Day, Night, and Dusk - Lycanroc for Smash Bros. Ultimate

[DeltaSceptile]

I’m glad this community isn’t breaking down like several others after the box leak. I refuse to back down to Verge or that leak. Lycanroc will get to be playable, because the other recent movie stars, Marshadow and Ho-Oh, are both poke balls, and Lycanroc has been the star of the SM anime, which makes him (all three forms) top dog at having a shot in smash.

 

[Cosmic77]

So in an attempt to break way from the uneasiness and start a normal discussion, what if we got Incineroar and Lycanroc?

In Brawl, people thought Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and PT would be the only Pokemon characters, but then we learned that Mewtwo was cut and Lucario got added as a newcomer. Similarly, people assumed Rosalina was the only Mario newcomer in Smash 4, but then we learn that Bowser Jr was a hidden character who barely made it on the roster.

It seems very unlikely (heavy emphasis on unlikely) we'd get two Pokemon newcomers in Ultimate when there's so little space for additions, and when you factor in the return of Pichu and PT... It feels nearly impossible. However, I was also pretty confident we'd get cuts in this game. That didn't happen. I thought Sakurai would ease up on the clone characters. That didn't happen. I would've laughed if you said Metroid would double its reps from Smash 4. That did happen. Sakurai has a tendency to do the unexpected, as seen by Isabelle's status as a unique character. Doesn't automatically mean a double Pokemon reveal trailer is likely, but it's something that could very well come to fruition. After all, it's one of the few franchises with the popularity and the wide cast of characters to warrant more than one newcomer.

 

[BluePikmin11]

If Incineroar is an echo mix of Bowser and K. Rool, then maybe we could get both Pokemon.

 

[RandomAce]

I do think we’ll most likely get one newcomer.

The game does seem to be based a lot on fan wants, so may get one pokemon charcater so Sakurai can spend a lot of time to include other very popular characters like King K. Rool, Ridley, and now Isabelle, and potentially more.

If we’ll get two, one of them is going to be an echo.

 

[Delzethin]

So in an attempt to break way from the uneasiness and start a normal discussion, what if we got Incineroar and Lycanroc?

In Brawl, people thought Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and PT would be the only Pokemon characters, but then we learned that Mewtwo was cut and Lucario got added as a newcomer. Similarly, people assumed Rosalina was the only Mario newcomer in Smash 4, but then we learn that Bowser Jr was a hidden character who barely made it on the roster.

It seems very unlikely (heavy emphasis on unlikely) we'd get two Pokemon newcomers in Ultimate when there's so little space for additions, and when you factor in the return of Pichu and PT... It feels nearly impossible. However, I was also pretty confident we'd get cuts in this game. That didn't happen. I thought Sakurai would ease up on the clone characters. That didn't happen. I would've laughed if you said Metroid would double its reps from Smash 4. That did happen. Sakurai has a tendency to do the unexpected, as seen by Isabelle's status as a unique character. Doesn't automatically mean a double Pokemon reveal trailer is likely, but it's something that could very well come to fruition. After all, it's one of the few franchises with the popularity and the wide cast of characters to warrant more than one newcomer.

It's unlikely at this point (especially if that box art thing holds true, which who knows), but...stranger things have happened. Though it'd be more plausible if one of the two were an echo fighter.

 

[RandomAce]

Yeah, this won't be easy, and it'll be even harder now just to be given the time of day. And while every fiber of logic tells me I cannot trust lightning to strike twice...maybe, somehow, we can tip the scales a second time.

Oh, and I'm also gonna ease up on the music. It's probably starting to get annoying, I bet.

Well, with all the stuff Lycanroc has going for them, tipping the scales may not be so unlikely than we think.

 

[Garteam]

So in an attempt to break way from the uneasiness and start a normal discussion, what if we got Incineroar and Lycanroc?

In Brawl, people thought Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and PT would be the only Pokemon characters, but then we learned that Mewtwo was cut and Lucario got added as a newcomer. Similarly, people assumed Rosalina was the only Mario newcomer in Smash 4, but then we learn that Bowser Jr was a hidden character who barely made it on the roster.

It seems very unlikely (heavy emphasis on unlikely) we'd get two Pokemon newcomers in Ultimate when there's so little space for additions, and when you factor in the return of Pichu and PT... It feels nearly impossible. However, I was also pretty confident we'd get cuts in this game. That didn't happen. I thought Sakurai would ease up on the clone characters. That didn't happen. I would've laughed if you said Metroid would double its reps from Smash 4. That did happen. Sakurai has a tendency to do the unexpected, as seen by Isabelle's status as a unique character. Doesn't automatically mean a double Pokemon reveal trailer is likely, but it's something that could very well come to fruition. After all, it's one of the few franchises with the popularity and the wide cast of characters to warrant more than one newcomer.

This was actually a possibility I also was thinking. Obviously, it's not super likely, given the current climate we're in regarding Smash speculation (We already have 3 returning Pokemon, and our number of newcomers is stated to be low), but weirder things have happened. I mean, Smash for boosted the number of Mario characters from 4 to 7 during a time when people thought we would get Bowser Jr. or Rosalina and that would be it.

One of the things that's always bothered me is Vergeben deconfirming Decidueye, Lycanroc, and Mimikyu, seeing how these 3 are the only characters to get flat out deconfimed by him. Was it only one source that deconfirmed Lycanroc, or multiple? And did those sources have proof of this claim, or did they jump the gun and assume there is no possibility of another Pokemon character?

 

[RandomAce]

One of the things that's always bothered me is Vergeben deconfirming Decidueye, Lycanroc, and Mimikyu, seeing how these 3 are the only characters to get flat out deconfimed by him. Was it only one source that deconfirmed Lycanroc, or multiple? And did those sources have proof of this claim, or did they jump the gun and assume there is no possibility of another Pokemon character?

I think he said two sources deconfirm them or something of the matter. Of course, all of his sources say it’s Incineroar, but I wonder how they know the information. Do they have pictures or footage of the actual characters? Or they know them by name or seem them dropped from time to time?

One thing is for certain, Nintendo has been preventing leaks on a whole other level, after Brawl, and 4, Nintendo is trying not to repeat the same mistakes again. It’s why there is only 1 leaker with multiple sources instead of a bunch of different ones, in order to make sure the character is actually the one.

In any case, although it feels like we’re in a hopeless situation, there’s a lot of things that are in favor of the rock-lupine trio and we maybe in for a roller coaster of speculation soon, and maybe it was in our favor all along.

 

[DeltaSceptile]

You know what would be the most satisfying for pokemon? Lycanroc as a unique fighter and Raichu as a Pikachu echo (who would work better I have no idea)

 

[Guynamednelson]

Raichu as a Pikachu echo (who would work better I have no idea)

Most of the electric rodents have problems as Pikachu echoes:

• Raichu and Pachirisu's tails are too big, on top of Raichu itself being too big in general.
• Plusle and Minun can't be both a duo and an echo
• Dedenne is too small to be a Pikachu echo and its tail is too big for it to be Pichu's
• Togedemaru is already a Poke Ball Pokemon and its body wouldn't work anyway
• Detective Pikachu can't attack

This leaves us with Emolga. What they could do about the lack of gliding is make side-B cover more distance and replace up-B with one that functions similarly to Mr. G&W's.

 

[Chihiro Fujisaki]

tbh people treating vergeben like jesus is a mistake. for all we know all of his sources are just agreeing with him on incineroar because he was the one who led the incineroar hype in the first place

edit: also the box probably isn't even the final art so idk why we're all believing in it either

 

[Guynamednelson]

tbh people treating vergeben like jesus is a mistake. for all we know all of his sources are just agreeing with him on incineroar because he was the one who led the incineroar hype in the first place

edit: also the box probably isn't even the final art so idk why we're all believing in it either

On the plus side, Incineroar is most likely to be his Chrom. Ken is the only viable Ryu echo due to all the gameplay differences Akuma, Dan, Sakura, and Evil Ryu have that exceed echo limitations.

 

[Chihiro Fujisaki]

On the plus side, Incineroar is most likely to be his Chrom. Ken is the only viable Ryu echo due to all the gameplay differences Akuma, Dan, Sakura, and Evil Ryu have that exceed echo limitations.

i'd love that. with no ill intent to those who like it, incineroar has to be by far my least favorite pokemon at least in gen 7 not counting the obvious duds like bruxish, so seeing him get chrom'd would be really funny

 

[DeltaSceptile]

i'd love that. with no ill intent to those who like it, incineroar has to be by far my least favorite pokemon at least in gen 7 not counting the obvious duds like bruxish, so seeing him get chrom'd would be really funny

This is way too similar to Gematsu for Incineroar not to get snubbed for Lycanroc for not being unique enough to rep pokemon (I know we already have two Pikachus, but one of them has a mechanic exclusive to him, and that’s already much better than Incineroar in being unique). The point is that Incineroar would probably have a moveset like if you combined K. Rool and Bowser.

 

[LukeRNG]

I gave it some thought, and i also want to support Lycanroc.

I became very attached to my Ultra Sun Team (Decidueye, Dusk Lycanroc, Silvally, Golisopod, Kommo-o and Alolan Sandslash), especially since i was in a very difficult time in my personal life regarding my future and High-School.

And even though Silvally is my #1 Favorite pokémon, i know full well it's not gonna happen. But the thought of Decidueye & Lycanroc in smash ultimate sounds very fun. And i new that i had to pick one to root for since they are not going to put both in. And since Decidueye is at least in Pokken, Lycanroc makes a lot of sence in hindsight + it deserves more attention.

I don't dislike Incineroar but he isn't in my top 100. I don't see how a wrestler that fights like many other characters has more potential than a ghost archer with plant properties or a quadruped earthuser. I really want Lycanroc to happen now.

I also want to remove myself from my 15 year old want in smash 4 with the ballot, it's so random.

 

[Chihiro Fujisaki]

This is way too similar to Gematsu for Incineroar not to get snubbed for Lycanroc for not being unique enough to rep pokemon (I know we already have two Pikachus, but one of them has a mechanic exclusive to him, and that’s already much better than Incineroar in being unique). The point is that Incineroar would probably have a moveset like if you combined K. Rool and Bowser.

he really would imo... idk, it'd just be a letdown to have another fire-based brawler instead of a grass based archer or a rock based, probably quadrupedal fighter. again, no ill will to those who want him or like him, just my thoughts

 

[DeltaSceptile]

he really would imo... idk, it'd just be a letdown to have another fire-based brawler instead of a grass based archer or a rock based, probably quadrupedal fighter. again, no ill will to those who want him or like him, just my thoughts

I still would prefer a certain wood gecko over Decidueye if we got a grass starter, just saying.

 

[Chihiro Fujisaki]

I still would prefer a certain wood gecko over Decidueye if we got a grass starter, just saying.

understandable. i personally see more value in decidueye because the archer niche is too unique to pass up. if it were up to me though i'd have grovyle using mystery dungeon items but that'd never happen lmfao

 

[Delzethin]

I gave it some thought, and i also want to support Lycanroc.

I became very attached to my Ultra Sun Team (Decidueye, Dusk Lycanroc, Silvally, Golisopod, Kommo-o and Alolan Sandslash), especially since i was in a very difficult time in my personal life regarding my future and High-School.

And even though Silvally is my #1 Favorite pokémon, i know full well it's not gonna happen. But the thought of Decidueye & Lycanroc in smash ultimate sounds very fun. And i new that i had to pick one to root for since they are not going to put both in. And since Decidueye is at least in Pokken, Lycanroc makes a lot of sence in hindsight + it deserves more attention.

I don't dislike Incineroar but he isn't in my top 100. I don't see how a wrestler that fights like many other characters has more potential than a ghost archer with plant properties or a quadruped earthuser. I really want Lycanroc to happen now.

I also want to remove myself from my 15 year old want in smash 4 with the ballot, it's so random.

Welcome. It's reassuring to know there're people who are still willing to throw their lot in with us even with the rumors hanging overhead. Silvally's pretty interesting, too--maybe an option for Pokkén itself, if we get more DLC or a sequel? Its RKS System could make for a unique stance-based concept.

 

[RandomAce]

What are some potential matchups do you want so see happen with Lycanroc?

Personally it’s Lycanroc v. Isaac.

 

[LukeRNG]

Welcome. It's reassuring to know there're people who are still willing to throw their lot in with us even with the rumors hanging overhead. Silvally's pretty interesting, too--maybe an option for Pokkén itself, if we get more DLC or a sequel? Its RKS System could make for a unique stance-based concept.

Thanks. So i don't know if you talked about it already, but what do you think the reveal trailer would be?

 

[Smashoperatingbuddy123]

Well likely we won’t win

But dlc is a thing and could still be faulty regardless

 

[Guynamednelson]

Well likely we won’t win

But dlc is a thing and could still be faulty regardless

If Incineroar somehow isn't Chrom 2, I don't think they'll make Lycanroc DLC. Gen 1 is still the only gen with multiple reps for obvious reasons.

 

[Delzethin]

What are some potential matchups do you want so see happen with Lycanroc?

Personally it’s Lycanroc v. Isaac.

I wouldn't mind a Lycanroc vs. Lucario match. The "master" who created the archetype of super important non-starters against the "successor" and newest member of it.

If Incineroar somehow isn't Chrom 2, I don't think they'll make Lycanroc DLC. Gen 1 is still the only gen with multiple reps for obvious reasons.

I woudn't rule it out entirely if it came to that. The reason Gen 1 has so many characters is purely due to timing (and the Pokémon Trainer pulls design elements from Fire Red and Leaf Green, anyway, so there're elements of Gen 3), and so nothing says the opportunity can't arise another time.

Don't fall into the "Gen 1 is more iconic" trap. Just because most of the Smash fanbase stopped caring about Pokémon when it stopped being a fad doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of icons from the newer games. I even remember Lucario getting bashed for being "less deserving" than Mewtwo way back in Brawl when people thought he replaced the latter. That argument sure hasn't aged well, has it?

 

[Cosmic77]

Pikachu is the mascot. Enough said.

Jigglypuff got added because it was similar to Kirby.

Mewtwo got added because of the anime and popularity. Probably the only Gen I Pokemon who got in solely because this.

PT was added because of his gimmick being tied to virtually every Pokemon protagonist, not because he's representing a specific character. Without that gimmick, he and his three Pokemon probably wouldn't have made it into Smash.


Gen I Pokemon are iconic, but there's a reason why no one thinks we're getting any more. Sakurai doesn't look at iconicness anymore when he chooses a newcomer. The Pokemon franchise keeps moving forward with new Gens and new games, and while there wasn't much to go off of during 64 and Melee, Sakurai has plenty of modern options to look at. Why bother looking at the originals when you could grab a newer Pokemon before it's too late?

As crazy as it sounds, I'd say there's actually a good chance we'll never get another Gen I rep in Smash again.

 

[Luigifan18]

Pikachu is the mascot. Enough said.

Jigglypuff got added because it was similar to Kirby.

Mewtwo got added because of the anime and popularity. Probably the only Gen I Pokemon who got in solely because this.

PT was added because of his gimmick being tied to virtually every Pokemon protagonist, not because he's representing a specific character. Without that gimmick, he and his three Pokemon probably wouldn't have made it into Smash.


Gen I Pokemon are iconic, but there's a reason why no one thinks we're getting any more. Sakurai doesn't look at iconicness anymore when he chooses a newcomer. The Pokemon franchise keeps moving forward with new Gens and new games, and while there wasn't much to go off of during 64 and Melee, Sakurai has plenty of modern options to look at. Why bother looking at the originals when you could grab a newer Pokemon before it's too late?

As crazy as it sounds, I'd say there's actually a good chance we'll never get another Gen I rep in Smash again.

Eh, you underestimate Charizard's popularity. It got picked over Squirtle and Ivysaur in Smash 4 for a reason. That said, yeah, another Gen I rep is unlikely (a pity, I would love to play as Dragonite).

Anyways, I wanted to share Delzethin's take on a Lycanroc moveset.

 

[RandomAce]

Eh, you underestimate Charizard's popularity. It got picked over Squirtle and Ivysaur in Smash 4 for a reason. That said, yeah, another Gen I rep is unlikely (a pity, I would love to play as Dragonite).

Anyways, I wanted to share Delzethin's take on a Lycanroc moveset.

Well you’re in luck bud because this thread is made the man himself Delzethin and is usually the one to bring up Lycanroc around here.

Honestly, even with Dusk around, this is the idea I want the most for Lycanroc.

 

[Luigifan18]

Well you’re in luck bud because this thread is made the man himself Delzethin and is usually the one to bring up Lycanroc around here.

Honestly, even with Dusk around, this is the idea I want the most for Lycanroc.

I... I think I completely missed that detail.

 

[BluePikmin11]

Sometimes, I wonder why things had to go this way when it came to Pokemon newcomer speculation.

We started out with predicting Decidueye, then we gradually supported and better Lycanroc based on the research of promotion and anime prominence the Pokemon got, and now we gotta stick to Incineroar. And all that the other ones (not predicting Lycanroc) betting on a Pokemon newcomer had to do was simply transition to Incineroar to get a prediction right without putting much thought into it because of Verge being reliable.

It almost feels kinda unfair with the majority opinion taking the win without doing much, but I guess it is my fault for not thinking more openly about Incineroar. I guess not everything goes your way. :L

 

[Garteam]

Pikachu is the mascot. Enough said.

Jigglypuff got added because it was similar to Kirby.

Mewtwo got added because of the anime and popularity. Probably the only Gen I Pokemon who got in solely because this.

PT was added because of his gimmick being tied to virtually every Pokemon protagonist, not because he's representing a specific character. Without that gimmick, he and his three Pokemon probably wouldn't have made it into Smash.


Gen I Pokemon are iconic, but there's a reason why no one thinks we're getting any more. Sakurai doesn't look at iconicness anymore when he chooses a newcomer. The Pokemon franchise keeps moving forward with new Gens and new games, and while there wasn't much to go off of during 64 and Melee, Sakurai has plenty of modern options to look at. Why bother looking at the originals when you could grab a newer Pokemon before it's too late?

As crazy as it sounds, I'd say there's actually a good chance we'll never get another Gen I rep in Smash again.

The only gen 1 rep I still think has a reasonable chance is Meowth, but he's stuck in Pokeball Purgatory for the foreseeable future.

Sometimes, I wonder why things had to go this way when it came to Pokemon newcomer speculation.

We started out with predicting Decidueye, then we gradually supported and better Lycanroc based on the research of promotion and anime prominence the Pokemon got, and now we gotta stick to Incineroar. And all that the other ones (not predicting Lycanroc) betting on a Pokemon newcomer had to do was simply transition to Incineroar to get a prediction right without putting much thought into it because of Verge being reliable.

It almost feels kinda unfair with the majority opinion taking the win without doing much, but I guess it is my fault for not thinking more openly about Incineroar. I guess not everything goes your way. :L

Hey man, just remember Incineroar is not confirmed yet. He's definitely the most likely member of the pack, but the margin of human error is still a very real thing. It's unlikely, but there could be some miscommunication and "he said, she said" that could Vergeben the false idea of Incineroar.

Besides, we logically did the best we could based on the information we had regarding Pokemon selection in Smash. The fact Incineroar could be on the table contradicts the idea that Pokemon need to be promoted and explore new ground in their play style to be part of Smash Bros. He's still relatively under represented in the anime and merch, and he hits many of the same points that Bowser and Charizard already do (Big, slow character that hits like a truck, emphasis on his grab game, a fire aesthetic, etc.).

Here's a question for the thread:

In the event Lycanroc is not playable, would you rather have him as a Pokeball or not in the game at all?

 

[Mayoman]

Guys, if Sakurai chose Incineroar, do you think it would've been because he has a cat and/or Incineroar would fit with Greninja?

 

[GlaceonGD]

Garteam to answer your question, it would be better for Lycanroc to not appear at all rather than be in the pokeball as pokemon that end up there are basically out of the running permanently. While yes Lycanroc not being in at all harms his chances of making it into a later game because sun and moon likely won't be relevant it's better than being an item that over half the smash community doesn't even use, would just be wasted potential imo. However, we aren't completely out of the running yet so we can still hope that verge is wrong and incineroar won't be taking the pokemon newcomer spot.

 

[Delzethin]

Sometimes, I wonder why things had to go this way when it came to Pokemon newcomer speculation.

We started out with predicting Decidueye, then we gradually supported and better Lycanroc based on the research of promotion and anime prominence the Pokemon got, and now we gotta stick to Incineroar. And all that the other ones (not predicting Lycanroc) betting on a Pokemon newcomer had to do was simply transition to Incineroar to get a prediction right without putting much thought into it because of Verge being reliable.

It almost feels kinda unfair with the majority opinion taking the win without doing much, but I guess it is my fault for not thinking more openly about Incineroar. I guess not everything goes your way. :L

That's typical Smash speculation for you: most people seem to gravitate toward whoever they think is a "lock" at any given moment. It's like an inverse sour grapes effect, with them deciding they want who they think they're going to be stuck with.

Though for what it's worth, this has had shades of Chrom four years ago already. I may have overestimated the bandwagoning we'd see--seems like Incineroar's falling under the same situation of "expected, but not really wanted due to feeling too similar to what we already have".

Is there some way we can take advantage of that unease and spread word about us further? In the event that we're still well in the running even if we're not in the base roster? Would be nice to feel like we've personally accomplished something and convinced more people to actually give this character a fair shake.

Besides, we logically did the best we could based on the information we had regarding Pokemon selection in Smash. The fact Incineroar could be on the table contradicts the idea that Pokemon need to be promoted and explore new ground in their play style to be part of Smash Bros. He's still relatively under represented in the anime and merch, and he hits many of the same points that Bowser and Charizard already do (Big, slow character that hits like a truck, emphasis on his grab game, a fire aesthetic, etc.).

And that's the baffling thing here, because it just seems like an...un-Sakurai-like choice. I don't doubt Incineroar's personality, but that alone can't carry someone if their overall character concept doesn't offer much thematically or mechanically that we don't already have. I've been talking to an acquaintance with more experience with traditional fighting games, and after analyzing how different archetypes differ between those games and platform fighters, we're realizing that even the whole grappler angle may not hold up.

Something for its own post in a couple days, I guess.

Here's a question for the thread:

In the event Lycanroc is not playable, would you rather have him as a Pokeball or not in the game at all?

If that were to happen, I'm hoping at least the Dusk form is MIA for the base game. It'd give us a potential way in for the first year of DLC until Gen 8 hits shelves at the end of 2019. Even if we ran out of time, there'd still be the option to get added as a Poké Ball summon whenever Smash 6 happens--pretty sure Lycanroc's big enough now for that to not be a reach even several years down the line.

Guys, if Sakurai chose Incineroar, do you think it would've been because he has a cat and/or Incineroar would fit with Greninja?

No. Newcomers aren't chosen for their identity alone, and Sakurai's even said he tries not to let his personal preferences mar the selection process.

Besides, Mewtwo's technically a feline. Just a...genetically enhanced artificial psychic demigod cat...thing.

 

[Chihiro Fujisaki]

Guys, if Sakurai chose Incineroar, do you think it would've been because he has a cat and/or Incineroar would fit with Greninja?

i'd guess the former reason, but it'd be asinine to think it'd be the driving reason. it might be because he was easy to make compared to his other option.

 

[RandomAce]

Guys, if Sakurai chose Incineroar, do you think it would've been because he has a cat and/or Incineroar would fit with Greninja?

Sakurai doesn’t do it because of personal bias.

And... it’s a loooooonnnnnggggg shot that Sakurai chose Incineroar because of it.

 

[Chihiro Fujisaki]

View attachment 165542
Sakurai doesn’t do it because of personal bias.

And... it’s a loooooonnnnnggggg shot that Sakurai chose Incineroar because of it.

iirc incineroar was masuda's favorite gen 7 mon and he has influence over who gets in smash iirc. it would make sense for him to recommend incineroar for smash to sakurai if that is the case. at the same time though, that seems too blatant so idk

 

[RandomAce]

iirc incineroar was masuda's favorite gen 7 mon and he has influence over who gets in smash iirc. it would make sense for him to recommend incineroar for smash to sakurai if that is the case. at the same time though, that seems too blatant so idk

Recommendation, sure...

However, Sakurai is usually the one who makes the calls and eventually decide the Pokémon on it’s own merits. Greninja and Lucario were chosen due to their prominence and what they can bring. Pikachu, Mewtwo, and Pokémon Trainer were chosen due to their iconic status and representing one of the main things about Pokémon. Jigglypuff and Pichu were easy made characters meant to beef up the roster. The theory sort of falls flat when you look more into it.

Not to mention that the one of the trio in charge of Pokémon S/M favorite pokemon is Dusk Lycanroc... so.

 

[Garteam]

iirc incineroar was masuda's favorite gen 7 mon and he has influence over who gets in smash iirc. it would make sense for him to recommend incineroar for smash to sakurai if that is the case. at the same time though, that seems too blatant so idk

I didn't actually know Incineroar was Masuda's favourite Pokemon. That could explain Incineroar's possible inclusion, Masuda could've intentionally given Incineroar a push when presenting potential Pokemon for Smash Ultimate, but it feels a little too unprofessional to be very likely. Plus, Sakurai is pretty resilient when it comes to corporations trying to push ideas he disagress with, such as him threatening to drop Pac-Man if he had to use his Ghostly Adventures design.

If Masuda did get Incineroar in though, its depressing he managed to misguide both Let's Go and the Pokemon representation in Smash Ultimate.

 

[Delzethin]

iirc incineroar was masuda's favorite gen 7 mon and he has influence over who gets in smash iirc. it would make sense for him to recommend incineroar for smash to sakurai if that is the case. at the same time though, that seems too blatant so idk

That's not true, if I recall. Apparently the actual thing is that Mr. Ohmori was asked which of the Alola starters were his favorite, and he said Litten since he has a cat at home. The evolved forms were never brought up, and Masuda wasn't asked.

Besides, the directors' personal preference hasn't dictated which 'mons end up on the roster yet anyway, far as I know. If I remember right, Masuda's favorite Kalos starter is Delphox, and that amounted to a whole lot of nothing far as Smash goes.

Not to mention that the one of the trio in charge of Pokémon S/M favorite pokemon is Dusk Lycanroc... so.

Wait, what? Do you have a source on that?

 

[Cosmic77]

Wait, what? Do you have a source on that?

I believe it was in a tweet. The director for US/UM stated that Dusk Lycanroc was his favorite Pokemon from Gen VII.

Not sure how impactful that opinion will be though. This was his first time taking the reigns for a Pokemon game.