Custom Robo's Holosseum Champion - Ray for Smash Switch!

[FunAtParties]

Rtc thread? What’s that?

Rate their chances

 

[GoodGrief741]

Rtc thread? What’s that?

Rate their Chances. It’s sort of a game/discussion thread where people give out chance and want scores for characters. You might have seen it pinned at the top of Newcomer Speculation.

Ray’s day is already over though. Today we’re rating... Thwomp.

 

[AceZTeller]

Oh snap, our time is now boys!

Even if the chance isn't high...smash that want score!




As our boy GG said above me, it defeats the purpose entirely of Custom Robo. But the questions how to make it work versus if it should happen, so...I suppose the simplest way to go about it, though, would be to:

- Remove Frame Variety. Everyone uses a single Frame type that can be customized cosemetically, but no state change. In essense, everyone would use the Ray-Variant of the game.w It might have a male/female option and some chassis parts for looks, but it would always operate the same.
- Remove leg customization.
- Reduce Weapon, Bomb, and Pod variety by a depressing amount.
- Remove or reduce hazards from stages. Limit stage variety. The goal is to take the opponent to Zero Health, therefore hazards and environmental imbalance intrude on this. (EX. For Glory map setting in Smash for normalized gameplay.)

We are left with a game that is not Custom Robo, in essence. That said, one could convert Custom Robo into a Splatoon-Style Third Person Shooter, with elimination and other game-type modes, and add more variety and intrigue for a competitive game there with its weapon choice with the introduction of direct aiming...but it takes away the last thing that made this hypothetical game Custom Robo: the original gameplay.

I think a decent solution would be introduce Robos that synergize well with set weapons (like funky big heads and acro bomb :////////) and make those defaults for a comp mode. That way you could have clear themes (Like a robo with freeze bombs/pods and the ability to maybe do more damage to a frozen foe, or the Wall bomb/pods with an emphasis on keeping walls around you). By doing this, you could introduce other characters with unique sets like a Samus robo or an Inkling robo.

As an addendum to that, there can be a classic CR mode that lets you use any part on any robo for old time fans.

edit: with this game style, I almost agree with getting rid of legs. You could just as easily implement legs effects in robo's abilities themselves.

 

[Rayleigh]

But, by doing this, you are forcing players into a set confine within a game that, at its core, is about customization and discovering a personal mixture of parts that you, as an individual, enjoy. The two concepts (set concepts vs. diversity in choice) are counter-intuitive.

Take, for example, the earlier mentioned standardization of play within Smash 4: For Fun and For Glory. The removal of items and stage variety (and hazards) is not detrimental to the gameplay of Smash Brothers and allows the game's spirit to remain true to what it is...but imagine if it chose to also bar characters from usage, so that only around a third of the roster was select-able? Extreme, yes, and it would be detrimental to the core of what Smash Bros is: taking your favorite character(s) and having them fight other characters,...but to then bar a majority of the playable roster from that because they prefer certain characters? At its core, Smash Bros is not a hyper-competitive game, but is still capable of supporting such a scene because it can reduce elements that conflict with such without sacrificing the games own spirit. (Unless we're talking about Brawl Meta Knight.)

This is not the case within the realm of Custom Robo, as you are taking upwards of seven hundred parts, resulting in hundreds of potential combinations and strategies, and reducing them to a small amount of total presets that you have no real control over. The spirit of the game is not kept intact as you are not following the principle of the game: 'Customizing your robo and doing battle with it'. With presets, you are not customizing your robo;, but rather you are selecting a 'character' to fight with; a robo who is not of your own customization and design.

Keeping traditional gameplay alongside this other mode is not the same as Smash For Fun vs. For Glory as the concept of a Custom Robo Comp vs. Traditional, in that For Fun and For Glory still feel like the same game; the removal of unbalanced-by-lack-of-prediction is not a detriment to the game. With Custom Robo, part variety alone (though, also, unbalanced parts in general are a problem too I.E. illegals) is a huge draw-in, and limiting such variety makes the experience conflict with the game itself.

That all said, a 'For Glory' Custom Robo (henceforth called Robo Glory for clarification purposes) is possible. While a notable choice for gameplay tactics, Frame picks (and the variations within) aren't inherently unbalanced, but there are gun options that are unbalanced. Bombs and pods, outside of illegals, are not as bad. By outlawing all illegal parts from Robo Glory, and working to make sure non-illegals are not excessively unbalanced (your mileage will vary here...because parts variety is king), you can have dis/advantageous matchups, but not a parts combination that is superior at all times. When it comes to map variety, making the only choices symmetrical non-hazard maps is key; you want players to have equal ground for fighting between the placement of cover (so that the opposite side has the same cover type and variety as yours) and overall size (not too small to prevent cornering and not too large to prevent timing out your opponent).

From there, the community can decide if certain guns and/or part combinations are too unbalanced for their tournaments. But, more importantly, these standardizations for Robo Glory do not impact the spirit of the game itself; you still get to select from a notable amount of parts, and the ones that are designed to be unbalanced cannot be used here.

------------------------------

So, Custom Robo is inherently about choice. eSports are inherently about player skill. These two things can and do go together, but balance is key: too much choice and skill goes down, too much skill and choice goes down. A Custom Robo-style game that is tailor-made for eSports will have to sacrifice Choice for Skill. Its the prime reason why I'm eying Synaptic Drive, and its supposed eSports orientation, with cautious intrigue. The gameplay footage we have seen feels like custom robo, but we haven't seen anything in the form of customization.

------------------------------

In other news...thinking back on it, I can't think of too many interesting songs from Custom Robo; they get the job done, but battle music does stick with me as much as the main map theme does.

 

[GoodGrief741]

But, by doing this, you are forcing players into a set confine within a game that, at its core, is about customization and discovering a personal mixture of parts that you, as an individual, enjoy. The two concepts (set concepts vs. diversity in choice) are counter-intuitive.

Take, for example, the earlier mentioned standardization of play within Smash 4: For Fun and For Glory. The removal of items and stage variety (and hazards) is not detrimental to the gameplay of Smash Brothers and allows the game's spirit to remain true to what it is...but imagine if it chose to also bar characters from usage, so that only around a third of the roster was select-able? Extreme, yes, and it would be detrimental to the core of what Smash Bros is: taking your favorite character(s) and having them fight other characters,...but to then bar a majority of the playable roster from that because they prefer certain characters? At its core, Smash Bros is not a hyper-competitive game, but is still capable of supporting such a scene because it can reduce elements that conflict with such without sacrificing the games own spirit. (Unless we're talking about Brawl Meta Knight.)

This is not the case within the realm of Custom Robo, as you are taking upwards of seven hundred parts, resulting in hundreds of potential combinations and strategies, and reducing them to a small amount of total presets that you have no real control over. The spirit of the game is not kept intact as you are not following the principle of the game: 'Customizing your robo and doing battle with it'. With presets, you are not customizing your robo;, but rather you are selecting a 'character' to fight with; a robo who is not of your own customization and design.

Keeping traditional gameplay alongside this other mode is not the same as Smash For Fun vs. For Glory as the concept of a Custom Robo Comp vs. Traditional, in that For Fun and For Glory still feel like the same game; the removal of unbalanced-by-lack-of-prediction is not a detriment to the game. With Custom Robo, part variety alone (though, also, unbalanced parts in general are a problem too I.E. illegals) is a huge draw-in, and limiting such variety makes the experience conflict with the game itself.

That all said, a 'For Glory' Custom Robo (henceforth called Robo Glory for clarification purposes) is possible. While a notable choice for gameplay tactics, Frame picks (and the variations within) aren't inherently unbalanced, but there are gun options that are unbalanced. Bombs and pods, outside of illegals, are not as bad. By outlawing all illegal parts from Robo Glory, and working to make sure non-illegals are not excessively unbalanced (your mileage will vary here...because parts variety is king), you can have dis/advantageous matchups, but not a parts combination that is superior at all times. When it comes to map variety, making the only choices symmetrical non-hazard maps is key; you want players to have equal ground for fighting between the placement of cover (so that the opposite side has the same cover type and variety as yours) and overall size (not too small to prevent cornering and not too large to prevent timing out your opponent).

From there, the community can decide if certain guns and/or part combinations are too unbalanced for their tournaments. But, more importantly, these standardizations for Robo Glory do not impact the spirit of the game itself; you still get to select from a notable amount of parts, and the ones that are designed to be unbalanced cannot be used here.

------------------------------

So, Custom Robo is inherently about choice. eSports are inherently about player skill. These two things can and do go together, but balance is key: too much choice and skill goes down, too much skill and choice goes down. A Custom Robo-style game that is tailor-made for eSports will have to sacrifice Choice for Skill. Its the prime reason why I'm eying Synaptic Drive, and its supposed eSports orientation, with cautious intrigue. The gameplay footage we have seen feels like custom robo, but we haven't seen anything in the form of customization.

------------------------------

In other news...thinking back on it, I can't think of too many interesting songs from Custom Robo; they get the job done, but battle music does stick with me as much as the main map theme does.

Personally, I think the removal of items and stage hazards goes completely against the spirit of Smash Bros.

Not that anybody asked my opinion, but there it is nonetheless.

(Then again, removing illegal parts from competition makes sense in-canon for Custom Robo, so I’m cool with that)

 

[FunAtParties]

Personally, I think the removal of items and stage hazards goes completely against the spirit of Smash Bros.

Not that anybody asked my opinion, but there it is nonetheless.

(Then again, removing illegal parts from competition makes sense in-canon for Custom Robo, so I’m cool with that)

No offense, but one thing I can't stand is the phrase "the spirit of Smash Bros.". Smash is given a ton of options for a reason.

 

[Rayleigh]

While I, personally, prefer the hazards and items of Smash (and have never touched For Glory because of it), their removal in the side-mode of For Glory smooths out the playing field and ensures that Competitive competitions are of pure skill and character match ups (unless you're Brawl Meta Knight or Bayonetta) without removing the core concept of what Smash Bros is. The items help give Smash its own identity, but if one were to be winning in a competitive match only to lose because the game drops an advantageous item near their opponent? It takes away that skill and effort.

Of course, not all games can work this way; Imagine Mario Kart without items. While, yes, it is possible...all you're left with is- I can't even imagine it, honestly; that beautiful chaos is integral to the Mario Kart games. I could never imagine a game like that streamlined for eSports; some games and concepts simply aren't meant for that type of playstyle.

 

[AceZTeller]

Well, it was just a suggestion! I still think it's possible, considering ARMS had a somewhat similar system of defaults vs customs.

 

[Q-Long]

AT LEAST GIVE ME A NEW GAME NINTENDO

 

[Rayleigh]

The prospects of a new Custom Robo game aren't out of the picture, I'd say, but there are a few hurdles to get over.

I think one of the main problems (outside of not having hyper-lucrative sales) is that the series hasn't done much that's 'new'. I've been scouring footage of all the Custom Robo games, and I can pinpoint recognizable maps from Battle Revolution that actually originated in Custom Robo and Custom Robo V2. From the looks of things, the only thing to really change was the story; going from simply 'collect and fight my friends and rivals!' to 'fighting Criminal gangs and/or saving the world!' at some point post-V2. New parts here and there, some of which surely changed in properties somewhat, but the core gameplay remains the same. They did add four-robo battles in Battle Revolution, from the looks of it, so that's appears to be the series' newest feature.

While remaining true to your identity is important, lack of innovations and proper additions causes stagnation. Of course, I can't really think of anything in particular that could be considered a solid addition versus 'reinventing the wheel'.

Thoughts?

 

[GoodGrief741]

The prospects of a new Custom Robo game aren't out of the picture, I'd say, but there are a few hurdles to get over.

I think one of the main problems (outside of not having hyper-lucrative sales) is that the series hasn't done much that's 'new'. I've been scouring footage of all the Custom Robo games, and I can pinpoint recognizable maps from Battle Revolution that actually originated in Custom Robo and Custom Robo V2. From the looks of things, the only thing to really change was the story; going from simply 'collect and fight my friends and rivals!' to 'fighting Criminal gangs and/or saving the world!' at some point post-V2. New parts here and there, some of which surely changed in properties somewhat, but the core gameplay remains the same. They did add four-robo battles in Battle Revolution, from the looks of it, so that's appears to be the series' newest feature.

While remaining true to your identity is important, lack of innovations and proper additions causes stagnation. Of course, I can't really think of anything in particular that could be considered a solid addition versus 'reinventing the wheel'.

Thoughts?

When a series has been dormant for years, you don’t have to change things up to justify your existence. Just having come back is novelty enough.

Then again, Nintendo doesn’t seem to understand that...

 

[Rayleigh]

I agree in that I do not think Custom Robo needs to re-imagine itself, but it does need to add something new and interesting outside of 'more parts' (which is still good, naturally). Attempting to alter what Custom Robo is would be a detriment to the series (hence the wonder of my 'anti-eSports focus' post), though this leads me to something I've been mediating for awhile. Lately, I've noticed that there is a problem that comes with age, be it in years or the point in which we are in.

Spoiler: I think too much please help.

For example? In the modern era, a series that has gone a longer period without innovation and change, be it in the form of new mechanics or spin-offs, has a harder time breaking out of that initial mold. People expect the same thing but 'More and Better', but the more part is in the form of 'More of the Same' versus anything inherently new. This is one of the reasons that the upcoming Fallout game is receiving criticism (among other reasons of varying amounts of validity that won't be talked about here).

Meanwhile, when Mario started branching out into other forms of gameplay (and the jump to 3D, mind), the reception was more oriented towards the positive. Mario Kart, Mario Party, 3D Mario, 2D Mario, Mario Sports (including the Olympics games). Meanwhile, when Metroid made the jump to the 3D plane, it had been around for awhile longer and was one of the harbingers of the concept people now call 'Metroidvania'. There was doubt and pull against Metroid Prime, taking the series from those roots and going into a First-Person Shooter world? But, thankfully, Retro Studios ensured that it still felt like a Metroid game.

Staying on the concept of Metroid, after the...err, concept that was Other M, the announcement of Metroid Prime: Federation Force received backlash for multiple things:

- Being the first game since Other M, thus causing a drought for Metroid fans.
- Being a Co-Operative Objective-Oriented Shooter.
- Minimal-to-no exploration.
- Not playing as Samus.
- Not looking good.

I, personally, am always willing to defend a game's concept...and, honestly? A Co-Op game set in the Metroid Universe isn't an inherently bad concept. Being able to explore that world from another's perspective is a good idea to instill variety into the games under the Metroid label...But I can understand why people would be upset based on what they were shown (and then what the game ended up being...not fun.). People wanted a 'Metroid Game', but by this they mean they wanted another 2D Metroidvania (also Prime 4...yay it's coming). Essentially, they wanted Super Metroid but bigger. There's nothing wrong with this, naturally, and I'd be just as upset if the first Mario game in ten years was 'Super Mario Sailboat Rally' even if the game in question was good and not Federation Force-Quality.

I mention all of this to tie back into the problem with Custom Robo: It has changed very little over the five games the series had. Each added more parts and some stages, but little was really changed. This makes each game in the series comfortably similar, and to try and change that after ten years...longer, if your last game was Battle Revolution...which seems to be true for quite a few people. Never got the chance to pick up Arena...couldn't seem to find it at the store, which had made me assume it was popular and profitable for Nintendo back then...I digress.

Attempting to change the series too much after all this time would upset the old fans who are used to their old comforts...and trying to think of anything that could invigorate the series? Probably of equal difficulty.

...On a side note more relevant to the series itself: Favorite Non-Ray chassis? I always liked the Strike Vanisher Models, mainly the Halberd.

 

[toonito]

i support ray for smash

 

[Rayleigh]

i support ray for smash

Welcome to the club, then!

By all means, stay awhile and listen to our insane rambling!

 

[AceZTeller]

Welcome to the club, then!

By all means, stay awhile and listen to our insane rambling!

Emphasis on insane.

Chickenheart is the best robo, you cannot change my mind

 

[Rayleigh]

Chickenheart is the best robo, you cannot change my mind

Yes, but that's like bringing the USS Missouri to a kid's pool party.

;^)

 

[Isaac4SmashUltimate]

I'm in! I support Ray (Any version) in SSBUltimate as a playable character. I played Custom Robo on the Gamecube and I really enjoyed it.

Also, I would like to see and hear Custom Robo Battle Revolution's Heaven theme in SSBUltimate. : D

 

[Rayleigh]

I'm in! I support Ray (Any version) in SSBUltimate as a playable character. I played Custom Robo on the Gamecube and I really enjoyed it.

Also, I would like to see and hear Custom Robo Battle Revolution's Heaven theme in SSBUltimate. : D

Golly Jee Wilikers, I completely forgot how catchy Heaven was! My brain always defaults to the map theme.

 

[AceZTeller]

Golly Jee Wilikers, I completely forgot how catchy Heaven was! My brain always defaults to the map theme.

Heaven is one of the best pieces of music in any Nintendo game.

 

[OptimisticStrifer]

This leak may bode well for Ray's DLC chance's if it's true.

 

[Rayleigh]

Don't really follow Leaks, myself, but hey- If it gets people's tongues waggling? That's good enough for us!

 

[RileyXY1]

This leak may bode well for Ray's DLC chance's if it's true.

Why?

 

[OptimisticStrifer]

Why?

There is a text post from 4chan that matches the banner roster exactly. It states that Ray, Monster Hunter and Dixie were cut. I would imagine that if they were cut; they'd be prime material for DLC as they are already partially worked on.

 

[RileyXY1]

There is a text post from 4chan that matches the banner roster exactly. It states that Ray, Monster Hunter and Dixie were cut. I would imagine that if they were cut; they'd be prime material for DLC as they are already partially worked on.

Neither the Ice Climbers or Heihachi Mishima were DLC in Smash 4 (although, the latter did receive a Mii Fighter costume).

 

[OptimisticStrifer]

Neither the Ice Climbers or Heihachi Mishima were DLC in Smash 4 (although, the latter did receive a Mii Fighter costume).

In general I think DLC will be handled differently; but that's a valid interpretation

 

[Rayleigh]

Mmm.

I went out and studied all the information concerning the leaks. An interesting prospect to be sure, though I'll be the first to pass the salt.

On the concept of Ice Climbers, they were cut for roster consistency between the 3DS and Wii U versions, and most mii costumes did not become fighters by account of these leaks and the actual evidence we have...nor do they need to be. I do believe that only two (Isabelle and King K Rool) have had that 'upgrade'.

----------------------

Back to Ray... I've been thinking them a Prime DLC pick from the beginnning, personally. Base Roster wasn't on my mind for most of the characters I'm interested in. But hey- Give us Heaven with 'em ad that'd be peachy.

 

[Gran-Rojo]

Neither the Ice Climbers or Heihachi Mishima were DLC in Smash 4 (although, the latter did receive a Mii Fighter costume).

Both Lucas and Mewtwo made it into Smash 4 as DLC despite being cut from the base roster, Ice Climbers eventually made it into Ultimate when limitations weren't an issue, and Chrom and Chorus Kids made it into Ultimate as well (if this leak is to be believed) and those two were leaked in the Gematsu leak. This new leak suggests that Dixie, Ray 01, and Monster Hunter were cut from the base roster, which may make them easy characters to finish for DLC like Lucas and Mewtwo.

If this leak is true, it would be the best thing that has happened to the Custom Robo franchise in a while considering all the bad news we've received so far.

 

[RileyXY1]

Both Lucas and Mewtwo made it into Smash 4 as DLC despite being cut from the base roster, Ice Climbers eventually made it into Ultimate when limitations weren't an issue, and Chrom and Chorus Kids made it into Ultimate as well (if this leak is to be believed) and those two were leaked in the Gematsu leak. This new leak suggests that Dixie, Ray 01, and Monster Hunter were cut from the base roster, which may make them easy characters to finish for DLC like Lucas and Mewtwo.

If this leak is true, it would be the best thing that has happened to the Custom Robo franchise in a while considering all the bad news we've received so far.

I don't think people will be interested in Ray because the series is so obscure that people actually thought that the trademark expired.

 

[Gran-Rojo]

I don't think people will be interested in Ray because the series is so obscure that people actually thought that the trademark expired.

Having Ray in smash would get people interested and potentially revive the series. Marth was obscure when he was first added in Melee but now he's a big Nintendo name worldwide.

The series is also much more popular in Japan as there are three games in the series that were never officially localized.

 

[RileyXY1]

Having Ray in smash would get people interested and potentially revive the series. Marth was obscure when he was first added in Melee but now he's a big Nintendo name worldwide.

The series is also much more popular in Japan as there are three games in the series that were never officially localized.

The franchise has been dead due to poor sales. Also, I don't think that all scrapped characters will be added as DLC.

 

[Sabrewulf238]

I just noticed that leaker said Ray was cut as a character. For what it's worth it's not a sure thing but I think this definitely increases his chances for dlc.

If this leak is legit then it means Sakurai intended to include Ray as a playable character, that's freaking huge.

and really if Chorus Kids and Mach Rider showing up on the "everyone is here" banner leak is anything to go by, it shows that Sakurai doesn't forget about the characters he's had to cut in the past. (Chorus Kids for Smash 4 and Mach Rider for Melee)

(also you can't compare Ice Climbers to Ray because the Ice Climbers weren't included for technical reasons, doesn't matter whether it's base or dlc)

 

[Gran-Rojo]

The franchise has been dead due to poor sales. Also, I don't think that all scrapped characters will be added as DLC.

The franchise is dead, yet here we are in a support thread for Ray in Smash Ultimate. Golden Sun has been dead since 2010, yet the demand for Isaac is higher than ever. While franchises die due to poor sales, the characters live on in our memories and our hopes to see them brought back in the new smash.

I had given up on thinking Ray would even make it back as an assist trophy in Ultimate due to the news we've been receiving, but this new leak has been the new ray of hope for me to believe that Custom Robo could be represented in Ultimate.

 

[FunAtParties]

It's pretty nuts Ray 01 is even being mentioned if we're being honest

 

[Rayleigh]

>Saying Ray is bad and unwanted in the Ray Support Thread.
>Picture related.

--------

Anyways, last bit of my thoughts on the concept of the 'leak':

If true, this brings up some interesting points of consideration, namely the (approved) choice of Ray-01 over Ray MKlll.

For starters, Ray MKlll was the Ray used as an Assist-Trophy in Brawl, and the only Custom Robo normal trophies included were from Arena. However, Ray-01 actually appeared as a trophy base sticker for special battles and the Subspace Emissary. Assuming the validity of the topic, one reason for the usage of Ray-01 over Ray MKlll could be due to the middling sales of Custom Robo Arena, which not many people, including myself truly got to play. This makes Ray-01 (which was also featured in Arena as a powerful unlock) the most iconic Ray Model worldwide as it was the Poster-Bot of Custom Robo Battle Revolution on the Gamecube.

Even if fake, the explanation of Ray-01 over MKlll remains. You hear very little talk about Arena over Battle Revolution, with the later often finding a spot on 'Top Gamecube Games' lists. The art style might be something to think of, too: Ray MKlll (and all other Non Ray-01 Shining Fighters) all had a more human and lighthearted style which works...but feel more like toys. That's a Brawl Trophy apparently...never seen it until now, myself.

Meanwhile, our first introduction to Ray-01 is a little more intense than just fighting children's toys (though that's still what they are). Not to mention the art direction in general for Battle Revolution is different from the rest of the entries...Helps Ray-01 stand out even more from the rest. Also, here's more music apparently.

...But no seriously, how HYPE is that intro sequence!?

 

[Gran-Rojo]

If this leak is legit then it means Sakurai intended to include Ray as a playable character, that's freaking huge.

and really if Chorus Kids and Mach Rider showing up on the "everyone is here" banner leak is anything to go by, it shows that Sakurai doesn't forget about the characters he's had to cut in the past. (Chorus Kids for Smash 4 and Mach Rider for Melee)

Exactly.

Ray is the new Chorus Kids to me if this leak is to be believed, an odd choice character that was supported by a major leak.

 

[CrusherMania1592]

Neither the Ice Climbers or Heihachi Mishima were DLC in Smash 4 (although, the latter did receive a Mii Fighter costume).

Ice Climbers are a different story Riley. Ice Climbers had a really good reason to be cut for the same reason Pokemon Trainer didn't make the cut: they couldn't do transformation characters nor multiple characters are once due to the 3DS's hardware


For Ray to get cut is a bit surprising. Hopefully he and Dixie will make the DLC along with a Pokemon fighter

 

[FunAtParties]

Ice Climbers are a different story Riley. Ice Climbers had a really good reason to be cut for the same reason Pokemon Trainer didn't make the cut: they couldn't do transformation characters nor multiple characters are once due to the 3DS's hardware


For Ray to get cut is a bit surprising. Hopefully he and Dixie will make the DLC along with a Pokemon fighter

And Rayman *cough*

 

[Gran-Rojo]

If true, this brings up some interesting points of consideration, namely the (approved) choice of Ray-01 over Ray MKlll.

For starters, Ray MKlll was the Ray used as an Assist-Trophy in Brawl, and the only Custom Robo normal trophies included were from Arena. However, Ray-01 actually appeared as a trophy base sticker for special battles and the Subspace Emissary. Assuming the validity of the topic, one reason for the usage of Ray-01 over Ray MKlll could be due to the middling sales of Custom Robo Arena, which not many people, including myself truly got to play. This makes Ray-01 (which was also featured in Arena as a powerful unlock) the most iconic Ray Model worldwide as it was the Poster-Bot of Custom Robo Battle Revolution on the Gamecube.

Even if fake, the explanation of Ray-01 over MKlll remains. You hear very little talk about Arena over Battle Revolution, with the later often finding a spot on 'Top Gamecube Games' lists. The art style might be something to think of, too: Ray MKlll (and all other Non Ray-01 Shining Fighters) all had a more human and lighthearted style which works...but feel more like toys. That's a Brawl Trophy apparently...never seen it until now, myself.

Meanwhile, our first introduction to Ray-01 is a little more intense than just fighting children's toys (though that's still what they are). Not to mention the art direction in general for Battle Revolution is different from the rest of the entries...Helps Ray-01 stand out even more from the rest. Also, here's more music apparently.

...But no seriously, how HYPE is that intro sequence!?

Hmm, those are great points as to why Sakurai would go with Ray 01 over MKIII. I thought that the fact that the leaker listed Ray 01 went against his credibility a little, but your points make me feel better.

MKIII was probably used as an assist because he represented the most recent game in the series rather than the most well known.

 

[GoodGrief741]

Neither the Ice Climbers or Heihachi Mishima were DLC in Smash 4 (although, the latter did receive a Mii Fighter costume).

For what it’s worth, Ice Climbers were cut because the 3DS couldn’t handled them, while Heihachi was considered but never fully worked on (Sakurai couldn’t figure him out). While we don’t know why Dixie, Ray, or Monster Hunter would have been cut, it’s definitely not for IC’s reason and I doubt it was for Heihachi’s (maybe Monster Hunter). If it was time constraints or licensing issues, it’s nothing that can’t get worked out for DLC.

 

[Rayleigh]

You also take in the announcement, development times, and release dates of Brawl and Arena:

Spoiler: Custom Robo Arena Dates (Also Battle Revolution Date For Fun)

Announcement: May 9, 2006

Release Dates (Taken from Wikipedia)

• JP: October 19, 2006
• NA: March 19, 2007
• EU: May 25, 2007 (First Custom Robo Game)
• AU: September 20, 2007 (First Custom Robo Game)

Release Dates (Custom Robo Battle Revolution)

• JP: March 4, 2004
• NA: May 10, 2004 (First Custom Robo Game)

Spoiler: Super Smash Bros Brawl

Initial Announcement: Pre-E3 2005
Name Announcement: May 10, 2006

Release Dates:

• JP: January 31, 2008
• NA: March 9, 2008
• AU: June 26, 2008
• EU: June 27, 2008

Interesting to note is that, while the development of a Smash 3 was known at the time, Brawl was not shown to us until a day after we learned about Custom Robo Arena. This, in and of itself means nothing, but it does show that the games were at varying levels of development at the time and, thus, Custom Robo Arena was fresher on the minds of the development team. Brawl was set for an initial December 2007 launch, but was delayed. Japan would receive it on January 24th. It then received another delay in Japan (around a week) and then in the US (around a month), resulting in the launch dates we ended up having and displayed in the spoiler.

During this time, the game was refined and given more polish though meta knight was still broken but Nintendo also would have had more time to see how well Custom Robo Arena sold..or didn't as it would appear to be (numbers are scarce). It's also possible that the development team added a few more trophy base stickers during their balancing session, with Ray-01 being one of them...given that this sticker is the only real piece of non-Arena presence for Custom Robo in Brawl (besides Seal Head, which is a Funky Big Head Model), it is a bit of a strange inclusion to be sure (Really, though, Seal Head is arguably weirder).

Despite the expanded regions, Arena isn't really talked about as much. Shame that EU and AU didn't get releases of Battle Revolution.

This is where I had compiled a big pile of data that showed competing release dates for games close to Custom Robo Arena. It got big and depressing...Just note that Pokemon Diamond and Pearl came to the NA Region a few weeks after Custom Robo Arena...that's what it was competing with here in particular.

...Also here's more music.

EDIT: Rakansen also has a sticker in Brawl...still weird, but not as weird as Seal Head. Nothing is weirder than Seal Head.