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

[Delzethin]

I wonder, is there anything more we could create to have some kind of impact in the community regardless of what happens? Something that'd have a legacy, so worst case scenario we aren't left forgotten to the ages. But what could we do that would be seen and appreciated despite going against popular opinion right now?

I think Joker is going to be built off of Robin. Robin seems have a similar build that can work with Joker’s, but more importantly, Robin’s main weapon, his Bronze/Levin Sword, is in the form of a dagger that closely resembles the knife we see Joker wield in his direct teaser.

You know...I could actually see that. The sizes and body shapes are vaguely similar, and using Robin's coat as a reference point for Joker's would make a lot of sense. I don't know how much they'd need to rely on the Bronze Sword for Joker's dagger, but it's plausible.

Moreover, Robin is so rarely used that I wouldn't be surprised if no one's even tested to see if he can trigger the corruption glitch. Hm...worth looking into, at least, as long as anyone doing so has backup data.

I thought the moveset would fit the Rhythm Heaven wrestler for two reasons: The posing, and his side-B being timing-based, just like the gameplay of RH.

I have been playing around with a theory that the Rhythm Heaven character originally considered for Smash 4 was actually the Wrestler. Perhaps parts of the moveset date back that far, or even further?

Another thing worth looking into, though there isn't enough evidence yet to take it seriously, and I'm not sure how one would even find more information regarding it.

 

[Door Key Pig]

I have been playing around with a theory that the Rhythm Heaven character originally considered for Smash 4 was actually the Wrestler. Perhaps parts of the moveset date back that far, or even further?

Another thing worth looking into, though there isn't enough evidence yet to take it seriously, and I'm not sure how one would even find more information regarding it.

...

I mean, Ringside did have its own little internet meme status (albeit maybe after its hypothetical consideration for Smash 4?) which is more than can be said popularity-wise for Glee Club or Karate Man.

Wonder where the reporter would have fit in, tho?

 

[LukeRNG]

It seems like we should be approaching the pokemon announcement anytime soon, given that a new gen gets revealed early in the year. At this rate i do think if lycanroc gets in, gen 8 will be known by then (although they could still hold off showing new pokemon like with sun and moon up til May). If they do show new pokemon, would that cause the reveal of another gen 7 pokemon to be a dissapointment or worse, anger some fans? We really don't now how they will handle the new reveals this time around given some changes with gamefreak. And i do fear that i might get infatuated with one pokemon in specific like i did back with Decidueye, but by then it'll probably be too late if this is the only fighter's pass.

Anyways, thinking about something interesting, is there a modern character you would've liked/would like to see join ultimate. I'd say a modern character is from a game that came out after smash 4: late 2014 to 2019, since we really don't know if the idea of adding a recent character is imposible or unlikely. For all we know, the last dlc fighter could be from three houses and by then the game would be 6 months old. At this point i'd say anything is fair game as long as Nintendo chose that character and Sakurai found a great idea for a moveset.

For me, other that decidueye/lycanroc, it's suprisingly Rex & Pyra. I've become more interested with Xenoblade 2 as of late and thier moveset does sound very interesting. Don't think they'll come at all unless they make a second fighter's pass.

 

[Guynamednelson]

If they do show new pokemon, would that cause the reveal of another gen 7 pokemon to be a dissapointment or worse, anger some fans?

People who won't complain that we got another Pokemon will complain that Incineroar didn't lead to the new Marth stereotype.

since we really don't know if the idea of adding a recent character is imposible or unlikely.

Regardless of how likely it is, I think Sakurai would want to avoid it because the pass's Rex costume was made because he was said to be too new.

 

[Cosmic77]

I don't know if this was stated here yet, but Sakurai delegated Spirits to a separate team of people. They decided who would get in from copyrights and available artwork.

So... I don't know if this effects Lycanroc at all. All I can really say about this is that if a separate team chose the Spirits, then I'd pay less attention to the "Spirits deconfirm characters" theory. Aside from PP who was likely in development for quite some time before launch (hence his amiibo coming out so early), none of the DLC characters started development until after November 1st. I doubt the team was going out of their way to avoid certain characters, especially if they weren't even sure who'd make the final cut.

 

[Delzethin]

It seems like we should be approaching the pokemon announcement anytime soon, given that a new gen gets revealed early in the year. At this rate i do think if lycanroc gets in, gen 8 will be known by then (although they could still hold off showing new pokemon like with sun and moon up til May). If they do show new pokemon, would that cause the reveal of another gen 7 pokemon to be a dissapointment or worse, anger some fans? We really don't now how they will handle the new reveals this time around given some changes with gamefreak. And i do fear that i might get infatuated with one pokemon in specific like i did back with Decidueye, but by then it'll probably be too late if this is the only fighter's pass.

I feel like reactions would be split into a few different groups.

- Pokémon fans would just kind of roll with it and accept the unexpected bone being thrown their way, the way Fire Emblem fans did with Corrin a few years ago. Something to the tune of "Didn't expect that, but sure, okay."
- Non-Pokémon fans...would have very mixed responses, based on what lines of thought they already followed. Anywhere from confusion to resentment toward an "over-repped" franchise, or maybe even interest if the character was unique enough. In our case, we'd probably see some interest from fans intrigued by the idea of an earthbender or beast character, but we'd also see the occasional "where's Isaac" from people not realizing it wouldn't have come down to picking one or the other like that.
- The most vocal fans, though, the types who like to play arbiter with the roster and use it to create a hierarchy of franchises...they'd be the ones up in arms over a character they didn't pre-approve of showing up, a character who isn't socially advantageous to be seen supporting, much less from a franchise they've already decided "has enough reps".

Hard to say how things would turn out in the long run. Opinions on Wolf turned around over time because it became cool to be associated with him. Opinions on Corrin are still mixed, though it's starting to look like more Smash fans are also Fire Emblem fans than was previously believed.

Anyways, thinking about something interesting, is there a modern character you would've liked/would like to see join ultimate. I'd say a modern character is from a game that came out after smash 4: late 2014 to 2019, since we really don't know if the idea of adding a recent character is imposible or unlikely. For all we know, the last dlc fighter could be from three houses and by then the game would be 6 months old. At this point i'd say anything is fair game as long as Nintendo chose that character and Sakurai found a great idea for a moveset.

For me, other that decidueye/lycanroc, it's suprisingly Rex & Pyra. I've become more interested with Xenoblade 2 as of late and thier moveset does sound very interesting. Don't think they'll come at all unless they make a second fighter's pass.

I was pulling for Rex myself. I really enjoyed Xenoblade 2, especially the directions it takes late in the game, despite how it occasionally shoots itself in the foot with some some...strange design choices. I was also intrigued by the idea of Pyra following Rex as he fought and making him stronger the longer the more time they were able to spend close by, mimicking how Affinity links work in battle. As of right now, I have an eye on Edelgard and Byleth, though I'm also starting to think Three Houses may itself be too late for DLC unless a second wave happens.

From what it seems, it was bad timing that did Rex in the same way it screwed us over for the base roster. The cutoff point was much earlier for Ultimate's development than it was for Smash 4's, by at least a year. Which wouldn't have ruled Rex out for DLC on its own, but then the Mii costume came along and complicated matters, something we don't have hanging over us.

It'll come down to factors we have no foreknowledge of right now. Though Piranha Plant being chosen specifically for its uniqueness factor could work in our favor...

 

[RandomAce]

I wonder, is there anything more we could create to have some kind of impact in the community regardless of what happens? Something that'd have a legacy, so worst case scenario we aren't left forgotten to the ages. But what could we do that would be seen and appreciated despite going against popular opinion right now?

It's kinda hard thinking of one for Lycanroc. Maybe we can try to make art of Lycanroc recieving an invitation that we can post here? Or a dedicated Lycanroc twitter account?

You know...I could actually see that. The sizes and body shapes are vaguely similar, and using Robin's coat as a reference point for Joker's would make a lot of sense. I don't know how much they'd need to rely on the Bronze Sword for Joker's dagger, but it's plausible.

Moreover, Robin is so rarely used that I wouldn't be surprised if no one's even tested to see if he can trigger the corruption glitch. Hm...worth looking into, at least, as long as anyone doing so has backup data.

You wouldn't mind me asking for you do it? For Robin! But seriously, unless someone checks it out for themselves, Mii Swordfighter and Duck Hunt seem like characters people don't really use much either, with the exception of Isaac fans for Swordfighter, so I doubt Robin could've triggered it as it would've been told about by now. Though it would be nice if someone here tried.

On another note, I do want to tell something else. Apparently, Japanese players that pre ordered the game on the day of release recieved a small letter of gratitude from Sakurai and in it was also some information about how DLC is going. (This was seen in the SE thread by a user named Ayumi Tachibana, who also been giving details on Smash speculation in Japan).

More so, Sakurai mentioned that they are working on “Joker, the next, and the next, and something are currently being worked on”. The “something” was speculated to be the 3.0 version update that was announced in the direct as a big update for Smash. The first statement though is the most interesting, as it means that someone else besides Joker and “Brave” is also being worked on at the same time.

I’m not sure if it means much for Lycanroc. However, it’s interesting to me that they may have 2 other fighters that may be ready to be revealed soon. Maybe “Brave” may not necessarily be the next fighter revealed, or Delz could be right that two fighters may be revealed at the same time in March/April.

This is also a bit in the tin foil hat range, but if they are working 2 unrevealed fighters at the same time, could that also translate into what we know so far about Mii Swordfighter and Duck Hunt and how they could be used as a base for them? Just some food for thought.

 

[LukeRNG]

Where do you believe they would announce the last dlc fighter? The game awards or the last regular direct of the year?

And if there happens to be another fighter's pass, when would that be announced? I could see them showing off an extra character after the fifth releases to tease a second dlc wave.

 

[Garteam]

Where do you believe they would announce the last dlc fighter? The game awards or the last regular direct of the year?

And if there happens to be another fighter's pass, when would that be announced? I could see them showing off an extra character after the fifth releases to tease a second dlc wave.

Personally, I think it will be a dedicated Smash direct, similar to 2015.


On a separate note, what's everyone's opinion on the cut Pokemon from Gen 1 that were recently revealed?

 

[Delzethin]

Can't respond to everything right now because I should really get some sleep, but something in particular needs to be asked...

On another note, I do want to tell something else. Apparently, Japanese players that pre ordered the game on the day of release recieved a small letter of gratitude from Sakurai and in it was also some information about how DLC is going. (This was seen in the SE thread by a user named Ayumi Tachibana, who also been giving details on Smash speculation in Japan).

More so, Sakurai mentioned that they are working on “Joker, the next, and the next, and something are currently being worked on”. The “something” was speculated to be the 3.0 version update that was announced in the direct as a big update for Smash. The first statement though is the most interesting, as it means that someone else besides Joker and “Brave” is also being worked on at the same time.

I’m not sure if it means much for Lycanroc. However, it’s interesting to me that they may have 2 other fighters that may be ready to be revealed soon. Maybe “Brave” may not necessarily be the next fighter revealed, or Delz could be right that two fighters may be revealed at the same time in March/April.

This is also a bit in the tin foil hat range, but if they are working 2 unrevealed fighters at the same time, could that also translate into what we know so far about Mii Swordfighter and Duck Hunt and how they could be used as a base for them? Just some food for thought.

Okay, so if the translation is accurate at face value, then we've stumbled onto something very interesting that is getting overlooked. But do we know for sure that it is an accurate and context-aware translation? Could the wording have merely been a figure of speech or something similar and not been alluding to there being two characters in development alongside Joker? We need to cover our bases here and be certain it means what it appears to.

Because if it does...it's another potential lead, evidence that someone aside from Joker and "Brave" is due for a reveal in the next few months.

 

[DeltaSceptile]

Well, at some point this month we'll probably witness the official reveal of Pokémon's 8th generation. Is there anything you've ever wanted to see them take a crack at? Inspiration for a region? An animal or concept that'd make a really good 'mon? A new gameplay mechanic? Let's see your imaginations run wild!

I know this is a bit late, but I’d like to see a few more bunny Pokémon, or something more armadillo like (maybe something like if you mixed sandshrew and quilava). I’d also like the ability for the main character to swim: you always see all these people in oceans and pools and you can’t get in yourself! Also for a region I’m thinking something like Canada for some bigger routes with a lot of interesting Pokémon choices from the start. Also I want the ability to actually play mini games as the Pokémon, something like the pokeathlon from heart gold/soul silver, but with more controllability.

 

[RandomAce]

Can't respond to everything right now because I should really get some sleep, but something in particular needs to be asked...


Okay, so if the translation is accurate at face value, then we've stumbled onto something very interesting that is getting overlooked. But do we know for sure that it is an accurate and context-aware translation? Could the wording have merely been a figure of speech or something similar and not been alluding to there being two characters in development alongside Joker? We need to cover our bases here and be certain it means what it appears to.

Because if it does...it's another potential lead, evidence that someone aside from Joker and "Brave" is due for a reveal in the next few months.

Apparently it is a context-aware, accurate translation.

Here is the message in question:

I'm the director of Super Smash Bros. Special, Sakurai. Hello.
This game offers you a variety of ways to play so I hope you'll find anything to suit you.

When I'm in the finalization of the development, I completed collecting all the spirits by myself. Twice.
That was tough... but it was rewarding so good luck to challengers.

The team and I are now making the additional contents.
Including Joker from Persona 5 which we already announced, the next, and the next and "something" are currently in the developement.
Look forward to them!!

It’s a straightforward message, and they seem to specify what is currently being developed. So I think’s it safe to say that a 3rd character is also in development.

 

[Cosmic77]

Apparently it is a context-aware, accurate translation.

Here is the message in question:

It’s a straightforward message, and they seem to specify what is currently being developed. So I think’s it safe to say that a 3rd character is also in development.

I know I'm looking into the wrong part of this statement, but I wonder if the final two not being in development yet could mean anything for characters from unreleased games. Could Sakurai purposely be waiting before starting on certain characters?

Anyways, it's an interesting comment to be sure. Don't know how significant it is for existing characters like Lycanroc though. Kinda just sounds like him saying, "We've started on two other characters. I hope you'll enjoy them."

 

[RandomAce]

I know I'm looking into the wrong part of this statement, but I wonder if the final two not being in development yet could mean anything for characters from unreleased games. Could Sakurai purposely be waiting before starting on certain characters?

Anyways, it's an interesting comment to be sure. Don't know how significant it is for existing characters like Lycanroc though. Kinda just sounds like him saying, "We've started on two other characters. I hope you'll enjoy them."

Could go either way. That could be the case where we do get Edelgard or Byleth later as one of the last DLC characters, but, I think they’re the only ones really left. The DLC roster was already decided by November 2018, and a lot of other possible character seem to be coming into the latter half of 2019, which I doubt was looked far into. We’ve already seen 2 big games getting delayed, one of them being FE: Three Houses that’s been pushed into Summer rather than Spring, meaning some things weren’t ready yet by the time DLC was picked.

 

[Cosmic77]

Could go either way. That could be the case where we do get Edelgard or Byleth later as one of the last DLC characters, but, I think they’re the only ones really left. The DLC roster was already decided by November 2018, and a lot of other possible character seem to be coming into the latter half of 2019, which I doubt was looked far into. We’ve already seen 2 big games getting delayed, one of them being FE: Three Houses that’s been pushed into Summer rather than Spring, meaning some things weren’t ready yet by the time DLC was picked.

Still, Nintendo themselves chose the DLC. That's a huge difference from Sakurai himself selecting the characters. While I don't know if they'd care about promoting certain games, I'm sure no game was truly "too late" for DLC. Nintendo is likely aware of where development stands on their bigger titles at any given time, and I can't imagine them not having a small idea of what new characters from said games could work in Smash.

 

[Delzethin]

Where do you believe they would announce the last dlc fighter? The game awards or the last regular direct of the year?

And if there happens to be another fighter's pass, when would that be announced? I could see them showing off an extra character after the fifth releases to tease a second dlc wave.

A Smash Direct, most likely. It'd be a place to show off whoever the last big reveal is, along with maybe saying "hey, we're doing a second wave" if they've already decided to. Or maybe they'd just keep quiet for a few months and then surprise people with it like DBFZ did. Who knows.

One timeframe that may end up happening could be something like this:
- Smash Direct in April focused on the v3.0 update, which they've alluded to including something significant gameplay-wise. Goes over details on Joker, who is made available shortly after the Direct just like Cloud was in the December 2015 one. Two character reveals, like with Corrin + Bayonetta or Roy + Ryu: a lower key first party character part way through and scheduled for a late June release, then Brave revealed at the end and scheduled for late August or September.
- Autumn Direct in September or October reveals the 4th character, another first party. Release date ends up in November-ish. An upcoming Smash Direct is alluded to, then given an airing date a few weeks later.
- Smash Direct in November or December that goes over another major update and unveils the 5th character, a guest fighter they've been saving for last. Probably set to release in January or early February 2020. Possibly also the point where they'd allude to a second wave happening if such a thing comes to pass, though they wouldn't need to announce it right away.

Sure, it's overly complex for a crackpot theory, but have you known me to half-ass anything? It's not in my nature.

I know I'm looking into the wrong part of this statement, but I wonder if the final two not being in development yet could mean anything for characters from unreleased games. Could Sakurai purposely be waiting before starting on certain characters?

Maybe? They're likely just keeping the workload reasonable for now, focusing on the characters whose release windows are closest. Once Joker's done, they'll be able to start work on Character #4, and so on and so forth.

Whether they would deliberately wait for, say, Edelgard or Byleth depends on if Sakurai was lying or stretching the truth when he said this wave was locked in last November.

Still, Nintendo themselves chose the DLC. That's a huge difference from Sakurai himself selecting the characters. While I don't know if they'd care about promoting certain games, I'm sure no game was truly "too late" for DLC. Nintendo is likely aware of where development stands on their bigger titles at any given time, and I can't imagine them not having a small idea of what new characters from said games could work in Smash.

It's not so much of having an idea now of how the characters could function, it's whether changes could happen between now and the games' launch dates that would render their portrayals in Smash outdated and incorrect a la Melee Roy. And we also don't know to what extent Nintendo is involved here--the idea that they must be imposing their will on Sakurai seems a little much, don't you think?

 

[RandomAce]

A Smash Direct, most likely. It'd be a place to show off whoever the last big reveal is, along with maybe saying "hey, we're doing a second wave" if they've already decided to. Or maybe they'd just keep quiet for a few months and then surprise people with it like DBFZ did. Who knows.

One timeframe that may end up happening could be something like this:
- Smash Direct in April focused on the v3.0 update, which they've alluded to including something significant gameplay-wise. Goes over details on Joker, who is made available shortly after the Direct just like Cloud was in the December 2015 one. Two character reveals, like with Corrin + Bayonetta or Roy + Ryu: a lower key first party character part way through and scheduled for a late June release, then Brave revealed at the end and scheduled for late August or September.
- Autumn Direct in September or October reveals the 4th character, another first party. Release date ends up in November-ish. An upcoming Smash Direct is alluded to, then given an airing date a few weeks later.
- Smash Direct in November or December that goes over another major update and unveils the 5th character, a guest fighter they've been saving for last. Probably set to release in January or early February 2020. Possibly also the point where they'd allude to a second wave happening if such a thing comes to pass, though they wouldn't need to announce it right away.

Sure, it's overly complex for a crackpot theory, but have you known me to half-*** anything? It's not in my nature.

So, are you predicting 3 Third Parties and 2 First Parties for this fighter pass? It’s what I think might happen.

In my opinion, I think it’s possible that we may be getting a bi-monthly release for DLC. The time span between the base game, Pirahna Plant, and now Joker seem to be two months apart, and I think that’s how the current pass could go.

February: Pirahna Plant
April: Joker
June: Fighter 2
August: Fighter 3
October: Fighter 4
December: Fighter 5

But seeing how it seems Fighters 1-3 seem to be far more completed than 4 and 5 who probably just started pre-production, I could 4 break that pattern, where 4 could be released 3 months later instead, 5 would probably continue the trend of being released 2 months after 4 though.

 

[LukeRNG]

Can someone explain to me the february 2020 window? Is it the latest all the dlc will be available or will the final dlc be released on that date?

 

[Guynamednelson]

Can someone explain to me the february 2020 window? Is it the latest all the dlc will be available or will the final dlc be released on that date?

The final DLC will be released by that time. Joker is said to be released by the end of April, for example, which could actually mean he's released on the 10th.

 

[Delzethin]

These are all the details you’re getting...until tomorrow. 😉

Set your alarms, Trainers—you don’t want to miss this Pokémon Day! ⏰ #PokemonDirect pic.twitter.com/SvMFzfsM5m

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) February 26, 2019

In just a day's time, we'll get our first look at the first new generation to call a full-fledged console home. Can you feel the tension, the nervousness in the air? Everyone is left wondering, hoping we see something worthwhile, something groundbreaking, a true evolution for the series. Or at least some further development in reasonable and practical ways.

What'll we see tomorrow? Hard to say. Gen 7 only gave us names, cover legendaries, and a glimpse at some concept art. Gen 6 showed gameplay and the new starters. There's precedent for a lot and a little, and we don't know what will come this time. Either way, though, expect talk of Gen 8 to dominate Smash speculation--whether warranted or not, it'll be popular to discuss.

As for our chances? Well, they're probably unaffected for now--unless Sakurai lied or stretched the truth about this entire wave of DLC being locked in last November, it'd have been too early for Gen 8 to have factored into their decisions. Character designs, movesets, details and mannerisms, all of them would've still been open to change in ways the Smash team wouldn't be able to account for mid-development. We've seen other characters miss the cut for these very reasons in the past, and so we've reason to believe it will (probably) happen again.

However...the further we go now, the more of outsiders we'll become. A lot of people going forward will be utterly convinced a Gen 8 newcomer must be the only option now, added or forced in ahead of schedule to cross-promote the games. It'll be brought up so often that even those outside this community will see the talk and assume it must be a sure thing because of how often it's deemed a sure thing. Regardless of whether the evidence lines up, it will be the popular belief, and anything that opposes it will be dismissed offhand, then shunned by those who want to fit in. And so...we need to plan accordingly. Somehow.

This won't be easy. Our very existence here will likely cause people to turn their noses up at us. I wish things were different, but I cannot ensure you it will be any better. Not in good faith.

Yet...you who have endured this whole way, even if you've merely lurked the thread and kept tabs from a distance, I hope you'll stay. I'd like to think we still have something worth supporting here, all the way until this batch of DLC is through.

So, onward we go. To whatever awaits us tomorrow. And hopefully to some kind of redemption some time beyond that...or at least something that doesn't leave us forgotten or scorned.

 

[RandomAce]

These are all the details you’re getting...until tomorrow. 😉

Set your alarms, Trainers—you don’t want to miss this Pokémon Day! ⏰ #PokemonDirect pic.twitter.com/SvMFzfsM5m

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) February 26, 2019

In just a day's time, we'll get our first look at the first new generation to call a full-fledged console home. Can you feel the tension, the nervousness in the air? Everyone is left wondering, hoping we see something worthwhile, something groundbreaking, a true evolution for the series. Or at least some further development in reasonable and practical ways.

What'll we see tomorrow? Hard to say. Gen 7 only gave us names, cover legendaries, and a glimpse at some concept art. Gen 6 showed gameplay and the new starters. There's precedent for a lot and a little, and we don't know what will come this time. Either way, though, expect talk of Gen 8 to dominate Smash speculation--whether warranted or not, it'll be popular to discuss.

As for our chances? Well, they're probably unaffected for now--unless Sakurai lied or stretched the truth about this entire wave of DLC being locked in last November, it'd have been too early for Gen 8 to have factored into their decisions. Character designs, movesets, details and mannerisms, all of them would've still been open to change in ways the Smash team wouldn't be able to account for mid-development. We've seen other characters miss the cut for these very reasons in the past, and so we've reason to believe it will (probably) happen again.

However...the further we go now, the more of outsiders we'll become. A lot of people going forward will be utterly convinced a Gen 8 newcomer must be the only option now, added or forced in ahead of schedule to cross-promote the games. It'll be brought up so often that even those outside this community will see the talk and assume it must be a sure thing because of how often it's deemed a sure thing. Regardless of whether the evidence lines up, it will be the popular belief, and anything that opposes it will be dismissed offhand, then shunned by those who want to fit in. And so...we need to plan accordingly. Somehow.

This won't be easy. Our very existence here will likely cause people to turn their noses up at us. I wish things were different, but I cannot ensure you it will be any better. Not in good faith.

Yet...you who have endured this whole way, even if you've merely lurked the thread and kept tabs from a distance, I hope you'll stay. I'd like to think we still have something worth supporting here, all the way until this batch of DLC is through.

So, onward we go. To whatever awaits us tomorrow. And hopefully to some kind of redemption some time beyond that...or at least something that doesn't leave us forgotten or scorned.

I’m interested in seeing how Lycanroc will look in this game and what changes they will make to them, and what will happen to line going forward.

Even then, I’ll still be here. Although, I’m interested in seeing what new Pokémon could show up, and what Game Freak has up their sleeves for them.

 

[Guynamednelson]

What'll we see tomorrow? Hard to say. Gen 7 only gave us names, cover legendaries, and a glimpse at some concept art. Gen 6 showed gameplay and the new starters. There's precedent for a lot and a little, and we don't know what will come this time. Either way, though, expect talk of Gen 8 to dominate Smash speculation--whether warranted or not, it'll be popular to discuss.

Nintendo of America's Tweet says the Direct will be roughly seven minutes. I think they could squeeze in a trailer for...something else..., but I don't think it'll be the new Detective Pikachu trailer, because that's supposed to drop today.

 

[MasteRMerF]

SO EXCITED. I really hope we get a similar reveal for Gen 8 like we did for Gen 6, where we got gameplay, the starters and the legendary Pokemon. If I'm remembering correctly, our initial reveal for Gen 7 was just the titles, which was honestly still pretty exciting. Getting the official titles will be nice, as the "NEW POKEMON SWITCH 2019 LEAKS TITLES REVEALED" can finally be put to rest

 

[Cosmic77]

I was thinking about the possibility of a Gen 8 Pokemon again, and y'know, I really think we shouldn't rule that out just yet.

As we already know, the DLC was decided by Nintendo and it was likely finalized before Ultimate was even released. However, we also know that Sakurai hasn't started on all the characters yet. According to him, he's only begun on three of the five.

So with all of that in mind, couldn't Nintendo reserve a spot for a nonspecific Gen 8 Pokemon? I think it's possible. If Sakurai were to work on the Pokemon as the last or second-to-last DLC character, he'd have plenty of time to look at his options. There would also likely be trailers by then, so the amount of accessible and finalized content would be abundant.

 

[Guynamednelson]

I was thinking about the possibility of a Gen 8 Pokemon again, and y'know, I really think we shouldn't rule that out just yet.

As we already know, the DLC was decided by Nintendo and it was likely finalized before Ultimate was even released. However, we also know that Sakurai hasn't started on all the characters yet. According to him, he's only begun on three of the five.

So with all of that in mind, couldn't Nintendo reserve a spot for a nonspecific Gen 8 Pokemon? I think it's possible. If Sakurai were to work on the Pokemon as the last or second-to-last DLC character, he'd have plenty of time to look at his options. There would also likely be trailers by then, so the amount of accessible and finalized content would be abundant.

They probably do have enough time for a character from a new game, but I can imagine Sakurai wanting to avoid characters whose games were released after Xenoblade 2, due to Rex's Mii costume being there because he's so new.

All in all, I think people are too worried that they'll shill the new games in the boogeyman franchises. Corrin wasn't included just to shove more FE in your face after all.

 

[Cosmic77]

They probably do have enough time for a character from a new game, but I can imagine Sakurai wanting to avoid characters whose games were released after Xenoblade 2, due to Rex's Mii costume being there because he's so new.

All in all, I think people are too worried that they'll shill the new games in the boogeyman franchises. Corrin wasn't included just to shove more FE in your face after all.

I think one huge difference between Smash 4 and now is the fact that Nintendo is responsible for the DLC this time. It's not really a matter of who Sakurai himself wants to add.

Rex not getting in could just be Nintendo thinking XC2 is too old for promotion and his addition wouldn't do much to boost sales. They'll probably be looking at titles that'll be fairly new by the time the DLC character would come out, like someone from Three Houses or (presumably) Gen 8. Of course, there's also the argument that Nintendo wouldn't care about promotion in the first place because some franchises like Pokémon seem to do well no matter what.

 

[Delzethin]

Half an hour to go. Hopefully they've done something impressive for this new generation.

I was thinking about the possibility of a Gen 8 Pokemon again, and y'know, I really think we shouldn't rule that out just yet.

As we already know, the DLC was decided by Nintendo and it was likely finalized before Ultimate was even released. However, we also know that Sakurai hasn't started on all the characters yet. According to him, he's only begun on three of the five.

So with all of that in mind, couldn't Nintendo reserve a spot for a nonspecific Gen 8 Pokemon? I think it's possible. If Sakurai were to work on the Pokemon as the last or second-to-last DLC character, he'd have plenty of time to look at his options. There would also likely be trailers by then, so the amount of accessible and finalized content would be abundant.

Well, remember, these characters also take a long time to develop; they can't just pencil in a spot and then hash someone together in just a few weeks later on. Even Corrin took over half a year from start to finish, based on the timeline we know of! It's at a point where even if they'd penciled in a spot back in November, they'd still have to risk jumping the gun on a character and creating another Melee Roy situation no matter which 'mon eventually caught their attention.

We shouldn't rule it out 100%, but at the same time it's enough to seriously second-guess it, or at least not act like it's a sure thing to the point of blowing off anything that wonders otherwise. Things aren't so black-and-white, you know?

They probably do have enough time for a character from a new game, but I can imagine Sakurai wanting to avoid characters whose games were released after Xenoblade 2, due to Rex's Mii costume being there because he's so new.

All in all, I think people are too worried that they'll shill the new games in the boogeyman franchises. Corrin wasn't included just to shove more FE in your face after all.

Rex not getting in could just be Nintendo thinking XC2 is too old for promotion and his addition wouldn't do much to boost sales. They'll probably be looking at titles that'll be fairly new by the time the DLC character would come out, like someone from Three Houses or (presumably) Gen 8. Of course, there's also the argument that Nintendo wouldn't care about promotion in the first place because some franchises like Pokémon seem to do well no matter what.

It seems more like it came down to wanting to have Rex in the base game (sort of) in some form, to the point where it...prioritized leaving the door open for him to be fully playable through DLC. Which is...weird, considering they may have made certain creative decisions--very few new stages, an unusually early cutoff date for the roster, etc.--with the idea in mind that they were going to do DLC eventually. Maybe they didn't want to take any chances and risk Rex getting outprioritized during DLC and getting left out entirely?

 

[LukeRNG]

After watching the direct i have some things to say:
Sword and Shield are not the names i expected.
The rumors of the UK seem to have been correct.
The region looks gorgeous and i can't wait to explore it. Also gyms are back.
The new starters are going to take a while to grow on me as of right now. (I'm might be torn between The Fire Rabbit & the Water Snail).

 

[Cosmic77]

Okay so...

These figures look REALLY similar to Lycanroc (doubt they are though since it's an entirely new region). If the Duck Hunt character is real, then we might have some competition.

 

[Garteam]

Here's my thoughts on Sword/Shield:
The new region looks amazing. I was always a little iffy on the idea of a United Kingdom region, but hot damn was I ever wrong. You can tell they're getting a lot of milage out of the setting. Plus, the game looks spectacular artistically.

I'm a little more mixed on the starters. There's something about their designs that just aren't clicking with me yet. I think it may be the eyes. I'm leaning towards Scorbunny, but I'll probably wait to see their evolutions before choosing which one to pick up.

I'm also a tiny bit disappointed on how linear the game looks. I was kinda hoping that this would be Pokemon's Breath of the Wild or Odyssey: a game which critical evaluates it's series' conventions and redefines how things are done. Granted, that was always wishful thinking on my part.

Okay so...

These figures look REALLY similar to Lycanroc (doubt they are though since it's an entirely new region). If the Duck Hunt character is real, then we might have some competition.

I don't think those are real Pokemon. They look a little too generic, in my opinion.

I do think Lycanroc will be part of the Galar Dex. It seems they're taking the Kalos route and stuffing the dex full of fan favourites, and Lycanroc is pretty much the most iconic Alola Pokemon that isn't a starter. Lycanroc also fits relatively well into the European aesthetic of Galar (Midnight especially, given the European origins of the werewolf). This probably has no impact on Smash, but just something fun to note.

 

[Delzethin]

So, Sword and Shield it is.

What we saw looks promising. The engine is a huge step up from Gen 7's and seems to truly be utilizing the increase in power the Switch brings. The Galar region is giving me Kalos vibes in how vibrant and varied its locales are, with its own apparently-British flair, of course. The starters...well, let's wait and see on those. And the use of heraldic wolf motifs in the logos has me curious if they're tying into lore or the cover legends or the like.

So far, no new 'mons immediately stuck out as anyone they're going all in on ASAP like with Zoroark, so I think we're hanging on as expected. Especially since the games are coming near the end of the year as usual, meaning there's a serious question of whether anyone from Sword and Shield would've been ready last November. So, looks like we keep going as long as we can until this wave is through, just with something interesting to keep tabs on while we're at it.


I really need to find more varied screenshots.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

These are all the details you’re getting...until tomorrow. 😉

Set your alarms, Trainers—you don’t want to miss this Pokémon Day! ⏰ #PokemonDirect pic.twitter.com/SvMFzfsM5m

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) February 26, 2019

As for our chances? Well, they're probably unaffected for now--unless Sakurai lied or stretched the truth about this entire wave of DLC being locked in last November, it'd have been too early for Gen 8 to have factored into their decisions. Character designs, movesets, details and mannerisms, all of them would've still been open to change in ways the Smash team wouldn't be able to account for mid-development. We've seen other characters miss the cut for these very reasons in the past, and so we've reason to believe it will (probably) happen again.

However...the further we go now, the more of outsiders we'll become. A lot of people going forward will be utterly convinced a Gen 8 newcomer must be the only option now, added or forced in ahead of schedule to cross-promote the games. It'll be brought up so often that even those outside this community will see the talk and assume it must be a sure thing because of how often it's deemed a sure thing. Regardless of whether the evidence lines up, it will be the popular belief, and anything that opposes it will be dismissed offhand, then shunned by those who want to fit in. And so...we need to plan accordingly. Somehow.

This won't be easy. Our very existence here will likely cause people to turn their noses up at us. I wish things were different, but I cannot ensure you it will be any better. Not in good faith.
So, onward we go. To whatever awaits us tomorrow. And hopefully to some kind of redemption some time beyond that...or at least something that doesn't leave us forgotten or scorned.

Spoiler

There were no pitchforks with Smash 4 DLC, there were no pitchforks when Smash Ultimate was announced and there were no pitchforks with the leaks nor Incineroar's reveal. The world is not out to get you and your doomsday army metaphor has rarely held up, if at all

 

[Garteam]

We may have our first leak, seeing how this was posted to 4Chan on Thursday and it got both the title and region location right, it may be worth discussing.

Spoiler

If this is true, then there are some pretty interesting things we can infer from this:
-The wolves in the logo are not the legendaries, meaning they probably aren't real Pokemon (unless they put a generic Pokemon in the logo for some reason).
-Armoured evolutions are an interesting concept, it could hint that Gen 8 is doing what Gen 6 is, focusing on Pokemon who have already proven themselves to be popular by giving them new toys rather than creating a Lucario/Zoroark to be popular.
-On the other hand, Melmetal may very well be this generation's Lucario/Zoroark, seeing how they are directly connected to what is presumably a major gimmick.
-If armoured evolutions are real, I think Lycanroc stands a fairly decent chance at getting one. Every generation will probably get a handful and we know Gen 7's first one goes to Zeraora. Other than Zeraora, the Pokemon that stand a good chance at getting an armour evolution are the starters, Lycanroc, and Mimikyu. I don't think Mimikyu will get one, as it's whole gimmick is being a poorly made Halloween costume, which a set of armour would ruin. The Alolan starters could get some, but there's so much competition among other starters who may stand a better chance at getting one (the Gen 3 starters, Gen 4 starters, and Greninja all spring to mind). Plus, armour may look awkward on Incineroar and especially Primarina (Decidueye's archer aesthetic does make an easy transition though). That just kinda leaves us, although creating armour for all 3 forms may be excessive. Perhaps only Dusk will get one?

Of course, this could just be the ramblings of a mad man who got early access to the trailer and made up the rest of the information. Likewise, he could just be extremely lucky and guessed the correct info.

 

[GlaceonGD]

Something I'd like to point out, in the trailer we very briefly saw wishiwashi, a gen 7 pokemon, which means it is completely possible we will be seeing more and one of those other gen 7 mons could be lycanroc. If lycanroc is coming back in this gen it could possibly raise our chances a bit more, and if it gets another form well, that would be pretty beneficial too. As for my opinions on the game, I'm in love with the graphics, I really don't like the starters, and I wish they had made the male trainer look a bit better.

 

[Guynamednelson]

The wolf imagery is...very interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some mythology about Lycanroc being a descendant of the new box legendaries, like how XY added to Lucario's lore.

 

[RandomAce]

Okay so...

These figures look REALLY similar to Lycanroc (doubt they are though since it's an entirely new region). If the Duck Hunt character is real, then we might have some competition.

They aren’t real Pokémon, since they’re apart of the logo and both look exactly the same. But they do remind me of Lycanroc a bit (the tuffs of hair on the sides are more notably). So let’s not fret right away when there’s a lot we don’t know.

Pokémon Sword and Shield? I feel like GameFreak is running out of names to use, but still works better than some other names suggested. The region looks great, the graphics are a great step up, and the overall feel of the game is overall an improvement.

I do have some gripes. Although the look of the game improved, I still feel that the Pokémon models (and characters and models in general) still look vaguely similar to Gen 7, but with more clearer, “ressed up” textures. I kinda wish they added more detail, like fur, scales, etc. and look a bit more realistic. The world also feels a little linear, such as small paths and random occurrences coming back. Yes, this was the case for previous entries, but still it’s on home console now. The starters, also don’t really click to me. Something about them is missing, unlike with Gen 7. Of course we’ll have to wait until the all the evolutions are revealed, but so far it’s not a good impression on me.

As for Lycanroc. I’m pretty sure Lycanroc will appear again with all of it’s forms. Rockruff and Lycanroc are popular Pokémon, and they had a pretty good run so far, so I don’t think Game Freak is gonna skip out on them. To be honest, they actually make a bit more sense to be in Galar than Alola since Galar is based in the UK, and wolves (especially werewolves) are more common and associated with England than a region based on Hawaii.

I’m curious to see what they look like in this game, and I’m hoping GameFreak can make some additions to them. Mega Evolutions, or whatever evolution Game Freak is doing. Anything? Please?

 

[Cosmic77]

They aren’t real Pokémon, since they’re apart of the logo and both look exactly the same. But they do remind me of Lycanroc a bit (the tuffs of hair on the sides are more notably). So let’s not fret right away when there’s a lot we don’t know.

I wouldn't rule out the possibility of these being real Pokemon just yet. Even if they look identical, there might be a significant reason why they're included in the logo. Obiously they weren't required to illustrate a sword and shield.

I'd keep an eye on them just in case. Could just be a reference to Britain's lore, but I have a hard time seeing GF adding a non-existent Pokemon on the cover of their games.

 

[GlaceonGD]

I wouldn't rule out the possibility of these being real Pokemon just yet. Even if they look identical, there might be a significant reason why they're included in the logo. Obiously they weren't required to illustrate a sword and shield.

I'd keep an eye on them just in case. Could just be a reference to Britain's lore, but I have a hard time seeing GF adding a non-existent Pokemon on the cover of their games.

On the topic of that, I've had one theory concerning them. It could be possible that both games have the same legendary, but depending on which game you get the legendary's stats make it an attacker (sword) or defender (shield), with slight design variations between the two. Just something I thought of, probably not the case but it's always fun to speculate.

 

[RandomAce]

I wouldn't rule out the possibility of these being real Pokemon just yet. Even if they look identical, there might be a significant reason why they're included in the logo. Obiously they weren't required to illustrate a sword and shield.

I'd keep an eye on them just in case. Could just be a reference to Britain's lore, but I have a hard time seeing GF adding a non-existent Pokemon on the cover of their games.

The problem is that, they’re kinda generic looking.

If they had more a distinct design, like fur pattern, ears, whatever, I’d put a lot more thought into it. But rather, they seem to be on the generic side of wolf designs you see on a lot of other logos. It could be possible that this is just some liberty choice, there are plenty of examples where animals are used as emblems for logos and plastered onto weapons, and Sword and Shield make it work well in that regard.

I’ll keep it in mind. However, I think it’s possible that it means nothing. 50/50. But if it does mean something...

The wolf imagery is...very interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some mythology about Lycanroc being a descendant of the new box legendaries, like how XY added to Lucario's lore.

This could work. If this does hint at elements based on wolves like folklore or the like being used in the upcoming games, unless Game Freak decided to make another Pokémon based on wolves, Lycanroc is the defacto Wolf Pokemon (literally in the dex), and it could be possible that they are still planning on using Lycanroc into this upcoming generation. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t Europe in general have a lot of stuff related to wolves? It could work. Plus, we’ve seen multiple examples of Pokémon from older generations (aside from the obvious Pikachu, Mewtwo, and Charizard) still being used in future generations.

Of course, this is all sort of going into straw-grasping territory, so take this with a grain of salt, as it’s possible Lycanroc wouldn’t be used at all, or very little.

But here’s hoping.

 

[Deleted member]

Spoiler

View attachment 194911

There were no pitchforks with Smash 4 DLC, there were no pitchforks when Smash Ultimate was announced and there were no pitchforks with the leaks nor Incineroar's reveal. The world is not out to get you and your doomsday army metaphor has rarely held up, if at all

This.
The constant victimization is really starting to get old...