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Dixie Kong's Barrel Of Support Spirits. Farewell Everyone, Thank You ALL For Making This Thread An Excellent Place For DK Fans!

Phoenix Douchebag

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I think i had made my choice, and i will leave Smashboards. Honestly i don't even post in most forums of this site, and my personal circle of friends barely post in the private messages (which is the closest thing we have to Social Threads for Users ever since Smashboards killed them off, yes im still bitter about that)

So after Chronobound posts his final essay, i think im gone for good. This time i may leave for real. I tried to do that back in 2015, then again in 2018, but no with no new Smash game in the horizon and me feeling like i no longer fit in this site (outside of a few threads like this) makes me feel alienated. I guess its in my nature to leave.
 

BKupa666

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I'll echo LiveStudioAudience LiveStudioAudience , this thread truly has been an oasis on these forums, a sort of time capsule to a bygone era that has been a complete joy to follow over the last several years. Starting with the ballot and continuing through Ultimate, Smash speculation has become almost entirely de-centralized from these forums, in my opinion to its detriment. Having quality fan content here doesn't seem to make the splash it once did; it feels like a drop in the bucket of Smash discourse compared to the tens of thousands of reactions one can get from posting an insipid "scribbo bilbo" meme on Twitter. But just because the fanbase zeitgeist has changed doesn't mean there's no merit to sticking around and fostering a meaningful community here — far from it.

With as many roadblocks as Dixie has encountered since Brawl, the fact that her thread has remained such a sunny atmosphere is nothing short of remarkable. There's credit due all around, to BirthNote BirthNote for being an effective threadrunner and to all thread regulars for contributing in your own individual way to its upbeat culture. To the extent I have any advice where Dixie in Smash is concerned, it's to keep doing exactly what you're doing, raising her profile in detailed, analytical and celebratory ways. It's readily apparent that having the most thread posts or a fan campaign doesn't equate to characters getting in Smash — barring acts of God, like the ballot or Nintendo Treehouse vouching, it's a crapshoot based on ads and what tickles Sakurai's fancy. That said, positive support never hurts, and Dixie fans seem to have reached a zen state where they're able to show it regardless of what influence they're able to exert over roster picks, which is deeply admirable.

Of note, as far as positive support goes, the DK fanbase on the whole is on the precipice of having ample opportunity to show it, with a new game, theme park and (potential) Illumination movie coming down the pike. How Dixie will factor into those remains to be seen, but looking ahead to future Smash titles (which feels wrong, given Ultimate -just- ended, but I digress), the timing of Nintendo's upcoming DK push feels finally right to make an impact. With any luck, Sakurai and Nintendo will extrapolate from K. Rool's reception and acknowledge the love people have for Rare's supporting DK cast with the next base roster. At least, I think the fans who assume the next base roster of Nintendo's fighting series will add exclusively third party characters, just because of how DLC shook out, are in for a rude awakening. Dixie remains an underdog favorite, and I'm eager to see where her character journey takes her, and her fans, next.
 
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Ridley_Prime

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There was a problem fetching the tweet

Like Smash 4 that quickly came and went, so was the case with its modding, but the future of Ultimate I can tell will have a stellar modding scene in comparison.
 

BirthNote

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Well, the end is very much near. I've updated the OP with links to the NintenZone Thread as well as the Tumblr Support Page and wrote a brief message regarding the thread, but I haven't been able to comment much due to being busy elsewhere. I'll be migrating over to the All Purpose DK Thread after this one closes but in the meantime there's some things I'd like to do before the clock hits zero.

In regards to movesets, I want to make a massive template for fighter speculation that people can use when the next Smash gets announced. Here's a WIP:

The idea is to basically have a massive pool of ideas for people to mix and match so that they build their own set for her. That should counter any "No Moveset Potential!" detractors when she comes up in future speculation. That pic above is just a sample however, the finished piece will likely have a transparent background, but if anyone has suggestions on how to organize it better feel free to share.

In the meantime, the fan tournament that Super Flygon has made began a few days back! Have a look:
This is good for keeping Dixie in the minds of current and future Smash Speculators. While it won't affect who gets in, it's a good way to make sure Dixie's an idea outside fanbases can digest when her name pops up. Let's get Dixie to Round 2 before October 23rd!
I'll echo LiveStudioAudience LiveStudioAudience , this thread truly has been an oasis on these forums, a sort of time capsule to a bygone era that has been a complete joy to follow over the last several years. Starting with the ballot and continuing through Ultimate, Smash speculation has become almost entirely de-centralized from these forums, in my opinion to its detriment. Having quality fan content here doesn't seem to make the splash it once did; it feels like a drop in the bucket of Smash discourse compared to the tens of thousands of reactions one can get from posting an insipid "scribbo bilbo" meme on Twitter. But just because the fanbase zeitgeist has changed doesn't mean there's no merit to sticking around and fostering a meaningful community here — far from it.

With as many roadblocks as Dixie has encountered since Brawl, the fact that her thread has remained such a sunny atmosphere is nothing short of remarkable. There's credit due all around, to BirthNote BirthNote for being an effective threadrunner and to all thread regulars for contributing in your own individual way to its upbeat culture. To the extent I have any advice where Dixie in Smash is concerned, it's to keep doing exactly what you're doing, raising her profile in detailed, analytical and celebratory ways. It's readily apparent that having the most thread posts or a fan campaign doesn't equate to characters getting in Smash — barring acts of God, like the ballot or Nintendo Treehouse vouching, it's a crapshoot based on ads and what tickles Sakurai's fancy. That said, positive support never hurts, and Dixie fans seem to have reached a zen state where they're able to show it regardless of what influence they're able to exert over roster picks, which is deeply admirable.

Of note, as far as positive support goes, the DK fanbase on the whole is on the precipice of having ample opportunity to show it, with a new game, theme park and (potential) Illumination movie coming down the pike. How Dixie will factor into those remains to be seen, but looking ahead to future Smash titles (which feels wrong, given Ultimate -just- ended, but I digress), the timing of Nintendo's upcoming DK push feels finally right to make an impact. With any luck, Sakurai and Nintendo will extrapolate from K. Rool's reception and acknowledge the love people have for Rare's supporting DK cast with the next base roster. At least, I think the fans who assume the next base roster of Nintendo's fighting series will add exclusively third party characters, just because of how DLC shook out, are in for a rude awakening. Dixie remains an underdog favorite, and I'm eager to see where her character journey takes her, and her fans, next.
Thank you very much. I didn't know how this thread would turn out back in 2017; I've been insulated from a lot of the stuff happening elsewhere and rarely would browse other threads, so it's a really refreshing thing to see all the praise this place got as we came to the end. Since DK has gone somewhat dormant during Ultimate's Hype Cycles, I figured it'd be best to keep the love and appreciation for DK alive. Luckily, there seems to be big plans for a new DK push by Nintendo, so when the new game does get announced, we'll have places to celebrate it and grow the fandom. Thanks again for the encouragement.

I think i had made my choice, and i will leave Smashboards. Honestly i don't even post in most forums of this site, and my personal circle of friends barely post in the private messages (which is the closest thing we have to Social Threads for Users ever since Smashboards killed them off, yes im still bitter about that)

So after Chronobound posts his final essay, i think im gone for good. This time i may leave for real. I tried to do that back in 2015, then again in 2018, but no with no new Smash game in the horizon and me feeling like i no longer fit in this site (outside of a few threads like this) makes me feel alienated. I guess its in my nature to leave.
Sucks to see you go, but I respect your decision. Thanks for sticking around this long Phoenix, take care.


..............................................


There'll be a couple of final thoughts and restructuring of the OP before the lockdown. I'm looking forward to cataloguing ChronoBound's essay if possible, but otherwise everyone, feel free to stick around until the lights go out. see y'all tomorrow.
 

Diddy Kong

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Thanks for leaving us that wonderful picture of Dixie's moves which you drew with such passion and creativity, I really think that you did a great job with this thread BirthNote BirthNote ! If life allows me to, am planning on sticking around for the next Smash, even if I admit I didn't play much Ultimate as I should (I'm not around my Smash playing friends a lot) I'll always be a Smash fan.

I'm also actively sticking around for Dixie since I'd most definitely make her one of the characters I play with a lot. I supported K.Rool more for the fact he's K.Rool than actively wanting to play the character. Always knew that in my heart. Am also pretty confident that if she's at least based around Diddy's move set, she likely will be a High Tier character at least. It's something to look forward to, as I do enjoy winning lol

I'm also looking forward to the closure post of ChronoBound ChronoBound , and am happy such a passionate Smash speculate veteran , who's been around as long as I and lead the extremely passionate Roy support thread back between Brawl and Smash 4, here and choose to give Dixie this same level of love and passion. Always respected your input, and am sure it's gonna be a good read.

If we don't here from each other again, I hope life blesses you all with the full riches it has to offer.
 

BravadoMan_13

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Hey everyone, I actually wound up being busy so I missed the live direct, but I'm happy that Sora was the final character. He's a great high note to end it on; back in the Brawl speculation, before I joined smashboards I thought it'd be funny seeing Sora mistake Metaknight for a heartless if he ever showed up. I also worried that Sora would mix Smash with Disney and Final Fantasy; back then Cloud and Sephiroth weren't possible, but it's funny looking back at what 14 year old me thought. It's excellent that Sora was the true ballot winner. We all know Bayonetta wasn't pulling in massive numbers compared to gaming behemoths lol, but I'm glad Sora's in. I only have Banjo as DLC, so eventually I'll buy Sora as well.

So, we're rolling the credits on Ultimate speculation. I'm extremely happy how this thread turned out. A lot of fandoms can be very bitter, toxic and delusional, usually spending their time s**t talking their competition instead of appreciating their own character. I didn't want that for this thread. Dixie's felt overlooked in general, whether it was in her home series or Smash Speculation and I kinda felt bad for her. She was my favorite Kong to use in my 1st playthroughs of DKC2, 3 and TF and I figured we'd share that appreciation here. We've had discussions, disagreements and occasionally arguments (Echoes lol), but it wasn't hostile 99% of the time. You all have kept this thread alive; I'd lurk almost daily to see how things are flowing but there was a lot of times when I couldn't jump in because I was busy with something IRL, so the most I could do was leave a Like. Seriously, thank you all for being regular members of the Barrel. Diddy Kong, Valkyrie, Snowbound, Live Studio, @Guybrush20X6 , SeashoreWar SeashoreWar , @Mushroomguy12 , @SonicSmasher1 , @Justin Little , @DeniroSerafim , Handy Man Handy Man , Ridley_Prime Ridley_Prime , Phoenix Douchebag Phoenix Douchebag , @Mariomaniac45213 , @Ed-boy (Rolf!), @ZeroJanitor , ChronoBound ChronoBound , @True Blue Warrior , @Arymle Roseanne , @Kritter , @Vector Victor , @White Frost , @Mikegamer0608 , @Wario Wario Wario , @Laniv , @Strong DK , @Dinoman96 , @KirbyWorshipper2465 , @GoodGrief741 , @ZelDan , @StrangeKitten , @zipzapsparkle , @pupNapoleon , BravadoMan_13 BravadoMan_13 , BKupa666 BKupa666 have all kept this thread alive in many ways. I also wanna thank everyone for liking my artwork! My biggest hope with it is that it changed minds and helped people appreciate Dixie as a character. I don't expect Dixie to play like how I illustrated her; as long as it inspires others and encourages ideas I achieved my goal.

Also @cybersai THANK YOU for advocating for Dixie on GameFAQs. I see you over there from time to time and some of the users give you a hard time for supporting Dixie, but you don't let it stop you. Mad respect.

Thanks man, glad you stayed active throughout all these years. I'll be around too...probably. Not sure if I'll start the next thread ATM, but I'll see how smashboards is doing and the general mood. It's definitely been disappointing though. I mainly approach the hype cycle going "It'll be cool if Dixie gets in, but I'll live if she doesn't." Just been keeping expectations low for the most part and spectating rather than speculating. Still I'm in a good mood, I'd rather an ending than endless speculation lol.

Thank you for making coming here! DK does indeed get written off by most communities, and it sucks because DKC was such a huge portion of my childhood; when I was a kid in Brooklyn, everyone was playing DK, Super Mario, Playstation, or Sonic on SEGA's systems. It felt like everyone knew who these characters were; I know it was the 90's and here we are about 30 years later lol, but I figured there has to be dedicated DK fandoms on the internet. The reason why there isn't is a long story that we witnessed in the 2000's, but I'm glad this thread was a place for appreciating this series. Honestly, no fan could do this all alone, I was excited to contribute art occasionally and very happy that Seashore would share his ideas, Mushroomguy posting art he found from twitter or @donkeykong_downunder showing the plushies from instagram. It was like everyone got a chance to shine, even the conversations and topics people came up with were fun reads at the very least. Thank you for being a regular part of this thread, and I'm honored that you found this Barrel to be so welcoming.

I love it, as usual. I legit suck at social media optimization, and I'm INCREDIBLY happy that you've been part of Dixie's twitter campaign! Truth be told, you have a talent for this Snowbound and I thank you very much for making the twitter thread what it is. Also, your feedback on adding the Smash Bros moniker to my illustrations is such a good idea, I didn't even think to do that lol. You've been a huge help and presence in both this thread and twitter, and I truly appreciate that. Thank you.

And of course, @Sabertooth deserves a lot of praise for starting the twitter campaign. Thank you both.

...Wow. Ever since the pandemic started, I've gone around painting local scenery as a way to pass the time. Whether it was a shopping mall, a beach or the wilderness, there was an empty yet peaceful feeling to the world in spite of the anxiety of the virus. The pictures you've shared are beautiful and they remind me of that. I would be so eager to go out and paint scenery like that before the sun set and it was too dark to see. I'm actually tempted to paint those photos you've shared as well.

Honestly, what you wrote is profound. I'm really glad this thread has done a lot for so many people. We've kept a consistent vibe for 4 years and 6.5 months, that's an accomplishment in and of itself. Also don't sweat not being able to post much, real life is more important and it was always good to see your posts when you did stop by. I'm not sure where my life will take me, but as long as it's stable I'll have some time to show up on smashboards.

..............

Hopefully DK gets a renaissance that elevates Diddy, K. Rool, Dixie, Cranky and Lanky. In the meantime this thread will stay up until it gets locked. If y'all want to keep posting feel free. There's always new art I can post in the final month(s), but the show's over. Thank you to everyone who posted and stuck around.
Thank you BirthNote BirthNote for the shoutout.

It's hard to believe that the Ultimate speculation period has come to an end. It has been a wild ride for us all to say the least. Though honestly, I'm kinda glad to see the speculation period end because I felt that it was dragging on a lot longer that it had to. My interest in Smash waned a bit as I haven't played the game in months, but I still kept checked on this thread occasionally. It's still baffling that Dixie is still on the outside looking in when there were various opportunities to do so. Though this means that Dixie is among the leading contenders for 1st party newcomers come the next game. We can only hope that the rumored DK Switch title with a major Dixie role can help bolster her popularity.

This thread is easily one of the best ones I've been around. You all share the same enthusiasm and passion for the DKC series and Dixie. I do hope one day Dixie will get her moment to shine on the biggest stage. Like I've said before, Dixie and Waluigi are two of the biggest glaring omissions of the roster. It would feel a lot more complete to have them in. Still, it's hard to believe that we got K. Rool, Ridley, and Banjo & Kazooie, with 3 of them being Rare staples,
all in the same game. I'm so thankful that Sakurai listened to the fans and delivered big time. I'll keeping on advocating for Dixie in Smash as long as I can even though I'm not getting any younger lol. Even though the direction of the DLC went in a direction that I wasn't too big of a fan of, I still always will be a Smash fan.

ChronoBound ChronoBound , I look forward to reading your in depth analysis one more time. It's always great to see a fellow Smash fan who has been passionate for the series for many years. Thank you for your contributions over the years.

I want to thank Birthnote for running a great thread for the past few years. I couldn't have done it better. I also want to thank all of you fellow Dixie fans in this thread. It was great to see that positivity be consistent without getting toxic or too out of control. I do plan on sticking around because it's great to be around you guys and the support for one of Nintendo's best franchises. So I hope to see you in the new DK thread after this thread closes.
 

~ Valkyrie ~

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Whoopsie, early Enter-button mashing. Was in middle of a post-writing after coming back.

I might end up doing a double-post so hopefully any moderator can come around to combine my following post on this one. (Why can't we delete our posts...)
 
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Megadoomer

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Whoopsie, early Enter-button mashing. Was in middle of a post-writing after coming back.

I might end up doing a double-post so hopefully any moderator can come around to combine my following post on this one. (Why can't we delete our posts...)
I think it's a forum limitation, though I'm not 100% sure. (I don't know the inner workings/behind the scenes stuff of the type of forum that we use)
 

~ Valkyrie ~

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Been taking good bit of break-time from coming back from the camping trip.

It's been quite a while since the penultimate reveal... and I must say, Sora finishing this with a bang was nothing short of a perfect way to send this particularly unreal installment of the series off.

Nonetheless I ended ruminating on more what to feel about my current investment and active speculation on this series for about a decade or so now, and where I'd go from here...

Sometimes I keep feeling like I might have perhaps ended enjoying Smash-series a little bit more if I just came from a place of wanting it to be this current Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny"-type of game, like a lot people from days of making dream matchups between various big videogame characters with Smash Bros serving as the battling grounds. I remember merely wanting to play as some lesser-known but really amazing stars of Nintendo's more obscurer or cult-classic catalogue - alas, it seems in recurring ways it wasn't that much meant to be as time went on with how many of them were still brought back as Assists, with most notable one from thesse periods getting picked up being Little Mac back in Smash 4-era. (Even then IDK if I like how kinda devoid of Punch-Out-centric characters or cameos it is when it comes to representing his series.)

Now don't get me wrong, Ultimate really has delivered beyond what most of have even imagined outside of niche character additions (and omitting some notable side characters or protagonists from the trademark IPs, of course one of them being Dixie) - though in some ways I feel it might have suffered from other ends when it focused so much on the dream matchups and new shiny 3rd Parties that when we go away from that, the game's still kind of plagued with problems that had me not bother coming back to it:

- The utterly shoddy quickplay online that has ended more or less allowing "scrubby" get carried around to easy victories while skilled or seasoned players are forced to wrestle with lag more than the actual match for control of their character (and I had bought LAN-adapter + bridged my connection to NAT A before)

- Many DLC-characters practically outshining ton of the old veterans of Smash-series, indicating the latter really need to be given major updates to really feel interesting to come back to

- Not that much to do in Single-Player after Spirit Battles and Classic Mode's been done with (though of course we have had the well-improved Stage Builder, which is pretty neat timesink)

Knowing how we lost some neat staples from the series like Trophies, not getting more fun modes back from Smash 4 like Smash Run (Gosh would it have been such a perfect complement to the local multiplayer), it does thin out Ultimate on certain focal points which some hadn't gotten much noticeable improvement. Combined with speculation era dragging on really long, did kinda exhaust me quite a while, and has me think I might only come back to the series if the existing characters and the general gameplay is given new overhaul to revisit them over spending most of my focus on wishing for certain characters to pop in just to bolster the roster to my own satisfactory bias.

Though again, that depends on if the "next" Smash-game's gonna stick exlusively on 3rd Party-additions + newer Nintendo-IP repping as has happened before - with perhaps less chances for the base roster to have big hitters from the veteran/fan-favourite cult like Ridley and K.Rool, depending on how just much Nintendo and Sakurai view likes of Waluigi, Isaac, Toad or Dixie to be enough interesting, and/or hype-inducing enough to warrant inclusion along all the promotion or budget that comes with it. Still, it's pretty likely that the next Smash's gonna feel practically far from the current end of the spectrum we have reached with Ultimate regarding it's highly 3rd Part-centric content of it's roster.

Ultimately, I feel the series I remember growing up with as a more Nintendo-centric crossover doesn't seem to make sense existing as it used to now with how just much the series had shifted on 3rd Party-centric dream matchups more than anything - I guess it makes me not feel like a "geared fan" as much anymore, since I feel it's become more notable to see Smash-series as merely collection of pop-culture shaking events centering more or less to "Mario VS *Insert big VG Icon here", over letting me explore play as my own favorite brand of Nintendo All-Star and just see Nintendo celebrate it's catalogue beyond their most profitable or trademarked ones (some cult-classics withstanding). Probably this is why I feel kinda more on side of not coming back on the series as an active fan anymore if this is the way the series continues, and even then I'm getting sadly older and older as I speak, being at the other half of my middle age by the time this decade would come to a close. But on the more progressive end, I'm at least looking to exlusively playing Ultimate more in more competitive local circles around my parts if really wanting to get most out of it.


As before, I'm still going to cherish deeply on being part of this community, in spite of my sporadic appearances. The social media side of Smash has generally made me avoid using Twitter and following Smash-centric accounts, especially during the reveal periods with how just abundant the occurrences of peoples' true colors come out during that time in the middle of genuinely sweet, heartfelt celebration and appreciation. - Like I had said in my previous post, Geno really got such an awful brunt of this stick around a year soon now, and nowadays I've seen people pit Sora as sadistic avatar for their egocentric trashing of Waluigi again.

Gonna be poignantly waiting for the final posts from you BirthNote BirthNote and ChronoBound ChronoBound - thanks again for mentions. I remember having to write the whole thing in one flow of an evening due somewhat limited time to spend on my own at the camp. Really happy it touched on so many here.

In that end, I do dearly wish we'll sometimes get to see ourselves trading hellos when DK-centric news come in the new DK General Thread. Until then, it might be time I really settle on my somewhat normal life - and let my muse finally rise back into the vast blue skies.




(Do not worry, I'm not going to change my username due how deeply entrenched it's become around in Smashboards, much to my surprise. I'll always appearing here as the Holy Maiden Warrior.)


BirthNote said:

...Wow. Ever since the pandemic started, I've gone around painting local scenery as a way to pass the time. Whether it was a shopping mall, a beach or the wilderness, there was an empty yet peaceful feeling to the world in spite of the anxiety of the virus. The pictures you've shared are beautiful and they remind me of that. I would be so eager to go out and paint scenery like that before the sun set and it was too dark to see. I'm actually tempted to paint those photos you've shared as well.

Boy, you're in for a luck. These photos sure were hard for me to comb by to really pick the best bits to show more around for you all:



Särkitunturi:





Pallastunturi:

















Consider these personal gifts of mine to the thread and it's supporters~ do check in now and then as I try to stuff this post with ton of incredible photos. Now and then being in middle of them had me feel enveloped to a world far away from our reality, especially in the snowy peaks of Pallastunturi...I can only wonder just how much they come to evoke the same sense of awe to scenery we saw in Northern Kremisphere.


 
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LiveStudioAudience

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This day is so odd to me. In the newcomer and other Fighter threads, it's basically been saying goodbye till the next cycle, because so much of the conversations there were tied to the character. Yet I view the end of the current Dixie thread as a transition of sorts. There's been such a great amount of general DK discussion that I'd like to think it will continue in the general thread, because the passion for the franchise in this thread seems to go far beyond just a desire for Dixie to be in Smash (as cool as she will eventually be). There's something special in this little community, and we're lucky it'll keep going for however long this gap between SSB releases goes.

DK as a whole is looking to be huge in the couple of years and I have a feeling for those of us that are back for the next Dixie thread will be in circumstances with more potential upside than we can imagine even now. Thanks again to everyone here, and hope to keep talking to you all for a long time to come.
 
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Handy Man

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Hey everyone, I actually wound up being busy so I missed the live direct, but I'm happy that Sora was the final character. He's a great high note to end it on; back in the Brawl speculation, before I joined smashboards I thought it'd be funny seeing Sora mistake Metaknight for a heartless if he ever showed up. I also worried that Sora would mix Smash with Disney and Final Fantasy; back then Cloud and Sephiroth weren't possible, but it's funny looking back at what 14 year old me thought. It's excellent that Sora was the true ballot winner. We all know Bayonetta wasn't pulling in massive numbers compared to gaming behemoths lol, but I'm glad Sora's in. I only have Banjo as DLC, so eventually I'll buy Sora as well.

So, we're rolling the credits on Ultimate speculation. I'm extremely happy how this thread turned out. A lot of fandoms can be very bitter, toxic and delusional, usually spending their time s**t talking their competition instead of appreciating their own character. I didn't want that for this thread. Dixie's felt overlooked in general, whether it was in her home series or Smash Speculation and I kinda felt bad for her. She was my favorite Kong to use in my 1st playthroughs of DKC2, 3 and TF and I figured we'd share that appreciation here. We've had discussions, disagreements and occasionally arguments (Echoes lol), but it wasn't hostile 99% of the time. You all have kept this thread alive; I'd lurk almost daily to see how things are flowing but there was a lot of times when I couldn't jump in because I was busy with something IRL, so the most I could do was leave a Like. Seriously, thank you all for being regular members of the Barrel. Diddy Kong, Valkyrie, Snowbound, Live Studio, @Guybrush20X6 , SeashoreWar SeashoreWar , @Mushroomguy12 , @SonicSmasher1 , @Justin Little , @DeniroSerafim , Handy Man Handy Man , Ridley_Prime Ridley_Prime , Phoenix Douchebag Phoenix Douchebag , @Mariomaniac45213 , @Ed-boy (Rolf!), @ZeroJanitor , ChronoBound ChronoBound , @True Blue Warrior , @Arymle Roseanne , @Kritter , @Vector Victor , @White Frost , @Mikegamer0608 , @Wario Wario Wario , @Laniv , @Strong DK , @Dinoman96 , @KirbyWorshipper2465 , @GoodGrief741 , @ZelDan , @StrangeKitten , @zipzapsparkle , @pupNapoleon , BravadoMan_13 BravadoMan_13 , BKupa666 BKupa666 have all kept this thread alive in many ways. I also wanna thank everyone for liking my artwork! My biggest hope with it is that it changed minds and helped people appreciate Dixie as a character. I don't expect Dixie to play like how I illustrated her; as long as it inspires others and encourages ideas I achieved my goal.

Also @cybersai THANK YOU for advocating for Dixie on GameFAQs. I see you over there from time to time and some of the users give you a hard time for supporting Dixie, but you don't let it stop you. Mad respect.

Thanks man, glad you stayed active throughout all these years. I'll be around too...probably. Not sure if I'll start the next thread ATM, but I'll see how smashboards is doing and the general mood. It's definitely been disappointing though. I mainly approach the hype cycle going "It'll be cool if Dixie gets in, but I'll live if she doesn't." Just been keeping expectations low for the most part and spectating rather than speculating. Still I'm in a good mood, I'd rather an ending than endless speculation lol.

Thank you for making coming here! DK does indeed get written off by most communities, and it sucks because DKC was such a huge portion of my childhood; when I was a kid in Brooklyn, everyone was playing DK, Super Mario, Playstation, or Sonic on SEGA's systems. It felt like everyone knew who these characters were; I know it was the 90's and here we are about 30 years later lol, but I figured there has to be dedicated DK fandoms on the internet. The reason why there isn't is a long story that we witnessed in the 2000's, but I'm glad this thread was a place for appreciating this series. Honestly, no fan could do this all alone, I was excited to contribute art occasionally and very happy that Seashore would share his ideas, Mushroomguy posting art he found from twitter or @donkeykong_downunder showing the plushies from instagram. It was like everyone got a chance to shine, even the conversations and topics people came up with were fun reads at the very least. Thank you for being a regular part of this thread, and I'm honored that you found this Barrel to be so welcoming.

I love it, as usual. I legit suck at social media optimization, and I'm INCREDIBLY happy that you've been part of Dixie's twitter campaign! Truth be told, you have a talent for this Snowbound and I thank you very much for making the twitter thread what it is. Also, your feedback on adding the Smash Bros moniker to my illustrations is such a good idea, I didn't even think to do that lol. You've been a huge help and presence in both this thread and twitter, and I truly appreciate that. Thank you.

And of course, @Sabertooth deserves a lot of praise for starting the twitter campaign. Thank you both.

...Wow. Ever since the pandemic started, I've gone around painting local scenery as a way to pass the time. Whether it was a shopping mall, a beach or the wilderness, there was an empty yet peaceful feeling to the world in spite of the anxiety of the virus. The pictures you've shared are beautiful and they remind me of that. I would be so eager to go out and paint scenery like that before the sun set and it was too dark to see. I'm actually tempted to paint those photos you've shared as well.

Honestly, what you wrote is profound. I'm really glad this thread has done a lot for so many people. We've kept a consistent vibe for 4 years and 6.5 months, that's an accomplishment in and of itself. Also don't sweat not being able to post much, real life is more important and it was always good to see your posts when you did stop by. I'm not sure where my life will take me, but as long as it's stable I'll have some time to show up on smashboards.

..............

Hopefully DK gets a renaissance that elevates Diddy, K. Rool, Dixie, Cranky and Lanky. In the meantime this thread will stay up until it gets locked. If y'all want to keep posting feel free. There's always new art I can post in the final month(s), but the show's over. Thank you to everyone who posted and stuck around.
I greatly appreciate the mention, thank you so much BirthNote!

It has been a pleasure being a Dixie Kong supporter! The Donkey Kong games have always been some of my favorite games of all time. With that said, it was criminal how Donkey Kong only had two representatives until Smash Ultimate. King K. Rool joining in Ultimate is huge, but as someone who has Donkey Kong Country 2 as one of their all-time favorite video games, Dixie Kong being missing in Smash feels like a glaring omission. Out of all the first party characters who are not currently in the game, Dixie Kong feels like the most "missing" character in my opinion, and her absence in Smash is very noticeable in my opinion. It's great to see that many others agree. Besides that, Dixie Kong is just a really great protagonist character. She was a playable main character in a time where the only other notable female protagonist in Nintendo games was just Samus. On top of that, Dixie Kong remains an iconic character for the Donkey Kong branding. As long as the Donkey Kong franchise continues to grow over the next several years, Dixie Kong will definitely play a part in that as well.

It has also been amazing seeing all of the ideas everyone has had for Dixie Kong in Smash. BirthNote BirthNote 's moveset concept art in particular has been nothing short of amazing, and BirthNote has done an excellent job on maintaining this thread. People have also suggested ideas that I would have never considered myself, like incorporating animal buddies into Dixie Kong's moveset, or including Kiddy Kong with Dixie Kong as a tag-team character. While I still strongly believe that Dixie Kong should be a solo character if she joins the battle, the amount of creativity on display from the Dixie Kong supporters is still very cool to see. If anything, it shows how passionate we are about the Donkey Kong universe, and how much we want it to be represented well. I would also like to mention how proud I am of us not caving in to the idea of "Dixie Kong should be an echo". Considering how different Dixie Kong plays from Diddy Kong in every Donkey Kong game they both appear in, I will always advocate for Dixie Kong as being either a semi-clone or a unique character. I thank everyone in this thread for not giving in to that mindset, as it's surprisingly and disappointingly widespread elsewhere. Thankfully, the odds of Dixie Kong becoming an echo fighter in the future are next to none if she stays faithful to her DKC appearances, so we just got to hang in there and weave through those types of comments.

As an aside, my most wanted character for over a decade was King K. Rool. Ever since he got into the game, I feel like there has been a void of sorts, in regards to what happened before he got into the game. For years, I was used to seeing people speculate on what King K. Rool could do in Smash, like what his moveset would be, what his costumes would be, if Nintendo would ever care enough to bring him back at all, and more. Today, it seems like a lot of that discussion got put onto the backburner, as he has officially been a playable character for about three years now. Now, discussion on King K. Rool is drastically more commonplace. People talk about things like buffs he received in patches, opinions on if he's mid tier on a tier list, or how he's a character that they hate fighting on Quickplay. It's all well and good, and I'm happy that King K. Rool is a playable character, but I can't help but miss the earlier days before King K. Rool got into Smash. The community was a lot smaller, but also more dedicated to the creative aspects of getting King K. Rool into the game. I'm grateful for the Dixie Kong thread, because it captures that same magic. It wouldn't be the same if Dixie Kong got in without much support from the community beforehand.

Overall, I'll continue to support Dixie Kong for the next Smash game. I really appreciate how chill the community is here on SmashBoards, and I will continue to discuss Smash speculation on here specifically over anywhere else. Even though Dixie Kong somehow missed out on Smash Ultimate, we've all done a fantastic job showing why she would be a great addition to the roster. This will be my last post on this thread, but this will certainly not be the last time I show my support for the girl with a whirl. Thanks again everyone for everything, and I'll see you all next time!

DKC2_Ending.png
 

BirthNote

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Alrighty so for the next round of speculating, Dixie Kong as an Echo will undoubtedly come up. I want post this message and then my farewell to this thread an hour later. So, let's tackle the assumptions that will definitely be repeated:

  • Wig Diddy.
    • Basically, because they look similar, people think they will play similar. Each Kong plays VERY differently in the DKCs, and that should be reflected in Smash. DK is Strength, Diddy is Speed and Dixie is Aerial. That's the basic gist and it needs to be reflected throughout their movesets.
  • Replace Diddy's Tail Attacks with Dixie's Hair.
    • This is from people who don't play Diddy at all. Before Ultimate, Diddy had 2 Tail Attacks: Infinite Jab (Flurry) and a Ledge Sweep. As of Ultimate, it's only Ledge Sweep. There's virtually no Tail Attacks to replace. Dixie's known for her hair. This makes her hair irrelevant.
  • Give her the Chrom treatment.
    • Won't work. Chrom plays identical to Roy and has the same moveset but with a changed UP B. Giving Dixie Spinning Kong and calling it a day ignores that she whips, grabs, swings, throws, flies, balances on, and drills with her hair in addition to spinning it. Having her only spin her hair when she uses it about 8 different ways won't capture her character.
  • But Ken!
    • Ken is the 1 Echo out of 7 who has his own moveset. He's the exception to the rule: Echoes are the same moveset wise as their base with minor tweaks. He's outnumbered 6:1. Relying on that for Dixie is silly, since you're counting on the exception. If you'd get electrocuted 6/7 times, would you bet on always getting the 7th?
  • Dark Samus is pretty different though.
    • Actually, no. Outside of cosmetics, idles and run animations, Dark Samus fights just like Samus. Idle Animation and Running Animation isn't as important as a moveset in a fighting game, so relying on that for distinction won't work. Dixie's Idle, Run, and most importantly Attack Animations are unique to her in the DKCs. Look up her sprites and animations in her home series.
  • Same Body Shape as Diddy, So...
    • Kirby and Metaknight have the same body shape and share only 2 throws. Fox and Wolf have the same body shape but wildly different movesets. Same for Ness and Lucas. They used ZS Samus as a model base for Bayonetta, and both are fond of kicks. Body Shape isn't a guarantee for Echo Status.
  • We thought Dark Samus would be Unique
    • And we thought Isabelle would be an Echo. Prior to that, we expected Bowser Jr. to be Bowser's Toon Link. Some even thought Banjo & Kazooie would be too similar to Duck Hunt. Sensing a pattern?
  • Diddy and Dixie were paired in DKC2.
    • Yeah, that's one game. DK and Diddy have been paired in 3/5 DKCs, many Mario spinoffs and are much more likely to be paired together. Dixie has been paired with Diddy just as much as she has with DK: 1 game. The Mario Bros are constantly paired, but do we expect the plumbers to be paired moveset-wise? How bout Mario and Yoshi? Why ignore all this precedence for the other characters but attach Dixie to Diddy's hip, Echo or partnered?
  • Echoes are great for a character.
    • It's actually a double-edged sword. It makes it easier to add characters, but the fandom doesn't grant the same hype to them as they do "Real" characters. By advocating for Dixie as an Echo, you're politely excluding her from mainstream speculation. She got overlooked by the Smash fandom as a result, which keeps her support from growing because most won't consider her.
  • She's only viable as an Echo.
    • Nope. You can make a moveset out of anything, as Piranha Plant, ROB, Rosalina, Steve, G&W and Olimar prove. Sakurai once said Animal Crossing wouldn't be getting a fighter because it's nonviolent. As of Ultimate we have 2. Creativity is all you need for a character.
  • Dixie was meant to be Diddette originally.
    • And Diddy was meant to be DK Jr. Characters evolve from concept to completion. Rare realized very early that Re-skinning Diddy wouldn't work for Dixie, which they discussed in 2020. Same applies for Dixie in Smash.
  • Is it really a big deal that she becomes an Echo?
    • Yes, it is. Dixie debuted with no shared animations, attacks or moves to Diddy in DKC2 and barely shares anything with Diddy in Tropical Freeze other than a popgun mechanic (which Cranky also has) and swimming animations. Dixie's worst detraction was that she'd be a Diddy Clone all the way back in Brawl, but it was unfounded then. To make her an Echo is to take that misconception in stride and let people who don't know what she can do define her.
  • No Moveset Potential.
    • You can make a moveset out of anything, including a potted plant, so a chimp with Prehensile Hair that functions like a Combat Tentacle is ripe for ideas. This Thread and This Document only scratch the surface; there's tons of unused ideas brewing in people's heads and Dixie can go in many possible routes. Limiting it to Echo with Helicopter Hair won't work. Let's make her unique.
  • Echoes ARE pretty different overall.
    • Have a look at this:
    • The movements, attacks and poses are all nearly the same with differences being subtle at best. Echoes aren't different. We can do far more for Dixie.
  • There's a mod of her out and she looks great with Diddy's animations
    • That mod is without a doubt excellent, but not because she's a skin of Diddy. We love that mod because of the attention to detail the individual(s) poured into her appearance. They got the look, now let's take it a step further and get the feel. A midair jump based off Tropical Freeze, her own Dash Attack, Grabbing and Throwing with her hair, a Cargo Grab distinct from DK, Throws that reference her DKC throw and also unique to her, Idles, Run and Attack Animations distinct from Diddy, and a moveset that emphasizes a heavy reliance on her Hair, meaning more than one Hair Attack. The Dixie mod is great for the aesthetic not the function. Let's take it a step further.
These seem to be the general obstacles Dixie will face when it comes to making her Unique. The potential for her to have a rich moveset is there and shouldn't be overlooked in favor an Echo. While some were pushing for an Echo to get Dixie's foot in the door for Ultimate, a brand new Smash means that there's less need to push for an Echo, as we aren't looking at a base game with highly limited slots. If we want to keep Dixie in the minds of the broader fandom, we'll need to push for a Unique moveset.
 
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BirthNote

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Well, this is it everyone. Got a few people to reply to before I wrap this up:
Thanks for leaving us that wonderful picture of Dixie's moves which you drew with such passion and creativity, I really think that you did a great job with this thread BirthNote BirthNote ! If life allows me to, am planning on sticking around for the next Smash, even if I admit I didn't play much Ultimate as I should (I'm not around my Smash playing friends a lot) I'll always be a Smash fan.

I'm also actively sticking around for Dixie since I'd most definitely make her one of the characters I play with a lot. I supported K.Rool more for the fact he's K.Rool than actively wanting to play the character. Always knew that in my heart. Am also pretty confident that if she's at least based around Diddy's move set, she likely will be a High Tier character at least. It's something to look forward to, as I do enjoy winning lol

I'm also looking forward to the closure post of ChronoBound ChronoBound , and am happy such a passionate Smash speculate veteran , who's been around as long as I and lead the extremely passionate Roy support thread back between Brawl and Smash 4, here and choose to give Dixie this same level of love and passion. Always respected your input, and am sure it's gonna be a good read.

If we don't here from each other again, I hope life blesses you all with the full riches it has to offer.
Thanks again Diddy, you're one of the OG members and I'm very happy to have chatted with you throughout these years. I'll stick around too, probably lurking mostly but I'm bound to jump into some discussions. In regards to ChronoBound, IDK if you've seen it already but he actually posted his farewell essay here:
I know Valkyrie is looking forward to it as well so I figured I'd link to it.
Thank you BirthNote BirthNote for the shoutout.

It's hard to believe that the Ultimate speculation period has come to an end. It has been a wild ride for us all to say the least. Though honestly, I'm kinda glad to see the speculation period end because I felt that it was dragging on a lot longer that it had to. My interest in Smash waned a bit as I haven't played the game in months, but I still kept checked on this thread occasionally. It's still baffling that Dixie is still on the outside looking in when there were various opportunities to do so. Though this means that Dixie is among the leading contenders for 1st party newcomers come the next game. We can only hope that the rumored DK Switch title with a major Dixie role can help bolster her popularity.

This thread is easily one of the best ones I've been around. You all share the same enthusiasm and passion for the DKC series and Dixie. I do hope one day Dixie will get her moment to shine on the biggest stage. Like I've said before, Dixie and Waluigi are two of the biggest glaring omissions of the roster. It would feel a lot more complete to have them in. Still, it's hard to believe that we got K. Rool, Ridley, and Banjo & Kazooie, with 3 of them being Rare staples,
all in the same game. I'm so thankful that Sakurai listened to the fans and delivered big time. I'll keeping on advocating for Dixie in Smash as long as I can even though I'm not getting any younger lol. Even though the direction of the DLC went in a direction that I wasn't too big of a fan of, I still always will be a Smash fan.

ChronoBound ChronoBound , I look forward to reading your in depth analysis one more time. It's always great to see a fellow Smash fan who has been passionate for the series for many years. Thank you for your contributions over the years.

I want to thank Birthnote for running a great thread for the past few years. I couldn't have done it better. I also want to thank all of you fellow Dixie fans in this thread. It was great to see that positivity be consistent without getting toxic or too out of control. I do plan on sticking around because it's great to be around you guys and the support for one of Nintendo's best franchises. So I hope to see you in the new DK thread after this thread closes.
Hey! No prob, always good to hear from a fellow SMBZ fan. The positivity was definitely something I wanted to maintain here; speculation overall has been less fun and more hostile and honestly, if this thread succumbed to the usual trends I probably would've abandoned it. There's no point in supporting a character if we're mostly bitter as it usually takes on a life of its own that's hard to deescalate. I can't say it enough, to everyone, I'm honored you all found this place to be an oasis among the threads.
Been taking good bit of break-time from coming back from the camping trip.

It's been quite a while since the penultimate reveal... and I must say, Sora finishing this with a bang was nothing short of a perfect way to send this particularly unreal installment of the series off.

Nonetheless I ended ruminating on more what to feel about my current investment and active speculation on this series for about a decade or so now, and where I'd go from here...

Sometimes I keep feeling like I might have perhaps ended enjoying Smash-series a little bit more if I just came from a place of wanting it to be this current Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny"-type of game, like a lot people from days of making dream matchups between various big videogame characters with Smash Bros serving as the battling grounds. I remember merely wanting to play as some lesser-known but really amazing stars of Nintendo's more obscurer or cult-classic catalogue - alas, it seems in recurring ways it wasn't that much meant to be as time went on with how many of them were still brought back as Assists, with most notable one from thesse periods getting picked up being Little Mac back in Smash 4-era. (Even then IDK if I like how kinda devoid of Punch-Out-centric characters or cameos it is when it comes to representing his series.)

Now don't get me wrong, Ultimate really has delivered beyond what most of have even imagined outside of niche character additions (and omitting some notable side characters or protagonists from the trademark IPs, of course one of them being Dixie) - though in some ways I feel it might have suffered from other ends when it focused so much on the dream matchups and new shiny 3rd Parties that when we go away from that, the game's still kind of plagued with problems that had me not bother coming back to it:

- The utterly shoddy quickplay online that has ended more or less allowing "scrubby" get carried around to easy victories while skilled or seasoned players are forced to wrestle with lag more than the actual match for control of their character (and I had bought LAN-adapter + bridged my connection to NAT A before)

- Many DLC-characters practically outshining ton of the old veterans of Smash-series, indicating the latter really need to be given major updates to really feel interesting to come back to

- Not that much to do in Single-Player after Spirit Battles and Classic Mode's been done with (though of course we have had the well-improved Stage Builder, which is pretty neat timesink)

Knowing how we lost some neat staples from the series like Trophies, not getting more fun modes back from Smash 4 like Smash Run (Gosh would it have been such a perfect complement to the local multiplayer), it does thin out Ultimate on certain focal points which some hadn't gotten much noticeable improvement. Combined with speculation era dragging on really long, did kinda exhaust me quite a while, and has me think I might only come back to the series if the existing characters and the general gameplay is given new overhaul to revisit them over spending most of my focus on wishing for certain characters to pop in just to bolster the roster to my own satisfactory bias.

Though again, that depends on if the "next" Smash-game's gonna stick exlusively on 3rd Party-additions + newer Nintendo-IP repping as has happened before - with perhaps less chances for the base roster to have big hitters from the veteran/fan-favourite cult like Ridley and K.Rool, depending on how just much Nintendo and Sakurai view likes of Waluigi, Isaac, Toad or Dixie to be enough interesting, and/or hype-inducing enough to warrant inclusion along all the promotion or budget that comes with it. Still, it's pretty likely that the next Smash's gonna feel practically far from the current end of the spectrum we have reached with Ultimate regarding it's highly 3rd Part-centric content of it's roster.

Ultimately, I feel the series I remember growing up with as a more Nintendo-centric crossover doesn't seem to make sense existing as it used to now with how just much the series had shifted on 3rd Party-centric dream matchups more than anything - I guess it makes me not feel like a "geared fan" as much anymore, since I feel it's become more notable to see Smash-series as merely collection of pop-culture shaking events centering more or less to "Mario VS *Insert big VG Icon here", over letting me explore play as my own favorite brand of Nintendo All-Star and just see Nintendo celebrate it's catalogue beyond their most profitable or trademarked ones (some cult-classics withstanding). Probably this is why I feel kinda more on side of not coming back on the series as an active fan anymore if this is the way the series continues, and even then I'm getting sadly older and older as I speak, being at the other half of my middle age by the time this decade would come to a close. But on the more progressive end, I'm at least looking to exlusively playing Ultimate more in more competitive local circles around my parts if really wanting to get most out of it.


As before, I'm still going to cherish deeply on being part of this community, in spite of my sporadic appearances. The social media side of Smash has generally made me avoid using Twitter and following Smash-centric accounts, especially during the reveal periods with how just abundant the occurrences of peoples' true colors come out during that time in the middle of genuinely sweet, heartfelt celebration and appreciation. - Like I had said in my previous post, Geno really got such an awful brunt of this stick around a year soon now, and nowadays I've seen people pit Sora as sadistic avatar for their egocentric trashing of Waluigi again.

Gonna be poignantly waiting for the final posts from you BirthNote BirthNote and ChronoBound ChronoBound - thanks again for mentions. I remember having to write the whole thing in one flow of an evening due somewhat limited time to spend on my own at the camp. Really happy it touched on so many here.

In that end, I do dearly wish we'll sometimes get to see ourselves trading hellos when DK-centric news come in the new DK General Thread. Until then, it might be time I really settle on my somewhat normal life - and let my muse finally rise back into the vast blue skies.




(Do not worry, I'm not going to change my username due how deeply entrenched it's become around in Smashboards, much to my surprise. I'll always appearing here as the Holy Maiden Warrior.)





Boy, you're in for a luck. These photos sure were hard for me to comb by to really pick the best bits to show more around for you all:



Särkitunturi:





Pallastunturi:

















Consider these personal gifts of mine to the thread and it's supporters~ do check in now and then as I try to stuff this post with ton of incredible photos. Now and then being in middle of them had me feel enveloped to a world far away from our reality, especially in the snowy peaks of Pallastunturi...I can only wonder just how much they come to evoke the same sense of awe to scenery we saw in Northern Kremisphere.


Those photos are gorgeous. Seriously, thank you for sharing them. As a gift they're well appreciated and it's surreal how much it brings up memories of DKC3. I know you, Diddy and Bravado are waiting on Chrono's Farewell, so just as a heads up he posted it on the Official DLC Speculation thread; I've linked it in my reply to Diddy.

I understand the decision to focus on the IRL events completely. With rumblings of a DK revival on the horizon, I'll look forward to trading Hello's in the future. Again, no worries about the amount of replies you made on this thread; it was always a nice surprise to see a post from you. Until next time.
I greatly appreciate the mention, thank you so much BirthNote!

It has been a pleasure being a Dixie Kong supporter! The Donkey Kong games have always been some of my favorite games of all time. With that said, it was criminal how Donkey Kong only had two representatives until Smash Ultimate. King K. Rool joining in Ultimate is huge, but as someone who has Donkey Kong Country 2 as one of their all-time favorite video games, Dixie Kong being missing in Smash feels like a glaring omission. Out of all the first party characters who are not currently in the game, Dixie Kong feels like the most "missing" character in my opinion, and her absence in Smash is very noticeable in my opinion. It's great to see that many others agree. Besides that, Dixie Kong is just a really great protagonist character. She was a playable main character in a time where the only other notable female protagonist in Nintendo games was just Samus. On top of that, Dixie Kong remains an iconic character for the Donkey Kong branding. As long as the Donkey Kong franchise continues to grow over the next several years, Dixie Kong will definitely play a part in that as well.

It has also been amazing seeing all of the ideas everyone has had for Dixie Kong in Smash. BirthNote BirthNote 's moveset concept art in particular has been nothing short of amazing, and BirthNote has done an excellent job on maintaining this thread. People have also suggested ideas that I would have never considered myself, like incorporating animal buddies into Dixie Kong's moveset, or including Kiddy Kong with Dixie Kong as a tag-team character. While I still strongly believe that Dixie Kong should be a solo character if she joins the battle, the amount of creativity on display from the Dixie Kong supporters is still very cool to see. If anything, it shows how passionate we are about the Donkey Kong universe, and how much we want it to be represented well. I would also like to mention how proud I am of us not caving in to the idea of "Dixie Kong should be an echo". Considering how different Dixie Kong plays from Diddy Kong in every Donkey Kong game they both appear in, I will always advocate for Dixie Kong as being either a semi-clone or a unique character. I thank everyone in this thread for not giving in to that mindset, as it's surprisingly and disappointingly widespread elsewhere. Thankfully, the odds of Dixie Kong becoming an echo fighter in the future are next to none if she stays faithful to her DKC appearances, so we just got to hang in there and weave through those types of comments.

As an aside, my most wanted character for over a decade was King K. Rool. Ever since he got into the game, I feel like there has been a void of sorts, in regards to what happened before he got into the game. For years, I was used to seeing people speculate on what King K. Rool could do in Smash, like what his moveset would be, what his costumes would be, if Nintendo would ever care enough to bring him back at all, and more. Today, it seems like a lot of that discussion got put onto the backburner, as he has officially been a playable character for about three years now. Now, discussion on King K. Rool is drastically more commonplace. People talk about things like buffs he received in patches, opinions on if he's mid tier on a tier list, or how he's a character that they hate fighting on Quickplay. It's all well and good, and I'm happy that King K. Rool is a playable character, but I can't help but miss the earlier days before King K. Rool got into Smash. The community was a lot smaller, but also more dedicated to the creative aspects of getting King K. Rool into the game. I'm grateful for the Dixie Kong thread, because it captures that same magic. It wouldn't be the same if Dixie Kong got in without much support from the community beforehand.

Overall, I'll continue to support Dixie Kong for the next Smash game. I really appreciate how chill the community is here on SmashBoards, and I will continue to discuss Smash speculation on here specifically over anywhere else. Even though Dixie Kong somehow missed out on Smash Ultimate, we've all done a fantastic job showing why she would be a great addition to the roster. This will be my last post on this thread, but this will certainly not be the last time I show my support for the girl with a whirl. Thanks again everyone for everything, and I'll see you all next time!

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No prob Handy Man! It was honestly great having you as a supporter and thank you for sticking around all this time. For real though, I was actually typing up that Echo Counterpoint post since last night, so seeing this post of yours gave me a morale boost! It's my hope that more and more people keep pushing for Dixie to be unique, especially when the next Smash gets announced. It was definitely a balancing act, but I genuinely didn't want to just accept Echo status for her; I wanted to provide and encourage alternatives. And honestly, yeah Dixie is an excellent character; she literally came in clutch when I was struggling in the DKCs and it's disappointing how she gets overlooked. Diddy's my all-time favorite Kong, but Dixie is one of the best Kongs to have. Hopefully more and more people start to see that. Like Chrono said, she is girly but she's also a badass and thrived during a time when characters who looked like her were just Damsels in Distress. Personally, I think DK, Diddy and Dixie are the definitive Kongs. Those 3 are the power trio.


............................................................



Alright, it's time for my farewell. I started this thread in 2017 with the mindset of "Pick up where SethTheMage left off and see what happens." Honestly I was very surprised to see the Barrel grow as much as it did; Dixie has been overlooked by the fandom as a whole and overshadowed throughout the Smash Speculation Cycles. I didn't know what to expect, so what wound up happening made my surprise even better.

As somebody who lurked on other threads and read discussions since 2009, I liked the speculation but realized that a very good way to advocate for a character is to show appreciation for them. Y'know how you could go look up a DKC track on YouTube and read the comments full of people just reminiscing about the game, or sharing funny stories that are unique to them, and you could spend hours laughing and reading what people wrote like it was nothing? That's what I began to want here. Usually, most fandoms would discuss a character's likelihood and get reliable results, but as of Smash 4 it became clear that we couldn't predict Sakurai consistently, and Ultimate threw that notion out the window. If a character wasn't likely, most people wouldn't speculate and so there'd be nothing to talk about. So, it quickly became best to talk about Dixie as a character and her merits, which broadened to discussions about DKC, then DK in general, and even the wider Mario Franchise, especially with announcements about Mario Kart and Mario + Rabbids.

That was one way to keep the discussion alive, but fan content played a MASSIVE role. My plan was that if I wound up being the only person to make fan content, I'd upload it sporadically to keep the thread alive. Thankfully, I wasn't. SeashoreWar got inspired and began taking on his own personal projects, and Mushroomguy12 would frequently post art he found elsewhere. We three weren't the only ones either; dozens of us would post music tracks and remixes or art we found, Diddy Kong proposed a Mario & Luigi styled RPG idea, DeniroSerafim got me into Friday Night Funkin' with a vid of a DKC2 mod, and dozens of others would also chime in and share ideas or jump start topics. InASnowboundLand and Justin Little would almost always make me burst out laughing with their posts, and let me be clear Seashore: WRINKLY'S BEEN DEAD SINCE 1997!!! I know I'm leaving people out of the great memories I had reading your posts, but believe me it was well appreciated and I'm sorry I can't mention you all. There became so many fun topics and varied subjects that I couldn't keep up with replying. In a lot of cases, the best I could do is Like the post to let you know I read what you wrote and appreciated it. I could go on with more examples, like GAINAX's DK Celebration video, but I only have 55 minutes left at the time of this sentence. I MASSIVELY appreciated what everyone contributed; it took off the pressure of me having to keep the thread alive as well as allowed each of us to direct the conversations, and I didn't want that to be ignored, so I began Spotlighting people's efforts in the Thread Title. Sometimes I couldn't keep up, but that's great problem to have. The Barrel became an active entity with someone always contributing something, which was great because DK had faced a drought and Hoaxes disguised as Leaks began to tear other threads apart.

Speaking of other threads, I'd check in on a couple very rarely but there were some things I took issue with. Leak speculation dominated a lot of threads, with people picking apart every detail to the point of obsession. While it is fun to act like MatPat from YouTube every now and again as we connect farfetched dots, it seemed like that's all most people were doing, and since most of these "Leaks" were actually Hoaxes, the fandoms were putting too much brainpower into breadcrumbs that turned out to be a cynical prank. It sped up the burnout and led to disappointment, but luckily the Barrel was insulated from that. We had our own content to have fun with and we understood that the most it amounted to was fan canon. There was also the issue of tearing down other characters perceived as threats. I've seen enough of the Dixie v K. Rool venom and I didn't want that repeated here in any other forms. Sure, there was a mild jab at Bayonetta rarely or a shot at Blue-Haired swordsmen, but never an ongoing or prevalent thing. The most contentious things got was over Echoes, and even then it centered around Dixie, which should be the point of any character thread. My logic is that if we have a thread about Dixie, we should be advocating for, appreciating and speculating on Dixie and her franchise as a whole. A lot of threads for one character exist to tear down another character. If we spent most of Dixie's thread talking about another character, then it's not Dixie's thread. Further, how many Supporters are also fans of whatever character we'd hypothetically harass? By doing that, you're forcing fans to draw lines in the sand and hurting Dixie's support. That doesn't need to happen here, and it shouldn't happen on any future threads.


As this thread has come to its end, I've been honored by all the praise the thread has gotten. Thank you all for the applause you've given me as a threadrunner; I wanted people to be able to discuss things even if I wasn't interested in the topic or disagreed with what was discussed. Honestly though, I have to thank ALL OF YOU. Without everyone making this a go-to place for DK speculation, this thread would simply be me sporadically posting art and little else. You ALL contributed to this thread, whether it was personal essays, art, music, running jokes (Wrinkly's still dead btw), fun what-ifs and intense discussions on the tone of Smash and DK, we all literally kept this thread going, and I'm very happy to have started this thread, but also sad that this Barrel will close in 6 minutes. Again, I GREATLY cherished the trajectory of this thread, and I want the vibe of this thread to flourish elsewhere. To those leaving speculation forever, your time spent here was well appreciated and I wish you the best elsewhere. Seriously everyone, thank you and goodbye.

EDIT: It turns out we have a few more hours left of activity in the forum. The Official End will be at 8pm EST.
 
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ChronoBound

Smash Hero
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
8,998
I think i had made my choice, and i will leave Smashboards. Honestly i don't even post in most forums of this site, and my personal circle of friends barely post in the private messages (which is the closest thing we have to Social Threads for Users ever since Smashboards killed them off, yes im still bitter about that)

So after Chronobound posts his final essay, i think im gone for good. This time i may leave for real. I tried to do that back in 2015, then again in 2018, but no with no new Smash game in the horizon and me feeling like i no longer fit in this site (outside of a few threads like this) makes me feel alienated. I guess its in my nature to leave.
There'll be a couple of final thoughts and restructuring of the OP before the lockdown. I'm looking forward to cataloguing ChronoBound's essay if possible, but otherwise everyone, feel free to stick around until the lights go out. see y'all tomorrow.
Thanks for leaving us that wonderful picture of Dixie's moves which you drew with such passion and creativity, I really think that you did a great job with this thread BirthNote BirthNote ! If life allows me to, am planning on sticking around for the next Smash, even if I admit I didn't play much Ultimate as I should (I'm not around my Smash playing friends a lot) I'll always be a Smash fan.

I'm also actively sticking around for Dixie since I'd most definitely make her one of the characters I play with a lot. I supported K.Rool more for the fact he's K.Rool than actively wanting to play the character. Always knew that in my heart. Am also pretty confident that if she's at least based around Diddy's move set, she likely will be a High Tier character at least. It's something to look forward to, as I do enjoy winning lol

I'm also looking forward to the closure post of ChronoBound ChronoBound , and am happy such a passionate Smash speculate veteran , who's been around as long as I and lead the extremely passionate Roy support thread back between Brawl and Smash 4, here and choose to give Dixie this same level of love and passion. Always respected your input, and am sure it's gonna be a good read.

If we don't here from each other again, I hope life blesses you all with the full riches it has to offer.
Thank you BirthNote BirthNote for the shoutout.

It's hard to believe that the Ultimate speculation period has come to an end. It has been a wild ride for us all to say the least. Though honestly, I'm kinda glad to see the speculation period end because I felt that it was dragging on a lot longer that it had to. My interest in Smash waned a bit as I haven't played the game in months, but I still kept checked on this thread occasionally. It's still baffling that Dixie is still on the outside looking in when there were various opportunities to do so. Though this means that Dixie is among the leading contenders for 1st party newcomers come the next game. We can only hope that the rumored DK Switch title with a major Dixie role can help bolster her popularity.

This thread is easily one of the best ones I've been around. You all share the same enthusiasm and passion for the DKC series and Dixie. I do hope one day Dixie will get her moment to shine on the biggest stage. Like I've said before, Dixie and Waluigi are two of the biggest glaring omissions of the roster. It would feel a lot more complete to have them in. Still, it's hard to believe that we got K. Rool, Ridley, and Banjo & Kazooie, with 3 of them being Rare staples,
all in the same game. I'm so thankful that Sakurai listened to the fans and delivered big time. I'll keeping on advocating for Dixie in Smash as long as I can even though I'm not getting any younger lol. Even though the direction of the DLC went in a direction that I wasn't too big of a fan of, I still always will be a Smash fan.

ChronoBound ChronoBound , I look forward to reading your in depth analysis one more time. It's always great to see a fellow Smash fan who has been passionate for the series for many years. Thank you for your contributions over the years.

I want to thank Birthnote for running a great thread for the past few years. I couldn't have done it better. I also want to thank all of you fellow Dixie fans in this thread. It was great to see that positivity be consistent without getting toxic or too out of control. I do plan on sticking around because it's great to be around you guys and the support for one of Nintendo's best franchises. So I hope to see you in the new DK thread after this thread closes.
Gonna be poignantly waiting for the final posts from you BirthNote BirthNote and ChronoBound ChronoBound - thanks again for mentions. I remember having to write the whole thing in one flow of an evening due somewhat limited time to spend on my own at the camp. Really happy it touched on so many here.
Thank you so much all of you. It really means a lot to me that you are really looking forward to what I have to say. It really, really took me a lot of effort to get this last specific essay pertaining to the closure of the Dixie Kong thread out. I am truly touched that my words really mean a lot to the people in this thread, and I really want to give it the send off it truly deserves.

I apologize that I do not have the time to respond to all of the goodbye posts that were made on this page. Making thoughtful responses to many different posts is extremely time consuming, time that I unfortunately did not have during this very late hour. I am fortunate to have even gotten this last major post out.

  • Dark Samus is pretty different though.
    • Actually, no. Outside of cosmetics, idles and run animations, Dark Samus fights just like Samus. Idle Animation and Running Animation isn't as important as a moveset in a fighting game, so relying on that for distinction won't work. Dixie's Idle, Run, and most importantly Attack Animations are unique to her in the DKCs. Look up her sprites and animations in her home series.
Very good post. However, on this point I am going to disagree. Dark Samus had very extensive animations differences from Samus, to the point where she might have more unique animations than Ken. Aside from her walk/run animations and idle animations, Dark Samus has unique jumping animations, unique dodge animations, an unique power shielding animation, unique animations for charging and firing her neutral special, unique animations for her side special, and an unique animation for her Smash forward. Dark Samus is a very strange echo in general being negligibly different in gameplay differences, but being very unique in terms of animations. I felt the need to speak out on this because I do not think its right to group her in with Richter and Daisy (both of whom have very few animation differences) despite her negligible gameplay differences. I also wrote an essay on this very topic matter a while ago (pertaining to Dark Samus in Ultimate).

I will also say that if Ken-style echoes were a design basis for more than just Ken, Dixie could work as an "echo". However, even Sakurai's reasoning as to why Ken is still considered an echo despite all of his differences is literally "Because I say so". If Dixie Kong were to even be an echo in the style of Ken, I could easily see Sakurai's reasoning being "Why is Dixie Kong considered an echo fighter despite all these differences? Because I wanted her right alongside Diddy Kong on the character select screen. *laughs"

Source:
https://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-on-smash-bros-ultimate-why-incineroar-was-chosen-and-more/

The Street Fighter series’ Ken will also be making an appearance in Smash Ultimate. He’s different from Ryu in so many ways, one almost wonders whether or not we should even call him an Echo Fighter… Nope. I said he was, so he is.

n regards to ChronoBound, IDK if you've seen it already but he actually posted his farewell essay here:
I know Valkyrie is looking forward to it as well so I figured I'd link to it.
I was actually going to post the "farewell" essay in this message when I made my final post for this topic. Thank you for linking my essay. For anyone reading this right now, please check out my farewell essay. I have many important things to say in it.

Since I am posting this essay, at such a late hour at this point, I implore anyone that has any comments about it, to please send me a private message if you have anything to say about it to which you would have, if you were able to comment on it.

So now without further ado, here is my farewell to the legendary Dixie Kong support thread:


There seems to be some confusion here. I did post my “farewell essay” (which I was going to also put into this post once I submitted it) but I also promised to make something additional for the Dixie Kong thread. I made my first post here a few days before the formal unveil for Ultimate in June 2018. Now over three years later, I am making my final post here.

There is so much to say, and I have had very limited time to get out everything that I want to say.


A Short Bit of Reflection on Ultimate

When I first began writing my thoughts pertaining to Smash on the internet back in 2001, I could never have imagined the series blossoming into what it has become now. This was a time when characters like Bowser were fresh newcomers for the series, and Nintendo legends like Wario, Diddy Kong, Ganondorf, and King Dedede had yet to be added in. I never could have imagined that one day we would go from 12 playable characters all the way to 89.

I have watched the fanbase go from being extremely skeptical and hostile to third-party additions to going to the point where Nintendo characters being among Top 10 most wanted characters are the exception. Ultimate was the pivotal point to this.

Dixie Kong is a character that many believe could have been added to the Smash series as far back as Brawl. She is a character that had multiple main protagonist roles in her own series. For both Smash 4 and Ultimate, many regarded her as “inevitable” or “very likely”. If there is anything the Ultimate epoch has told us, it is that characters that are considered unlikely can still miraculously make it in, while those considered “very likely” may not make it in the end.

Ultimate in many ways actualized many dreams I had about Smash Bros. going back to my childhood. Ridley finally being added to the roster, the entire roster for the series history returning, most stages returning, the Belmonts and Banjo & Kazooie being added in, it just added so many of my personal desires I had for this series that I felt were unlikely to ever manifest. Even small weird dreams like Pico (my favorite character from the F-Zero series) being given a role beyond being a trophy/sticker/spirit, somehow miraculously ended up happening with this title.

Ultimate in general felt like a personal conclusion to the series for me in many ways. I am someone that had been dreaming and thinking about this series even before the international release of Smash 64, and for Ultimate to have even been made a reality is still surreal to me. From the character roster, to the stage roster, to the music selection, the spirit catalog, Assist Trophy lineup, and full collection of Mii costumes, Ultimate was just an all around legendary title. It was one of the very few games from the past decade that exceeded my expectations. Sakurai has said his design philosophy for each Smash title was to make it as if it were going to be the last installment of the series. I feel for Ultimate he has definitely created something that felt like to me could work as a “conclusion” to Smash. There will be future installments to Smash, and the series is likely to get some sort of overhaul going forward. For myself though, Ultimate works as a personal conclusion.


Did Dixie Kong Get Snubbed?

For many, including myself, Ultimate simply does not seem “complete” without Dixie Kong as part of its legendary roster. Dixie Kong is among the very few Nintendo characters that had multiple main protagonist roles in their series that are not a part of Ultimate’s roster. DKC2 and DKC3 were among the highest selling titles for the SNES/Super Famicom as well.

With all of this being said, was Dixie Kong “snubbed”? I am going to take a look at what she has received in Ultimate.

Dixie Kong has two spirits (Dixie Kong and Dixie Kong & Kiddy Kong). The former is an Ace-class spirit, while the latter is a Legend-class. Having high level spirits is usually reserved for characters that are deemed popular or very important to their respective franchises. The latter spirit (where she is paired with Kiddy Kong) also highlights a title where she was in a starring role without either DK or Diddy. Both of these spirits were also the basis for two online icons you can select for your online profile in Ultimate.

The most notable consolation prize that Dixie Kong received though was her Mii hat, Dixie Kong’s Hat. It has not just her pink beret, but also her hair. The Mii hat itself is very high quality, with playable character level texturing for the beret. Considering that many Mii hats were asset pulls from other titles, this was a very nice consolation prize.

Compare this Bandanna Waddle Dee who simply received an Ace-class spirit and an online icon based on this spirit, and nothing else. Dixie Kong easily could have done a lot worse in Ultimate.

Another thing that needs to be added is that the competition for Dixie Kong to even make the roster was just extremely high. Ultimate had 24 newcomers, more than any other Smash title to date. However, of those 24 characters, 13 of them were actually Nintendo characters, and of those 13 Nintendo newcomers, only FIVE of them debuted prior to 2012 (these were Ridley, King K. Rool, Piranha Plant, Daisy, and Dark Samus). All of them (except Piranha Plant, who was likely a character that was originally intended for the base game) were newcomers for the base game. Legacy Nintendo characters like Dixie Kong, had to compete with titans such as Ridley, K. Rool, Inkling, and Isabelle, all icons for their respective franchises and some of the most well loved Nintendo characters in general.

Given that consideration, it is very understandable why Dixie Kong did not make Ultimate’s legendary roster in the end. As I said, Dixie Kong’s Hat was very well made, and does offer at least a sort of way for Dixie Kong to be a part of the battlefield for Ultimate. I have seen some well made Dixie Kong Mii’s that go well with the hat.

I am thankful that Dixie Kong at least received some sort of acknowledgment outside of spirits. It is also important to keep in mind that the DK series has only a single Assist Trophy (Klap Trap) and only a single Mii hat (Dixie Kong’s Hat). For the Assist Trophy, it was probably already made with an already existing asset (the Klap Traps appear from time to time for both the Kongo Jungle and Jungle Japes stages). For Dixie Kong to have had resources devoted to her at all, given the dearth of DK content in certain parts of Ultimate, should be considered a blessing.


The Dixie Support Thread In General Was a Victory All Its Own

Although Dixie Kong never made it onto Ultimate’s roster in the end. I would still say that we Dixie Kong fans still “won” in the end. I wrote this in my non-Dixie related “farewell” essay to spotlight just what a special community this thread was.

I said this to the Dixie Kong support thread in the past, but I was amazed how a cozy and supportive online community that is actually on topic about it (or relatively on topic since it often talked about the DK franchise in general) could exist on today’s internet. You had artists, all sorts of different and unique takes on how Dixie Kong could be approached as a fighter, and many just bringing up their own personal stories about how or why they were fans of the character. It was not a replacement for a social circle like many other online spaces either, most people usually posted when they actually had something to contribute.

Also, there was a tolerance for differing viewpoints and ideas. The most contentious of these for the Dixie Kong thread was whether she should or could work as an echo fighter. Even then, users generally had respect for one another even if they were in different camps in regards to this. The proprietor to the Dixie Kong thread, BirthNote, would also constantly highlight the contributions that various Dixie Kong supporters put out by changing the topic title. This actually helped foster a sense of community without it being a “social club”. It made everyone feel like their contributions were meaningful and that they put forth something worthwhile.

This sort of environment proved to me that a non-toxic environment in relation to Smash or Nintendo is still possible on today’s internet. This was how an internet community should be. People with unique talents and perspectives coming together and sharing their passion together, and still having a respect for one another even if they have a different opinion on an aspect to that shared interest. Even though Dixie Kong was ultimately never added to Ultimate’s roster I am still thankful for the positive experience I had within that thread during my last few years with the Smash community.


This was truly a tremendous thread. The fact that it managed to exist on today’s internet, had the level of traffic it did, and was such a positive and enriching environment was nothing short of a miracle.

This was arguably the nicest support thread I have ever seen on this site, with the only other one to which I had fond memories of being the Roy support thread during the Smash 4 era (and not even that thread managed to attract as many artists as this one did). This thread also managed to bring together many old time users and fresh faces alike. It was a testament to Dixie Kong’s very special appeal as a character, that she was able to bring together so many people with different backgrounds, talents, and ideas together, and that they seldom ever clashed.

I am truly thankful for this positive experience during my twilight years of involvement with Smash roster speculation and character support. It made me fulfilled and happy even if Dixie Kong did not make it into Ultimate in the end.

That is how it should be in regards to one’s character of choice not making a Smash title’s roster in the end. Sure you can be a bit disappointed, but with the whole journey just being wholesome and a positive experience all around, you are still glad about the good times you had regardless.

I do not want to tag particular users because I do not want to make any of you reading this to feel left out, but I want to say that most of the people who posted in this topic multiple times made valuable contributions over the course of these past three years. Thank you very much for your contributions whether it was making art, contributing ideas on how Dixie Kong could work as a fighter, talking about your personal memories and experiences with the titles that Dixie Kong has starred in, and just sharing why you appreciate Dixie in general.

Thank you to all of you for making this thread a quaint little community, and for things to feel amicable in the end even though Dixie did not make Ultimate’s roster.


Looking To The Future

I said this before, but I must say I feel satisfied with how Ultimate turned out. In general, I have very little desire to do character support and roster speculation for future Smash titles. Ultimate was my dream Smash title come true. I do wish Dixie Kong was a part of this legendary roster, and she really feels like the “last piece of the puzzle” to me. However, as I said before, Ultimate gave me 95% of what my personal desires were.

I am personally really looking forward to the mod scene for Ultimate to further grow. There has already been an excellent Dixie Kong mod made, and like BirthNote said, I hope it is further expanded upon by giving the mod the actions, animations, and abilities that Dixie Kong is known for. There are also still four empty spots on character selection screen to which hopefully one day mods can be created to fill them in, and not have it where modded characters have to share a slot with a character already on the roster.

Aside from that, I also want to celebrate Ultimate and the Smash series as a whole going forward. In my “farewell” essay I talk about the concept of “Everyone’s Stories” to which anyone talks about their own personal story relating to a character that is on Ultimate’s roster (though I would also like to expand it to personal stories someone has about a particular stage, or fondness regarding about even a Mii costume or Assist Trophy).

Aside from this, I also want to present a personal Top 40 of the characters on Ultimate’s roster that have some sort of personal meaning to me. Each character would have several essays that relate to them in some way. I am not sure yet whether this and “Everyone’s Stories” will be presented as a series of forum posts or made into a video series. Regardless of what I end up deciding though, it is going to take me years before I am able to present anything for this project. Ultimate was a legendary title in general, and I really want to celebrate it in the years ahead.

I welcome any and all people reading this to send me private messages about “Everyone’s Stories” or any of the things that I talk about in my “farewell” essay and this post in general.

The journey I feel has ended for me in regards to Smash speculation and character support, but at the same time, I feel another “journey” is about to begin.


On Dixie Kong’s Future

The future is very uncertain for Dixie Kong. There have been multiple times to which the DK franchise had a major new mainline installment without her having any sort of appearance in it (Donkey Kong 64, Jungle Beat, Country Returns). Even if Dixie Kong were to have another important role in a major DK title, it does not necessarily guarantee her a playable role in the next Smash title, and as I said, increasingly both Cranky Kong and Funky Kong are going to be high competition for the fourth playable Donkey Kong character.

The dynamics right now for the Smash fanbase are that things are heavily skewed towards strongly desiring third-party characters (unless your name happens to be Waluigi or Bandanna Waddle Dee). Dixie Kong is going to have an uphill battle going forward to build up her support regardless of her level of prominence in the next major DK title.

However, I have hope that Dixie Kong can potentially build up her support to the level where she is among the Top 10 most wanted characters for the next Smash title. With passion driven by positive and warm experiences of that people enjoyed with her in DKC2, DKC3, Tropical Freeze, and hopefully a new upcoming DK title, as well a plethora of art and creativity, people just might gravitate towards her in the future, especially if the Dixie Kong fanbase is as wholesome and friendly as it was during this epoch.

I hope that if Dixie Kong is ever added to the roster for a future Smash title, and if this website is still around at that point in time, that I will be able to congratulate the Dixie Kong fanbase on her addition. I very likely will not be involved at all in roster speculation and character support in regards to the next Smash title, but I still would like to do it so as to make them feel that something special was finally achieved. I am not sure if there will be anyone from this future Dixie Kong fanbase that will still remember me at that point, but it would be nice to see if there will be few that said that they got usage out of my Dixie Kong essay that I made.


Conclusion

BirthNote correctly said months ago that Dixie Kong is a great game character with or without Smash Bros. Even if Dixie Kong ends up never making a Smash title’s roster, she is still a very special heroine and one of the most endearing characters for not just the DK brand and Nintendo characters in general, but for the medium of video games as whole.

Dixie Kong was among my childhood favorite game characters. She is probably the last personal favorite of mine (that is not a minor or obscure Nintendo character) that is still not a part of the roster. My initial fantasy back in August 2018, was that Dixie Kong would bring my conclusion with the Smash franchise full circle. It was learning of Samus, perhaps my favorite game character from my childhood, being a part of Smash 64’s roster that made me overwhelmingly hyped for the game even before it was internationally released.

Samus making Smash 64’s roster, as I said in my Dixie Kong essay, was extremely miraculous given the circumstances of the Metroid series at the time of Smash 64’s development. Similarly, Dixie Kong also faces extraordinary circumstances facing her. Smash has expanded to be something that is not just about Nintendo characters, but for gaming as a whole. Dixie Kong right now does not have the prominence and esteem as she once did, thus making her face similar circumstances as Samus did back during Smash 64’s development.

My hope was that Dixie Kong would somehow end up making Ultimate’s roster in the end. Regardless of this not happening, I still ended up with a sense of satisfaction in the end. This was all thanks to not just how phenomenal Ultimate ended up being, but also how much of a positive experience my time with the Dixie support thread was.

I am glad to have experienced and contributed to this thread for the past three years, and I am grateful to those that valued my contributions that I made in them.

With this all being said, I want to share a few pictures with this thread, they are certainly not anywhere near in the same league as the beautiful pictures of scenery like Valkyrie has shown, but they do give some nice context to Dixie’s personal meaning to me.

dixiefigurine1.jpg


This is a picture of that Dixie Kong figurine from my childhood that I mentioned in prior posts. I got it as a gift for Christmas of 1996. It was one of my favorite childhood toys. I also always had it on my night stand during my childhood. Gaming merchandise, especially toys, was uncommon back during the 1990’s, so I was very thankful that a figurine was made of one of my favorite video game characters.

dixiefigurine2.jpg


I did not own another piece of merchandise for Dixie Kong until late 2011. This was from the Super Mario Mini Figure Collection. Seeing this figure in stores and purchasing it out of nostalgia was actually the inception of what made me “remember” what Dixie Kong meant to me during my childhood. I never opened it though.

dixiefigurine3.jpg


Next is the Dixie Kong figurine from the World of Nintendo toyline. I got this back in early 2016. This is probably the best looking figurine I own of Dixie Kong. To put into context, the only other figure I own from the World of Nintendo line is that of Samus (which probably would have been my favorite childhood toy had it existed during the 1990’s, haha).

While there has yet to be an Amiibo of Dixie Kong she (my World of Nintendo Dixie Kong figurine in particular) is still there among all of the other Amiibos I own which mostly consist of my favorite game characters. To quote BirthNote again, Dixie Kong is a great character with or without Smash.

Maybe Dixie Kong will be a part of the roster in the future, maybe she will not. Regardless, that does not change what Dixie Kong is and what she means to us. The fact that we were able to have a massive thread that was overwhelmingly positive and wholesome on today’s internet, while also attracting all sorts of people with unique insights, opinions, and talents, is testament to just what a legendary heroine she is.

Thank you to everyone. We managed to win without “winning”. I wish everyone here the best of luck going forward in support of Dixie Kong and truly appreciate what you have given to the Dixie thread. I hope to one day to congratulate you on Dixie making the roster in the future regardless of myself no longer being a part of the Smash roster speculation and character support community.

I do like that I started a sort of trend of using the DKC2 ending screenshot as a way of ending poignant posts in this thread. To put an unique spin on that, I would like to mimic that ending screen with both of my all time favorite heroines, Samus and Dixie Kong.

dixieandsamusfigures.jpg


Dixie Kong For Super Smash Bros.

A Special Heroine. The Ultimate Heroine.

Dixie Kong could maybe use more fans, but she could not ask for a better fanbase. Congratulations, Good Bye, And Best Wishes To All of You.
 
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