Character Discussion Thread

[Deleted member]

Not really?

This logic only works if you're saying unknown, literally means unknown, but there are people in the general audience who have heard of both.

I'm not speaking in absolutes.

Then you're not agreeing with what I'm saying.
And looking at it now, now I don't agree with what I'm saying, since there's more than just "well known" and "unknown".

Now I'm going to revisit my previous statement of neither being "well known" to the general public and nix the "unknown" aspect of my logic.
So instead of being "well known vs. unknown" it's "well known vs. not well known vs. more well known". You're still not agreeing with what I'm saying.
I'm saying neither were well known. You're saying one is more well known than the other. It's impossible to be well known and not well known at the same time.

 

[Lilfut]

Who's MorbidAltruism?

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Then you're not agreeing with what I'm saying.
And looking at it now, now I don't agree with what I'm saying, since there's more than just "well known" and "unknown"..

I lol'd.

It's impossible to be well known and not well known at the same time.

I'm not saying that they are well known.

Golden.

I'm not sure why this is hard.

I'm saying more people probably have heard of Isaac than Shulk (before Smash Bros inclusions which throws everything off). Neither are all that well known but my statement is more well known.

Essentially, take two cups.

Fill one til it's 1/4 full.

Fill one til it's 1/2 full.

Neither are full.

The 1/2 is more full than the other cup.

Does that make sense?

Who's MorbidAltruism?

A user who liked literally every post she read.

 

[JaidynReiman]

Here's my stance on the two big DLC characters in quesiton
Isaac: One of the most likely newcomers.
Pros: Unique kind of sword fighter with possible stat-altering system like and being a "Magiknight" like in a more unique way, being particularly tied to Earth magic and the field spells.
Was popular enough to become an Assist Trophy to represent his series
Music from his series is still present
AT is currently MIA, may have left the door open.
Cons: Didn't appear in the latest game.
Latest game was a bit worse than the first two.
Series hasn't really made an impact since Brawl.

: Not gonna happen.
Pros: Is a veteran
Tied to Ocarina and Majora's Mask
Cons: Replaced in purpose, general stats, and functionality by .
Has only a taunt difference from as far as I remember.
Just like , was considered too unimportant to bring back even by the Project M community as of yet.

The bolded part:

Completely wrong. Isaac DID appear in the latest game. In fact, he's one of the few playable characters from the first two games to appear in the latest game. He was a guest character at the beginning, and appears a couple times later in the story. He even appears in the ending of the game. He's not PLAYABLE in the game, but he is an CPU-controlled party character at the start. And in all honesty, Matthew is just a carbon-copy clone of Isaac, anyway.

I've been doing this for a very very long time. But speaking of MorbidAltruism where has he gone off to?

Morbid's been around a bit here and there, but doesn't post often anymore.

It was directed at a lot of people.

I just see a lot of people getting their hopes up lately, and putting too much stock into characters who probably won't make the cut. A lot of the logic people use to convince themselves characters are likely is inherently flawed, and they're just setting themselves up for disappointment.

Believe me, I'm doing my absolute best not to get my hopes up. The thing is, Isaac is legitimately the only potential newcomer who looks like he's got really good chances at this point.

 

[Kenith]

Believe me, I'm doing my absolute best not to get my hopes up. The thing is, Isaac is legitimately the only potential newcomer who looks like he's got really good chances at this point.

Dixie Kong \ King K Rool?

 

[JaidynReiman]

Dixie Kong \ King K Rool?

Nothing points at one or the other. Neither had actual roles in past Smash games (beyond a mere trophy). Isaac is a very popular Assist Trophy, the second-most wanted Brawl AT promotion. Golden Sun does have more representation in this game with a music track from Dark Dawn now, despite it not being "important" enough to be represented in Smash. So why is Isaac still missing?


The thing with K. Rool and Dixie is, its (most likely) one or the other. Neither one looks that much more likely than the other. I'd say K. Rool is a bit more likely than Dixie due to his popularity, but Isaac has more things going for him in the game itself: having a role in the prior game that was cut, even though GS is getting more representation. That says a lot right there.


I want to believe we'll get K. Rool and Dixie as well. Isaac is just in a REALLY weird and odd spot right now, and I like it. But I definitely am not saying "OMG he's guaranteed DLC!"

 

[vaanrose]

Believe me, I'm doing my absolute best not to get my hopes up. The thing is, Isaac is legitimately the only potential newcomer who looks like he's got really good chances at this point.

Isaac is not the only assist trophy to have been cut. Jill is gone, Barbara is gone, the Excite Bikes are gone (and this last one is a character we know Sakurai actually considered before, too). If Isaac was the only trophy to be cut, then yes, I'd consider this a point in his favor. As he is not, I don't.

For whatever reason, several Assists got cut.

Golden Sun has a new song. But so do lots of unrepped franchises, including Captain Rainbow, Wonderful 101, Soma Bringer, among many more. If Golden Sun was the only unrepped franchise to get new music, sure, maybe this would mean something. But it isn't, and it doesn't.

For obvious reasons, lots of Nintendo's best music is getting in.

It's all confirmation bias.

Lucas got cut, and many people think it's because his franchise has no future. Sakurai tried to justify Ice Climbers being cut because their franchise has no future. Golden Sun... has no future.

Isaac is among the list of popular choices that I legitimately believe has no chance at all.

 

[Deleted member]

I lol'd.


I'm not saying that they are well known.

Golden.

I'm not sure why this is hard.

I'm saying more people probably have heard of Isaac than Shulk (before Smash Bros inclusions which throws everything off). Neither are all that well known but my statement is more well known.

Essentially, take two cups.

Fill one til it's 1/4 full.

Fill one til it's 1/2 full.

Neither are full.

The 1/2 is more full than the other cup.

Does that make sense?

It seems I wasn't aware that "more well-known" is a legitimate comparative form that means the same as "more known" (had to look it up since this is actually the first time I've seen it used as such; I've seen "better-known", but never "more well-known").

I get what you're saying now. In that case, I agree. Though I will add that the "edge" Isaac had in being better-known among the general public prior to Smash is rather miniscule.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

I Golden Sun... has no future.

That's a bit much, isn't it?

 

[vaanrose]

That's a bit much, isn't it?

It's been four years and to the best of my knowledge there's nothing in the pipeline.

Here, I'll rephrase.

Golden Sun has no foreseeable future.

 

[Deleted member]

That's a bit much, isn't it?

Agreed.
While I agree with vaanrose's main point, I wouldn't say that Golden Sun has no future.
Mother? Yes, since the creator even said the series was finished.
Ice Climber? Most likely, considering there has been nothing for the franchise since the original game before and after their Smash debut. (Seriously. It's been almost 13 years since Melee and not once has there have been even talks of a new Ice Climber.)

But Golden Sun? A little too early to tell. The last game, while not nearly in as high regards as the previous titles, was just released 4 years ago and the producer of the franchise stated in 2012 that a 4th game is possible if there is enough demand for it.
One could make a better case for F-Zero having no future at this point in time than Golden Sun.

It's been four years and to the best of my knowledge there's nothing in the pipeline.
Here, I'll rephrase.
Golden Sun has no foreseeable future.

It was 7 years before a 3rd game came to light, and the producer said that if a 4th game would be decided on, it would take quite a bit of time to work on the story before actually making the game.
Let's not get too hasty.

 

[vaanrose]

Agreed.
While I agree with vaanrose's main point, I wouldn't say that Golden Sun has no future.
Mother? Yes, since the creator even said the series was finished.
Ice Climber? Most likely, considering there has been nothing for the franchise since the original game before and after their Smash debut. (Seriously. It's been almost 13 years since Melee and not once has there have been even talks of a new Ice Climber.)

But Golden Sun? A little too early to tell. The last game, while not nearly in as high regards as the previous titles, was just released 4 years ago and the producer of the franchise stated in 2012 that a 4th game is possible if there is enough demand for it.
One could make a better case for F-Zero having no future at this point in time than Golden Sun.

The point wasn't to say Golden Sun is a dead franchise.

It was just to say that Sakurai has clearly shown that franchises that aren't "current" aren't in the best position to get characters. You either have to be from an healthy, ongoing franchise (and even that doesn't always help *cough*DixieKong*cough*) or be from a franchise that's so dead that being dead is basically the reason you're getting in at all, like Duck Hunt. Little Mac's really the only outlier here, but his last game was at least more well-received than the last Golden Sun, and before that game he fell into the retro category anyway.

 

[Deleted member]

The point wasn't to say Golden Sun is a dead franchise.

It was just to say that Sakurai has clearly shown that franchises that aren't "current" aren't in the best position to get characters. You either have to be from an healthy, ongoing franchise (and even that doesn't always help *cough*DixieKong*cough*) or be from a franchise that's so dead that being dead is basically the reason you're getting in at all, like Duck Hunt. Little Mac's really the only outlier here, but his last game was at least more well-received than the last Golden Sun, and before that game he fell into the retro category anyway.

I know. That's why I said I agreed with your main point.
I was just saying I don't agree with the concept of Golden Sun having "no future".

 

[Swamp Sensei]

The point wasn't to say Golden Sun is a dead franchise.

It was just to say that Sakurai has clearly shown that franchises that aren't "current" aren't in the best position to get characters. You either have to be from an healthy, ongoing franchise (and even that doesn't always help *cough*DixieKong*cough*) or be from a franchise that's so dead that being dead is basically the reason you're getting in at all, like Duck Hunt. Little Mac's really the only outlier here, but his last game was at least more well-received than the last Golden Sun, and before that game he fell into the retro category anyway.

What if Little Mac isn't the outlier?

Perhaps all Sakurai sees as a "healthy" series is just a title after Brawl.

It's the only way grouping the newcomers together makes sense.

I'd much rather see Little Mac as part of the rule, not an exception.


Which of course means that Golden Sun could be considered healthy but that's not the main point...

 

[Kenith]

All I know is that judging from the standards we have seen so far, I think at least one, if not both Donkey Kong newcomers are going to happen. If our collective ******** brought us Mewtwo as DLC I'm inclined to believe that one of the two most requested characters, who happen to be from the same series that is also really big for Nintendo, is not a stretch. Now, before you say, "but that didn't get them in the initial game" that logic didn't help Mewtwo either but now he's back. It's clear all of the DLC characters are going to be big hitters, and if Assist Trophies are seriously out of the question, then there aren't many of those left at all.

 

[JaidynReiman]

All I know is that judging from the standards we have seen so far, I think at least one, if not both Donkey Kong newcomers are going to happen. If our collective *****ing brought us Mewtwo as DLC I'm inclined to believe that one of the two most requested characters, who happen to be from the same series that is also really big for Nintendo, is not a stretch. Now, before you say, "but that didn't get them in the initial game" that logic didn't help Mewtwo either but now he's back. It's clear all of the DLC characters are going to be big hitters, and if Assist Trophies are seriously out of the question, then there aren't many of those left at all.

I agree somewhat... I think there's a pretty decent chance of getting both Dixie and K. Rool. K. Rool is the most iconic Nintendo character not playable in Smash, and Dixie is probably the third (after Ridley) but the second who actually has a chance of being DLC. I think its POSSIBLE that they wanted to do both, couldn't finish both, so they were both delayed so they'd be ready at the same time. Its a possibility.

Another possibility is they wanted to promote an upcoming unannounced DK game. I'm not sure exactly. I definitely think the two of them have a pretty good chance of both getting in, though naturally one is more likely.

 

[Andinus]

The point wasn't to say Golden Sun is a dead franchise.

I don't really think "dead" is the appropriate term in most cases, we should probably say "dormant". Unless of course it's been like 20 years since the last installment, then I suppose dead is the better term.

 

[True Blue Warrior]

Agreed.
While I agree with vaanrose's main point, I wouldn't say that Golden Sun has no future.
Mother? Yes, since the creator even said the series was finished.
Ice Climber? Most likely, considering there has been nothing for the franchise since the original game before and after their Smash debut. (Seriously. It's been almost 13 years since Melee and not once has there have been even talks of a new Ice Climber.)

But Golden Sun? A little too early to tell. The last game, while not nearly in as high regards as the previous titles, was just released 4 years ago and the producer of the franchise stated in 2012 that a 4th game is possible if there is enough demand for it.
One could make a better case for F-Zero having no future at this point in time than Golden Sun.


It was 7 years before a 3rd game came to light, and the producer said that if a 4th game would be decided on, it would take quite a bit of time to work on the story before actually making the game.
Let's not get too hasty.

This is exactly my argument, but nope, everyone all like "LOL, Golden Sun is a dead franchise 'cos one unsuccessful game means they'll never want to make a new game for sure. No ifs and no buts". Freaking knee-jerk reactions.

 

[JaidynReiman]

This is exactly my argument, but nope, everyone all like "LOL, Golden Sun is a dead franchise 'cos one unsuccessful game means they'll never want to make a new game for sure. No ifs and no buts". Freaking knee-jerk reactions.

Which is funny, because the game wasn't "unsuccessful." It just wasn't as good as the first two.

 

[Jason the Yoshi]

This may seem silly, but uh, does anyone else feel like there's gonna be DLC alternate costumes for some of the characters?

 

[JaidynReiman]

This may seem silly, but uh, does anyone else feel like there's gonna be DLC alternate costumes for some of the characters?

I think its possible. I don't think there's GOING to be, but I think its a possibility.

 

[Burruni]

Completely wrong. Isaac DID appear in the latest game. In fact, he's one of the few playable characters from the first two games to appear in the latest game. He was a guest character at the beginning, and appears a couple times later in the story. He even appears in the ending of the game. He's not PLAYABLE in the game, but he is an CPU-controlled party character at the start. And in all honesty, Matthew is just a carbon-copy clone of Isaac, anyway.

My bad. I've never actually gotten my hands on a copy of Dark Dawn. What I heard through the grapevine was that it starred namely the children of the first generation of the heroes similar to the latter cast of Fire Emblem 4 or 13.

Edit: Before someone corrects me, I know there are heroes not directly tied to the first generation, such as Sveta. I am saying that my knowledge of the characters and the game in general is limited due to not owning it.

 

[SmashChu]

On Golden Sun: I think it's safe to say the series is dead. The last game came out like 4 years or so ago and we haven't heard anything of it since. It didn't sell well, review scores were poor and most people didn't care for it. The game ended on a big cliffhanger so another one should have come out by now. Issac is a character who's chances were overstated this time. It's more of a hold out from the Brawl days and I think some of the youngerster who are coming up in Smash today won't know why the old timers want Issac. Golden Sun came out in 2001, about 13 years ago. If we say the average Smash player today is 16-20, then they would have been 3-7 when the games came out. They may not know why it was awesome. I will suggest that if you've never played the first two Golden Sun games, get an emulator and go play them.

On another note, it looks like they are going to keep patching the game with a balance patch coming out. It seems that Sakurai and his team are more dedicated to post release content. We already know of some stuff being added after release but there is a patch to drop sometime this month as well. So I don't think it's Mewtwo and done, but there seems like there will be more. Mewtwo may be important because he's a promotion for buying both games. They may announce more content in spring as part of a direct.

As for character, I don't expect them to do too many, and that's fine. The roster is very big, it just has some other issues like series diversity and the lack of veterans. I think fixing that can be done with, say, 6 characters. Bringing back Mewtwo plus Lucas, Wolf and Ice Climbers will work the best and will be the easiest since these characters were all in Brawl. For additions, Vaanrose has the right idea. I think a Rhythm Heaven character and Dixie Kong will be the best. There aren't a lot of other characters who would feel like they should be in. Well, besides Ridley, but we all know how that will go. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if they do this like Mario Kart 8 and make packs. It will encourage people to buy more. Some people may not want to shell out money for a veteran or Dixie and Chorus Kinds (unless they are very unique). Just my thoughts.

 

[BluePikmin11]

That's a bit much, isn't it?

Kid Icarus fans get those kinds of comments all the time, yet many people think GS has a future and KI doesn't. :U

 

[True Blue Warrior]

Kid Icarus fans get those kinds of comments all the time, yet many people think GS has a future and KI doesn't. :U

The series director for GS never made an official statement that he had no plans to make another GS game, which is more than can be said for KI. In contrast, despite being a financial failure, Kamiya still shown interest in making another 101 game.

Sales isn't everything, you know.

I will suggest that if you've never played the first two Golden Sun games, get an emulator and go play them.

They are also available on Wii U VC so you can buy them from there.

 

[BluePikmin11]

It just means Sakurai isn't working on a sequel for the KI series, it's not dead, it's just waiting for another developer to take interest to keep the franchise going strong.

 

[Burruni]

It just means Sakurai isn't working on a sequel for the KI series, it's not dead, it's just waiting for another developer to take interest to keep the franchise going strong.

Just like Mother.

A series that hasn't had a game in 4 years with a cliffhanger, good to great quality throughout, and a leader that hasn't said that he DOESN'T want to make a sequel seems stronger than one which needs a new developer to take the lead and follow someone's footsteps.

Edit: ...In my opinion.

 

[JaidynReiman]

On Golden Sun: I think it's safe to say the series is dead. The last game came out like 4 years or so ago and we haven't heard anything of it since. It didn't sell well, review scores were poor and most people didn't care for it. The game ended on a big cliffhanger so another one should have come out by now. Issac is a character who's chances were overstated this time. It's more of a hold out from the Brawl days and I think some of the youngerster who are coming up in Smash today won't know why the old timers want Issac. Golden Sun came out in 2001, about 13 years ago. If we say the average Smash player today is 16-20, then they would have been 3-7 when the games came out. They may not know why it was awesome. I will suggest that if you've never played the first two Golden Sun games, get an emulator and go play them.

On another note, it looks like they are going to keep patching the game with a balance patch coming out. It seems that Sakurai and his team are more dedicated to post release content. We already know of some stuff being added after release but there is a patch to drop sometime this month as well. So I don't think it's Mewtwo and done, but there seems like there will be more. Mewtwo may be important because he's a promotion for buying both games. They may announce more content in spring as part of a direct.

As for character, I don't expect them to do too many, and that's fine. The roster is very big, it just has some other issues like series diversity and the lack of veterans. I think fixing that can be done with, say, 6 characters. Bringing back Mewtwo plus Lucas, Wolf and Ice Climbers will work the best and will be the easiest since these characters were all in Brawl. For additions, Vaanrose has the right idea. I think a Rhythm Heaven character and Dixie Kong will be the best. There aren't a lot of other characters who would feel like they should be in. Well, besides Ridley, but we all know how that will go. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if they do this like Mario Kart 8 and make packs. It will encourage people to buy more. Some people may not want to shell out money for a veteran or Dixie and Chorus Kinds (unless they are very unique). Just my thoughts.

So misinformed, as per usual.


The game got glowing critical reviews, 79-80% on both GameRankings and Metacritic.

http://www.gamerankings.com/ds/960545-golden-sun-dark-dawn/index.html
http://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/golden-sun-dark-dawn


The main complaints about the game is that it wasn't as good as the original two. Please stop repeating the same narrative and just do the research.


Yes, you are correct that it did not sell very well in Japan, where it didn't top 100k in two years. Outside of Japan we never got actual sales numbers, just that it debuted at #23 in Europe.

 

[BluePikmin11]

That's Itoi's franchise though, and he said himself that his franchise is already done.

 

[True Blue Warrior]

That's Itoi's franchise though, and he said himself that his franchise is already done.

Sakurai is the only reason that KI even got a revival in the first place, though.

 

[BluePikmin11]

Which probably created interest for other Nintendo developers to continue the franchise with new installments.
The fact is, KI is not a dead franchise yet, like Golden Sun, unless Nintendo themselves decided to tell everyone that no one can use the KI IP ever again.

 

[False Sense]

Can we really say that a series that hasn't received a new game in only four years is "dead?" By that definition, wasn't the Star Fox series "dead" until Star Fox 64 3D?

 

[Burruni]

Can we really say that a series that hasn't received a new game in only four years is "dead?" By that definition, wasn't the Star Fox series "dead" until Star Fox 64 3D?

In terms of Smash-represented series, the only ones that can be considered dead are the explicit Retro characters (unless we get a new Ice Climbers game sometime soon), Mother because Itoi has said he's done with the series and I'm not sure who is going to step up to the plate on that since the GBA, and one could argue F-Zero because it hasn't been seen since early Gamecube era, Mario Kart has taken the more important place as a Racing IP, and even as DLC Captain Falcon is in Mario Kart 8 in every way WITHOUT being a character you can race as (it being in Nintendoland is as credible as bringing back Takamaru's castle or Mr. Game & Watch as a series).

Metroid just hasn't seen a game recently (probably trying to figure out WHAT kind of gameplay style to go with after the backlash of Other M) but has a clear predominance still. Kid Icarus... is a wildcard about developers still.

 

[JaidynReiman]

Can we really say that a series that hasn't received a new game in only four years is "dead?" By that definition, wasn't the Star Fox series "dead" until Star Fox 64 3D?

I wouldn't say that about any series, even one I don't really care for. F-Zero is closer to being dead than GS. GS MAY be dormant at this point, and it could end up dead if a new game isn't being worked on. But the thing is, we have no idea what Camelot is doing right now.

In terms of Smash-represented series, the only ones that can be considered dead are the explicit Retro characters (unless we get a new Ice Climbers game sometime soon), Mother because Itoi has said he's done with the series and I'm not sure who is going to step up to the plate on that since the GBA, and one could argue F-Zero because it hasn't been seen since early Gamecube era, Mario Kart has taken the more important place as a Racing IP, and even as DLC Captain Falcon is in the game in every way WITHOUT being a character you can race as (it being in Nintendoland is as credible as bringing back Takamaru's castle or Mr. Game & Watch as a series).

Metroid just hasn't seen a game recently (probably trying to figure out WHAT kind of gameplay style to go with after the backlash of Other M) but has a clear predominance still. Kid Icarus... is a wildcard about developers still.

Metroid is, honestly, in a similar boat to GS right now. After Super Metroid, it didn't have a game for about 10 years (which is the case with GS), both franchises last games weren't as good as the rest, with Dark Dawn getting good reviews and Other M... being given horribly bad reviews. The main difference is Metroid has a lot more games and has been around longer.

But, honestly, both franchises are in a very similar boat right now; no confirmed upcoming games, last game four years ago that wasn't very successful, both had a long delay between games. Naturally Metroid has a ton more games, though, and has been represented in Smash since 64.


Another thing with Camelot is they often don't talk about what they're doing for quite a while.


As far as Kid Icarus, I'd say its likely someone else will pick it up after Sakurai. Regardless, the only Nintendo franchise from the past ten years or so that absolutely IS dead is Mother, because the developer specifically stated the series will not continue. Beyond that its confusing whether or not a franchise will come back.

Kid Icarus was dead for 20 years and it came back, as well.

 

[False Sense]

In terms of Smash-represented series, the only ones that can be considered dead are the explicit Retro characters (unless we get a new Ice Climbers game sometime soon)

The thing is, if there's even a remote possibility of the series getting a new game in the future, then can the series be called "dead?" I would think "dead" would be more proper for a series like Mother, where they explicitly said they were done with it. If it's just inactive with no official word on it, there's always a possibility of future installments, and as long as that possibility exists, a series can't properly be called "dead," I think.

 

[PSIBoy]

The thing is, if there's even a remote possibility of the series getting a new game in the future, then can the series be called "dead?" I would think "dead" would be more proper for a series like Mother, where they explicitly said they were done with it. If it's just inactive with no official word on it, there's always a possibility of future installments, and as long as that possibility exists, a series can't properly be called "dead," I think.

Just like Mother.

A series that hasn't had a game in 4 years with a cliffhanger, good to great quality throughout, and a leader that hasn't said that he DOESN'T want to make a sequel seems stronger than one which needs a new developer to take the lead and follow someone's footsteps.

Edit: ...In my opinion.

Well, Mother as of right now is currently dead. But who knows? It could get revived. But 'dead' is kind of a loose term. Would that mean a series is dead when the current head says it's dead, or if it hasn't gotten a game in 5 years, a decade, maybe more? Or would that include all the above?

Edit: I would quote False Sense, but I can't figure out how to quote via editing. It was about the post of Star Fox 64 3D. With the logic that Star Fox was dead until it experienced a revival with that game, well wouldn't Mother have been revived with the release of Earthbound (Mother 2) on Wii U? Then again, that was on Virtual Console and the current head said the series was dead but... Couldn't there be a new head that would continue the series?

 

[JaidynReiman]

Well, Mother as of right now is currently dead. But who knows? It could get revived. But 'dead' is kind of a loose term. Would that mean a series is dead when the current head says it's dead, or if it hasn't gotten a game in 5 years, a decade, maybe more? Or would that include all the above?

Edit: I would quote False Sense, but I can't figure out how to quote via editing. It was about the post of Star Fox 64 3D. With the logic that Star Fox was dead until it experienced a revival with that game, well wouldn't Mother have been revived with the release of Earthbound (Mother 2) on Wii U? Then again, that was on Virtual Console and the current head said the series was dead but... Couldn't there be a new head that would continue the series?

I'd say that a franchise without a game in 4-5 years is still alive, it hasn't gotten a lot of attention recently, but could continue at any point. 6-10 years and the series is dormant, but could still come back. 15-20 years and the series is basically dead. Even a dead series can get revived, though, like with Kid Icarus.

 

[Kalimdori]

The only way you can consider a series dead if there is no chance of there being a sequel/remake/whatever. Otherwise it's just dormant.

I hate it when people try to call a franchise "dead"

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Kid Icarus fans get those kinds of comments all the time, yet many people think GS has a future and KI doesn't. :U

I never said that though. I'm convinced we'll get both eventually.

And I guess that since four years is all it takes to be dead, then Metroid and Punch Out!! are dead too.

Stop changing rules for series that aren't currently in smash.

 

[PSIBoy]

The only way you can consider a series dead if there is no chance of there being a sequel/remake/whatever. Otherwise it's just dormant.

I hate it when people try to call a franchise "dead"

True. All franchises have potential for a sequel if the company and heads are willing to invest in it. Even Duck Hunt has potential for a sequel, however unlikely.