Official DLC Speculation Discussion Volume II

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Yeah, I have no idea why, but somehow my dislike for putting different versions of a character on a roster has not gotten in the way of me really wanting Paper Mario in. Call me a hypocrite if you must.

It helps that one game notes that Mario and Paper Mario are different people, whereas ones like Zelda/Sheik, Samus/Zero Suit Samus, and Ganondorf/Ganon are the actual same person.

So it's only hypocritical if you aren't paying attention to the one game that confirms they're not the same person.

IMO, I really don't care if they're the same person for additions. What matters is a fun moveset. If they play differently, good enough for me~

 

[Dalek_Kolt]

I don't really care for cutting alternate versions of characters, I do find it kind of funny that in Metroid discourse I've seen it generally agreed that ZS Samus should be cut first over Dark Samus, the actual clone. Which makes some sense since Dark Samus is a separate character and had a unique moveset in 4
But if Falcondorf is here to stay no matter what, I'll gladly settle for Pig/Beast Ganon as a playable character. We've already seen him go from Final Smash toa fightable boss, what's one more promotion to the ultimate position?

 

[cothero]

Yeah, I have no idea why, but somehow my dislike for putting different versions of a character on a roster has not gotten in the way of me really wanting Paper Mario in. Call me a hypocrite if you must.

Paper Mario is a very unique character and i'm impressed he's not in the game already.

 

[SNEKeater]

Now that I've cleared like 16 Hades runs, I think SC will be my next game I play, this image sold me on it

It's understandable. Estelle holding her bo-staff... that's a powerful image.

 

[N3ON]

One thing I notice when people talk about cuts is they think that clones will probably make it back because they're of lesser effort.

But clones have traditionally been given very low priority and make up a disproportionately large amount of the cuts every time there are cuts. So while I understand the reasoning people are going with, that's not how it ends up working.

Some clones will continue to stick around, but when cuts do happen, I expect a fair number of clones to be caught up in them. I know this is strangely a point of contention but it's also choosing to either disregard or misinterpret how things have played out so far.

 

[Ivander]

I don't really mind alternate versions of a character as long as:
-They offer something like a new moveset or new playstyle.
-They have a legacy, like Paper Mario.
-There are only a couple of them. Like far away from Mario Kart levels of alternates versions of playable characters.

 

[DaybreakHorizon]

What

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Can't believe that Kanye Quest was almost a Nintendo Wii U exclusive.

 

[Professor Pumpkaboo]

I most often go by Irene otherwise, if it helps.

And yes, I'm a name-changer, heh.

Ooh wait, yous Irene? Shows how much I pay attention to stuff

 

[7NATOR]

I'm kind of curious to get everyone's thoughts on this.

In the last 2 waves of DLC, a spot was saved for a character from an upcoming game that would release later that year. In Smash for Wii U/3DS, this character was . In the first Fighter's Pass, this character was .

Do you guys think we'll close out the second Fighter's Pass with a character from a 2021 release? Personally, I don't see why not. Nintendo obviously likes the free publicity that comes with Smash (although, how much Smash benefited the sales of Fates or Three Houses is unknown), while I imagine Sakurai likes the opportunity to make Smash more up to date with modern releases. It's one of the few patterns that we've seen thus far that has gotten a direct confirmation of "Yes, this is what we were going for when including these characters".

Obviously, who that character would be is currently a massive shot in the dark. So far, the only 2021 Nintendo releases we know about are 3D World (which is already represented in Smash) and Monster Hunter Rise. However, we do know that BotW 2 exists and could be a 2021 release, while Kirby Fighters seemed to foreshadow another potential 2021 release in the form of the 3D Kirby game referenced in its code.

I don't think it would be Zelda, Otherwise I don't think they would have added the Ancient Armor Costume as a Bonus.

Personally if it's First Party I would expect Dragalia Lost to be the pick, considering it has no presence currently in the game despite being a First party I.P (even if Co-Owned), and we know Cygames and Nintendo Talked about Smash at some point. I could see them release a Console game from the franchise to expose the I.P to console Audiences

I guess there's also Dixie Kong, Bandana Dee, and Isaac (if those Golden Sun Rumors are True and Trademarks pan out)

If it's 3rd Party, I'm not sure. Anything could happen on that front

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Just out of curiosity, how much was Fire Emblem: Fates pushed before Corrin's reveal. I know Fire Emblem: Three Houses was pushed quite a bit, so if that's something the two quite obvious promotional picks had in common, it might help indicate what game would be the most likely to get a character of that nature...down the line at least. There isn't really anything like that happening now, though since Nintendo's marketing kinda went out the window for a bit there, I wouldn't say that would make a promotional pick like that less likely.

 

[Perkilator]

For Lord Gwyn knows why, I've decided to take it upon myself to write a whole essay for Chosen Undead.

 

[SirBillyBob]

Smash fans: Everyone is a shill pick, Smash is just a giant advertisement!!!1!

Also Smash fans: OK but why would they reveal this fighter so and so later if they're promotional, huh??!?!


Just an observation I had.

 

[Arcanir]

Just out of curiosity, how much was Fire Emblem: Fates pushed before Corrin's reveal. I know Fire Emblem: Three Houses was pushed quite a bit, so if that's something the two quite obvious promotional picks had in common, it might help indicate what game would be the most likely to get a character of that nature...down the line at least. There isn't really anything like that happening now, though since Nintendo's marketing kinda went out the window for a bit there, I wouldn't say that would make a promotional pick like that less likely.

Quite a bit, it had a good presence in its first Nintendo Direct, had an exclusive Japanese direct that hyped up its My Castle feature (which ironically ended up being controversial), they made sure to announce Fates' localization with a proper trailer at E3 unlike Awakening, and even had a launch trailer for the game's release in the west. It was definitely positioned to be one of their big titles for the 3DS for that year, just like how TH was pushed to be a strong title for Nintendo's summer line-up.

 

[RileyXY1]

I don't think it would be Zelda, Otherwise I don't think they would have added the Ancient Armor Costume as a Bonus.

Personally if it's First Party I would expect Dragalia Lost to be the pick, considering it has no presence currently in the game despite being a First party I.P (even if Co-Owned), and we know Cygames and Nintendo Talked about Smash at some point. I could see them release a Console game from the franchise to expose the I.P to console Audiences

I guess there's also Dixie Kong, Bandana Dee, and Isaac (if those Golden Sun Rumors are True and Trademarks pan out)

If it's 3rd Party, I'm not sure. Anything could happen on that front

Euden is unlikely until they make a console Dragalia Lost game without Gacha elements, due to his game being banned in certain parts of the world because of said Gacha elements.

 

[7NATOR]

Euden is unlikely until they make a console Dragalia Lost game without Gacha elements, due to his game being banned in certain parts of the world because of said Gacha elements.

Yes, which is why I mention they could annouce a Switch game from Dragalia lost if Nintendo wants a Character from a 2021 release

granted though they have no background data on how Dragalia Lost will fare on Switch. The reason Fire Emblem gets to be the Promotion Pick is because they know Fire Emblem can sell. Dragalia Lost has only been mobile game, console gaming different beast

Edit: They'd probably choose Granblue over Dragalia Lost thinking about it though. Granblue is more popular and has been on Console gaming, even if it was only PS4. however Nintendo might benefit more directly from Dragalia. It's hard to think about

 

[JOJONumber691]

I don't think it would be Zelda, Otherwise I don't think they would have added the Ancient Armor Costume as a Bonus.

Personally if it's First Party I would expect Dragalia Lost to be the pick, considering it has no presence currently in the game despite being a First party I.P (even if Co-Owned), and we know Cygames and Nintendo Talked about Smash at some point. I could see them release a Console game from the franchise to expose the I.P to console Audiences

I guess there's also Dixie Kong, Bandana Dee, and Isaac (if those Golden Sun Rumors are True and Trademarks pan out)

If it's 3rd Party, I'm not sure. Anything could happen on that front

I definitely think SMTV is a game that Smash Speculation kinda doesn't pay attention to. Considering how the last two "Seasons" of Smash DLC went, I do think that SMTV is in a REALLY good position for Smash. Because it has:

A Compelling Set of New Abilities that we've never even remotely have anything close to on the Roster (Corrin Was a Dragon, and Byleth had the Weapons, so SMTV could have summoning if chosen)
A COMPLETELY Brand New World to help represent current gaming history (Remember, SMTV would be the main thing represented)
A Backup Plan for Delays (Other Protagonists as Alts, and the Series Staple Demons to name a few)
The fact that Nintendo is probably going to be involved with promoting the game (Since it's definitely a Switch Exclusive,)
Coming from a Pre-Established Series in Smash (Persona is quite literally an SMT Spin-Off)

Yeah, keep note speculators. Because I would mark the SMTV Protagonist as REALLY Likely for the time being. Though I'm happy you mentioned Euden as well.

 

[7NATOR]

I Have a Question to ask

Is it Bad that I'm still kind of expecting Scorpion to be in this Fighter Pass?

 

[DaybreakHorizon]

I Have a Question to ask

Is it Bad that I'm still kind of expecting Scorpion to be in this Fighter Pass?

I mean, Scorpion is practically an impossible request given how Mortal Kombat might as well not exist in Japan so you're definitely going to be disappointed if you "expect" him to be in the game, but I don't think wanting a character in funny fighting party game has any significant weight on your morality.

 

[cashregister9]

I Have a Question to ask

Is it Bad that I'm still kind of expecting Scorpion to be in this Fighter Pass?

I mean as long as you are not saying "Scorpion is 100% confirmed I will fight you if you disagree" there is no harm in wanting of believing in a characters chances.

 

[metalhydra273]

I Have a Question to ask

Is it Bad that I'm still kind of expecting Scorpion to be in this Fighter Pass?

Yes, expect nothing or you will be disappointed

 

[7NATOR]

I mean, Scorpion is practically an impossible request given how Mortal Kombat might as well not exist in Japan so you're definitely going to be disappointed if you "expect" him to be in the game, but I don't think wanting a character in funny fighting party game has any significant weight on your morality.

I Mean, I don't think Scorpion is Impossible

I do get the Japan thing is an big obstacle, and also the fact that Nintendo would have to negotiate with WB could also be an issue, since I don't know if WB is the most easy company to negotiate with


With that being said, Mortal Kombat has a Huge Legacy, both in general and also with Nintendo, and Ed Boon has been supporting the idea since 2015. I remember in your paragraph about League of Legends coming to the game, you expressed how the creators being supportive of the idea can go a long way in getting a character in Smash, or at least making the negotiation process smoother.

Plus there is a Small, MK fanbase there that either Region port the games or at least watch youtube videos on the franchise, and North America at least makes up a majority of the sales of Ultimate.

Nintendo were the ones that said there was an audience for Mortal Kombat on Switch, when WB Games were being apprehensive of porting to the Switch

I think Scorpion can fit well if perhaps Japan also gets a character that primarily appeals to them as well.

I see Scorpion most likely if we got another Fighting game character, over Chun-Li and Sol Badguy and/or Ragna

 

[Lamperouge]

I Have a Question to ask

Is it Bad that I'm still kind of expecting Scorpion to be in this Fighter Pass?

Yes.

How dare you believe in Scorpion's chances while I personally don't.

 

[TheLamerGamer]

I definitely think SMTV is a game that Smash Speculation kinda doesn't pay attention to.

I'm definitely biased on this one, but I feel like people are really sleeping on SMT in smash. It's a big third party exclusive, and after what smash did to persona, I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo wanted that to happen to the series on their console. I am nearly 100% certain that we'll at least get a spirit event for V or the nocturne remaster, but a character is definitely more likely than people think.

 

[N3ON]

I Mean, I don't think Scorpion is Impossible

I do get the Japan thing is an big obstacle, and also the fact that Nintendo would have to negotiate with WB could also be an issue, since I don't know if WB is the most easy company to negotiate with


With that being said, Mortal Kombat has a Huge Legacy, both in general and also with Nintendo, and Ed Boon has been supporting the idea since 2015. I remember in your paragraph about League of Legends coming to the game, you expressed how the creators being supportive of the idea can go a long way in getting a character in Smash, or at least making the negotiation process smoother.

Plus there is a Small, MK fanbase there that either Region port the games or at least watch youtube videos on the franchise, and North America at least makes up a majority of the sales of Ultimate.

Nintendo were the ones that said there was an audience for Mortal Kombat on Switch, when WB Games were being apprehensive of porting to the Switch

I think Scorpion can fit well if perhaps Japan also gets a character that primarily appeals to them as well.

I see Scorpion most likely if we got another Fighting game character, over Chun-Li and Sol Badguy and/or Ragna

Sounds like you wanted people to agree that expecting Scorpion isn't as much of a tiny pipe dream as it's presented.

But it is. Smash's ethos since Brawl has been to not exclude entire regions with their roster choices. It's going to be difficult enough to get western third-parties with small fanbases in Japan like Doom and Rayman and Halo, let alone ones that basically don't exist there.

 

[cothero]

I Have a Question to ask

Is it Bad that I'm still kind of expecting Scorpion to be in this Fighter Pass?

In all honest, i feel it would be the greatest WTF character reveal in all smash history. As the character i want most, i'm realistic to accept his chances are extremely low - but it would undoubtedly break the internet if ever happen.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

I definitely think SMTV is a game that Smash Speculation kinda doesn't pay attention to. Considering how the last two "Seasons" of Smash DLC went, I do think that SMTV is in a REALLY good position for Smash. Because it has:

A Compelling Set of New Abilities that we've never even remotely have anything close to on the Roster (Corrin Was a Dragon, and Byleth had the Weapons, so SMTV could have summoning if chosen)
A COMPLETELY Brand New World to help represent current gaming history (Remember, SMTV would be the main thing represented)
A Backup Plan for Delays (Other Protagonists as Alts, and the Series Staple Demons to name a few)
The fact that Nintendo is probably going to be involved with promoting the game (Since it's definitely a Switch Exclusive,)
Coming from a Pre-Established Series in Smash (Persona is quite literally an SMT Spin-Off)

Yeah, keep note speculators. Because I would mark the SMTV Protagonist as REALLY Likely for the time being. Though I'm happy you mentioned Euden as well.

I think the reason why SMTV never gets mentioned here, whether it's an average poster or SMT fan, is obvious, people don't know enough about the game yet, so that'd mean we're speculating on what a character may or may not be able to do in their own game and if that's something Smash can do. Personally, I'm willing to wait until V comes out before we speculate on it.


Sidenote SMTV still isn't available for preorder in my country. Fun.

 

[DarthEnderX]

I don't really mind alternate versions of a character as long as:
-They offer something like a new moveset or new playstyle.

That's never an acceptable excuse for me.
Every new character comes with a new moveset. There's no good reason to spend all the time and money creating and animating an entirely new moveset for a character that's already in the game when you can do the same thing for a NEW character and, on top of getting a new moveset, you ALSO get a new character. You're getting double the amount of new for the same amount of development.

-There are only a couple of them. Like far away from Mario Kart levels of alternates versions of playable characters.

At least the Mario Kart ones are basically like Echoes(except the babies). All those are is a reskin with the stats moved around. They aren't creating new movesets or animations for those characters, which means they aren't taking up other character's slots.

 

[Phoenix Douchebag]

Can someone fill me in this "Chun Li Leak" that people have been talking about?

Probably "Pokemon Z", But seriously I would be down for that too, Really enjoyed Gen 6 and Kalos region.

I have caught Shiny Pokémon that are less rare than this opinion.

(but seriously good on ya, kinda refreshing to see a take like this)

 

[Lamperouge]

Yes.

How dare you believe in Scorpion's chances while I personally don't.

...It was a joke, people.

 

[7NATOR]

Sounds like you wanted people to agree that expecting Scorpion isn't as much of a tiny pipe dream as it's presented.

But it is. Smash's ethos since Brawl has been to not exclude entire regions with their roster choices. It's going to be difficult enough to get western third-parties with small fanbases in Japan like Doom and Rayman and Halo, let alone ones that basically don't exist there.

Yeah

I understand that it is a Really big obstacle, that's been brought up with characters like Lucas and Takamaru. Honestly I don't expect people to agree, I'm just putting my Opinion out there that I don't think Scorpion is as Impossible as he might seem

Throwing out all the other merits he has like the Big Nintendo History, Games selling really well even today, and also even on the Nintendo Switch, Impact on the Gaming Sphere, and Ed Boon's Big Support of Mortal Kombat in Smash, I can't really do though, and I think every character is a case by case basis

An Obstacle that might kill a Character like Takamaru Might not do the same thing to Scorpion. I do agree it is a difficult Scenario to imagine, but I do think Mortal Kombat has enough merit to overcome those obstacles anyways

Now will it happen, I'm not sure, because there are many other Potential Choices, with their own merits and Obstacles, or lack there of when compared to a Mortal Kombat character.

I Personally am Kinda expecting Scorpion to be in this Fighter Pass, at the lease he's in my pool of Characters I Might predict. I don't Know if he will be in the game because I'm not on the Dev Team for Smash. I personally think he has more of a shot of being Playable than many might expect though

and Mortal Kombat does still kind of exist there with Imports and stuff. WB doesn't translate the games or Censor them to the Japanese audience, but Mortal Kombat is seen as a Popular Import there I believe. The fanbase is way smaller compared to somewhere like North America, Europe, and even Latin America, among other places, but it does exist

 

[DaybreakHorizon]

Can someone fill me in this "Chun Li Leak" that people have been talking about?

SharkLord has a good writeup/understanding of it so I'll page them.

I Mean, I don't think Scorpion is Impossible

I do get the Japan thing is an big obstacle, and also the fact that Nintendo would have to negotiate with WB could also be an issue, since I don't know if WB is the most easy company to negotiate with


With that being said, Mortal Kombat has a Huge Legacy, both in general and also with Nintendo, and Ed Boon has been supporting the idea since 2015. I remember in your paragraph about League of Legends coming to the game, you expressed how the creators being supportive of the idea can go a long way in getting a character in Smash, or at least making the negotiation process smoother.

Plus there is a Small, MK fanbase there that either Region port the games or at least watch youtube videos on the franchise, and North America at least makes up a majority of the sales of Ultimate.

Nintendo were the ones that said there was an audience for Mortal Kombat on Switch, when WB Games were being apprehensive of porting to the Switch

I think Scorpion can fit well if perhaps Japan also gets a character that primarily appeals to them as well.

I see Scorpion most likely if we got another Fighting game character, over Chun-Li and Sol Badguy and/or Ragna

The Japan thing isn't just a "big" obstacle for Mortal Kombat, it's a near insurmountable one. The Japanese have an aversion to blood and gore on a cultural level, and I cannot imagine Nintendo of Japan deciding to represent that in their fighting game for children, especially when there are plenty of characters that meet the exact criteria you laid out, if not exceed them in one way or another.

I'm not one to bag on character requests but Mortal Kombat is one of the least likely series to get a playable character in Smash, and I'd be incredibly surprised if proven otherwise.

 

[cothero]

I Have a Question to ask

Is it Bad that I'm still kind of expecting Scorpion to be in this Fighter Pass?

The sad thing is, i'm still hoping for characters i know are very unlikely to happen as well.

Scorpion is my most wanted and Leon, Lara and Gordon are my other options, but while Leon is the most likely one to be included, i know that RE spirits event dramatically decreased his chances.

I don't think Sakurai or Nintendo ever considered Lara and i don't think Gordon's chances are very good, but If any of them gets in, i'll be happy. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[RileyXY1]

SharkLord has a good writeup/understanding of it so I'll page them.



The Japan thing isn't just a "big" obstacle for Mortal Kombat, it's a near insurmountable one. The Japanese have an aversion to blood and gore on a cultural level, and I cannot imagine Nintendo of Japan deciding to represent that in their fighting game for children, especially when there are plenty of characters that meet the exact criteria you laid out, if not exceed them in one way or another.

I'm not one to bag on character requests but Mortal Kombat is one of the least likely series to get a playable character in Smash, and I'd be incredibly surprised if proven otherwise.

Yeah. I think that if we're getting a brand new fighting game character we're either getting another Street Fighter rep or someone from Arc System Works.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

The Japanese have an aversion to blood and gore on a cultural level

I know you're an anime fan tpc, don't pretend that they don't get gory as **** there with their anime.


In all seriousness, it can't be worse than the likes of 'I use hardcore BDSM combined with guillotines until everything becomes a gory explosion'. I don't really care for MK but this is a weak ass excuse, especially when A: MK's had non-gory stuff even rather recently, and B: You have a perfect reason to shut down an MK character by pointing out the deliberate decision not to localize the games in Japan. That's a much better argument than banning blood or some ****

 

[Þe 1 → Way]

I don’t really see a character not having representation in a certain country as a big issue.
Banjo has basically no presence in non english speaking places, like at all.
Hero isn’t known much in america, the only semi known character was 8.
So I think Scorpion and other characters not known in certain places have a far better chance than people give them.

 

[Megadoomer]

The Japan thing isn't just a "big" obstacle for Mortal Kombat, it's a near insurmountable one. The Japanese have an aversion to blood and gore on a cultural level, and I cannot imagine Nintendo of Japan deciding to represent that in their fighting game for children, especially when there are plenty of characters that meet the exact criteria you laid out, if not exceed them in one way or another.

I'm not one to bag on character requests but Mortal Kombat is one of the least likely series to get a playable character in Smash, and I'd be incredibly surprised if proven otherwise.

Are you sure that aversion isn't just for video games? I know that No More Heroes had to be censored in Japan (with fountains of blood being turned into black mist), but stuff like Fist of the North Star and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure seem to indicate that they don't have a problem with it for things like cartoons/comics. (let alone other mediums) I think the original Fist of the North Star anime was censored compared to the manga, but it was still pretty gruesome from what I've seen.

Mind you, I'm going by the few examples that I'm aware of, and I know it changes depending on context (they seem to be harsher when it comes to portable systems, I think - Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker had "laughter rods" instead of electric torture for the Japanese version, presumably because it's on a portable system), but I'm not sure how they have an aversion to blood and gore on a cultural level when stuff like No More Heroes, the Resident Evil series, and Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (in terms of video games alone) exist.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

I don’t really see a character not having representation in a certain country as a big issue.
Banjo has basically no presence in non english speaking places, like at all.
Hero isn’t known much in america, the only semi known character was 8.
So I think Scorpion and other characters not known in certain places have a far better chance than people give them.

Tbf there's a significant difference in being niche in some regions and not being localized in an entire region due to a lack of confidence.


Also considering how DQ8 3DS got localized I just imagine that every Smash fan talking about DQ being unknown assuming Europe's a fictional continent

 

[7NATOR]

The sad thing is, i'm still hoping for characters i know are very unlikely to happen as well.

Scorpion is my most wanted and Leon, Lara and Gordon are my other options, but while Leon is the most likely one to be included, i know that RE spirits event dramatically decreased his chances.

I don't think Sakurai or Nintendo ever considered Lara and i don't think Gordon's chances are very good, but If any of them gets in, i'll be happy. We'll have to wait and see.

Well I hope you do get a character you want in this Fighter Pass, even against all odds.

SharkLord has a good writeup/understanding of it so I'll page them.



The Japan thing isn't just a "big" obstacle for Mortal Kombat, it's a near insurmountable one. The Japanese have an aversion to blood and gore on a cultural level, and I cannot imagine Nintendo of Japan deciding to represent that in their fighting game for children, especially when there are plenty of characters that meet the exact criteria you laid out, if not exceed them in one way or another.

I'm not one to bag on character requests but Mortal Kombat is one of the least likely series to get a playable character in Smash, and I'd be incredibly surprised if proven otherwise.

But there's more to Mortal Kombat than the blood and gore though

If that's all it had it would have never been so much of the success it is today. The Character designs, Lore, even some of the Campyness, and more are reason Mortal Kombat still lives on. The Story mode in Fighting games was something that MK9 was a pioneer of, and is something other Fighting games these days try to Replicate

Anyway I Imagine Scorpion would be for more of the Mature Audience rather than geared towards Kids. Steve is a Character that heavily appeals to Kids in all regions (granted it also appeals to everyone, but you know).

Like I said, Nintendo and WB have talked before in regards to MK11 being on the Switch, and it was Nintendo that suggested there's an audience for Mortal Kombat. Now I Imagine that was Nintendo of America that was in the forefront of the conversation, but there's also the fact that I think Nintendo of JP is not the only branch of Nintendo that has a voice in Character choosing for Smash. Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe, despite mostly dealing with Localization, probably have a good grasp of the American and European audience, among other things, and that is something that is useful to the discussion when discussing potential Smash characters

 

[Þe 1 → Way]

Tbf there's a significant difference in being niche in some regions and not being localized in an entire region due to a lack of confidence.


Also considering how DQ8 3DS got localized I just imagine that every Smash fan talking about DQ being unknown assuming Europe's a fictional continent

Thats a fair point, though I might have to pull the Mother 3 card on you there.
And as for Hero, I did specify America. I’m part Welsh so forgetting about Europe would be pretty embarrassing.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Mortal Kombat was definitely localized in Japan, but later on it became too gory and such, especially in 3D. It's been censored before, and the censored games are able to sell worldwide as is.

To note, the idea it has no fanbase is incorrect. People import the game and it's basically "black market only" nowadays. It has a small fanbase there at this point. It's not really obscure(as the series is really damn iconic worldwide) so between obscure and niche. Like, you'll still find a great amount of people who know of it, but it's clearly not marketing towards Japan in general, and feels like it's kind of niche.

It's an extremely impactful fighting game series. Of course it's known worldwide. But there's going to be many who never heard of it. There's a lot of series that are infamous in their own way with many who haven't heard of it. Banjo-Kazooie has quite a few who never did(mainly due to it being major for just the N64 era. It died down a lot beyond that one). MK has been there for every era, and it's only more recent, since the N64, that it become less known in Japan.

It's not comparable to Dragon Quest either way. They're different series with different situations. One simply didn't sell well in the US, while the other wasn't allowed to be normally sold in Japan(but it didn't, again, stop black market and other kinds of sales). It might be more comparable to Touhou in terms of how well known it is. A very notable series, but it's mainly known in Japan but far less known(with still a notable fanbase) in the US. Switch that around and it's much closer to how MK is overall.