in which they could all come together may change. We may end up having to live with Day 1 DLC packs for most third party characters down the line, even for returning ones, unfortunately, as that to me is the most realistic way Smash can move forward without falling off this peak, at least in terms of character representation.

I will say it's quite humorous there was a bit of a debate whether or not the Mickey keychain on the keyblade would've been an issue, when it's litterally like the only direct reference to Disney included with Sora

I'd assume that how the Mickey Mouse logo can be depicted isn't anywhere near as much of a minefield as the Disney characters themselves which come with all sorts of caveats in how they can be used.

Only thing that makes me angry is locking the extra music track behind buying a separate game. Considering this is already paid DLC, it's definitely something that's in a weird position but also not really considering Disney. Hopefully it'll be made available for free down the line or that the free Demo version on the eShop will work to unlock it.

Disney wants to make money so that kind of quid pro quo behavior isn't the least bit surprising. Between that, the Cloud KH plug and Sora being a DLC character it's probably the best way they could have handled things without (at least I hope) ending up enmeshing themselves with Disney in a potentially dangerous way through contract shenanigans.

 

[Shroob]

I do think the extra music track will be buyable later tbh.


Remember, there was that AUS E-shop leak which had an extra spot. It could have 100% been a clerical error, but I could also see it being a sorta "Oh, you don't wanna spend 60$? Pay us like 2-5 bucks instead."


Sorta like how promo-spirits work. I don't think it'll be available at the start, but be made for purchase at a later date.

 

[GilTheGreat19]

It's an honor for us and our friends at @RareLtd, @Minecraft, and @Bethesda to be part of one of the biggest video game collaborations of all time #ThankYouSakurai

— Xbox (@Xbox) October 5, 2021

Wholesome 100

 

[Momotsuki]

Y'know, Sora's "color" just being white is kind of... fitting? Like, making him stand out even more as the final character.
Funny how easily I was won over despite having not liked Sora or KH very much prior. I can't argue with the ballot pick. I just can't.

 

[MarioRaccoon]

Amazing ending with a the most requested character ever.

It makes sense to end with a popular pick as it would give a last push to ultimate sales this holiday.

Now add Master Chief, Resident Evil Rep, Crash and Lara Croft lol. I already made my document design for Smash Ultimate DX, aiming for early 2024 release., in time for smash 25 anniversary.

 

[subterrestrial]

Amazing ending with a the most requested character ever.

It makes sense to end with a popular pick as it would give a last push to ultimate sales this holiday.

Now add Master Chief, Resident Evil Rep, Crash and Lara Croft lol. I already made my document design for Smash Ultimate DX, aiming for early 2024 release., in time for smash 25 anniversary.

N Nintendo hire this man

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

You just tied yourself in knots.

The original claim I responded to was that Smash was not just a marketing machine and I had not played Smash or I would know this, but my post about Smash 64 clearly shows I have and I understand the original intent of Smash very well while most of you are the ones who purely think it is a marketing machine because a lot of you are not even old enough to have owned a N64.

If Smash is just a marketing machine with little to no value as a game itself then I am right to want Nahobino in Smash to take advantage of that and it WOULD make a difference for SMT V sales.

This is elitism at its finest. Regardless if you started on Smash 64 (as we both have) or if Ultimate was your first Smash; it doesn’t matter. That doesn’t justify ones opinion being right over the other. Smash has evolved and redefined itself over its entire history and its equal parts “love letter to fans” as well as a marketing machine. That can’t be denied. Ones interpretations of what Smash is doesn’t trump what another’s is. The interpretations and viewpoints from someone who just got into Smash compared someone who is leftover from the 64 days is of equal value.

Smash isn’t always going to be just the way you like it and that’s the beauty of the series. It appeals to a large audience.

 

[Momotsuki]

So maybe I'm misinterpreting willbuy here, but the argument I'm hearing is that the final fighter should have been a shill pick... not because their most wanted was a shill pick, but because... a shill pick would have been... good simply because it was a shill.
Uh... where am I?

 

[Shroob]

So maybe I'm misinterpreting willbuy here, but the argument I'm hearing is that the final fighter should have been a shill pick... not because their most wanted was a shill pick, but because... a shill pick would have been... good simply because it was a shill.
Uh... where am I?

Pretty sure hell last I checked.

 

[GilTheGreat19]

So wait
Is Square Enix technically the first 3rd party company to get 4 fighters?

 

[Jondolio]

So wait
Is Square Enix technically the first 3rd party company to get 4 fighters?

Legally speaking it still only has 3.

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Sora came along with the Disney trademark. I think it’s a “take it as you will” scenario.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

So wait
Is Square Enix technically the first 3rd party company to get 4 fighters?

Sora’s owned by Disney, but this is the third Nomura fighter at leadt

 

[Brother AJ]

I was sad to see no Donald or Goofy, but the Steamboat Willie skin is much appreciated. I feel like they did the best they could. I hope we can find out more about the negotiations in due time. Thank god the Mickey key chain wasn't an issue. Lol!

 

[Momotsuki]

Sephiroth didn't take all the CGI budget, showing the keychain for two seconds did.

 

[Vintage Creep]

So wait
Is Square Enix technically the first 3rd party company to get 4 fighters?

Yeah basically. Did not expect for Squeenix to go this deep and all in the DLC. Base roster looked like they went "OK we're not going to be assholes and remove Cloud when Smash 4 died mere months after he released for it so you can have it one more time" and then in the DLC they were like "You want all these other characters and music? Sure no prob", weird lol

 

[Nekoo]

Clearly from the way Sakurai talked about all of the parties needed for Sora, and Nomura's tweet throught the KH Twitter showing he did work on him too.
While Sora is legally bound to Disney.
Nomura/Square-Enix KH Team was there to help.
And add to this, the legal hoops of Disney Music for the KH OST.

Ya, it probably was a join work between Disney/Disney Music/Nomura/Square-Enix/Nintendo/Sora/Bandai Namco.

All to just get Sora.

 

[Dorayaki]

WHO SAID SEPHIROTH AND STEVE TOOK ALL THE BUDGET

Oh that's not quite the point.
If you don't agree with them, you can just ask NIntendo to choose Sora and a different fighter in the pass.

 

[AinsOoalGown]

Wow, sudden ballot revelations.

My bet is that the top three was something like Sora, Banjo and Snake, non-realizible at the time but had lots of support back them

 

[Z25]

Clearly from the way Sakurai talked about all of the parties needed for Sora, and Nomura's tweet throught the KH Twitter showing he did work on him too.
While Sora is legally bound to Disney.
Nomura/Square-Enix KH Team was there to help.
And add to this, the legal hoops of Disney Music for the KH OST.

Ya, it probably was a join work between Disney/Disney Music/Nomura/Square-Enix/Nintendo/Sora/Bandai Namco.

All to just get Sora.

And it’s all because of this:

phoenix wright isnt in smash because he got sora into smash. he was his lawyer

— hunter // 6.45 Spoilers (@yeehowdypardner) October 5, 2021

 

[Kokiden]

Top 5 in one region.

It was clear she was not the winner, Nintendo had very crafty language.

How is it crafty?

They literally said she was chosen because she was the "realisable" character.

I feel like so many people act like Nintendo said she won in a landslide or something.

 

[subterrestrial]

bayo wasn’t even top 100 most ballot votes

 

[Tree Gelbman]

Honestly the Bayo hate train coming back because now she wasn't THE Ballot winner is so exhausting and tiring.

They didn't lie to anyone and say she won it. They just said that she had done well in many countries and was the easiest to achieve at the time.

But a lot of people wanna get fresh about her being in Smash again. Aren't ya'll bored? She's in the game and prominently a Nintendo character now who is big enough to end Directs now. Grow up.

 

[Kokiden]

Point is, people need to stop acting like Nintendo claimed she smashed the polls in all regions or came 1st.

They put among realisable fighters for a reason.

I'm happy Sora got in since it's a great way to end the DLC and Smash, but seeing so many people bring up Bayo and how she stole a spot or something is getting tiring.

 

[Dukefire]

Well, I haven't played Kingdom Hearts main series. Here is a music that is fitting with Sora's arrival

 

[Wonder Smash]

So wait
Is Square Enix technically the first 3rd party company to get 4 fighters?

Nope. Sora is a Disney character.

 

[GilTheGreat19]

"Light will guide you on your way to the ultimate fight"#ThankYouSakurai #SuperSmashBrosUltimate #Sora #Nintendo #fanart #NintendoSwitch #SmashBros #art #ArtistOnTwitter pic.twitter.com/pCutxDLtae

— ✨️ Aldafera (@Aldafera_art) October 5, 2021

Fp2 fan art time

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

They still used her music beautifully in his reveal trailer. I've NEVER teared up at a video game trailer until today.

I’ve gone back and watched the trailer and I agree. It was extremely touching and endearing. Very few franchises could evoke such emotion as KH can - not because it’s a series everyone loves to death but because that’s the type of atmosphere…feeling it creates within its own mythos.

 

[rychu_supadude]

People think Bayonetta "didn't really win" because hardcore speculators didn't think she had a chance and didn't put her in some of the fan polls

Meanwhile her actual fans just voted for her in the ballot anyway because why give up on a dream?

Just look at how Heavy Weapons Guy gets very little discussion yet keeps topping polls, people live in an internet of bubbles

 

[Willbuysmash4mw]

One thing I think is genuinely good about Sora’s reveal and inclusion is that the fact that pretty much all of the reaction videos are basically real and not for clicks and are actually entertaining.

Even though I didn’t want Sora I was surprised and kind of freaking out when I saw that keychain in a good way, and at least for a few moments I was a Kingdom Hearts fan again.

 

[Tree Gelbman]

Honestly I think the thing about Sora that really really got to me and his trailer is that it almost felt like Sakurai WAS saying goodbye. Like the series spark had ended and Mario opened the gateway to the future and Sora gave it light again. It felt like he was using this trailer to really send off all his hard work on the series and give one last love letter to the fans.

I mean he's more than welcome to return for the inevitable next installment, but if the man does bow out here he really said goodbye in the best way without actually saying ''Goodbye."

 

[zumaddy]

I honestly think they still aren't being honest with us and the true Ballot winner was Goku, not Sora, and was immediately struck out as plausible, lol.

Anyways the Ultimate roster is still fantastic looking it over all, I'd say the only gripe I still have left is Zelda representation. Toon Link, seperating Zelda/Shiek and giving Ganondorf a sword is nice, but there's still not a brand new character since Melee.