Official DLC Speculation Discussion Volume II

[DanganZilla5]

Bro

they showed the WoL effects in two trailers now

that should like be a toggleable effect in regular gameplay

also does stage builder have conveyor belts a la Brawl? If not they should bring it back

I don't think so but....I actually haven't touched Stage Builder in a while. In fact I actually have not used it that much. I just like looking at and downloading others' creations.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

Now that thinking about potential new final smashes for YL and Richter

my proposed YL new FS is Fierce Deity right, he takes out the Fierce Deity mask and becomes Fierce Deity Link but what all should he do in that final smash

also, Richter. Hydro Storm, it’s his thing. But in the CV games it’s essentially just a holy water rainstorm. How would one make it look Cool(TM) for Smash?

 

[Ivander]

also does stage builder have conveyor belts a la Brawl? If not they should bring it back

With the right set-up, you can make moving platforms similar to conveyor belts. But that aside, no it doesn't.

 

[Mamboo07]

Gotta have them all, the completionist mindset.

That said, in general, probably not as a character. As an Alternate costume, quite probable, considering how many people over here want DLC Alternate costumes.

Do Mii costumes count?

Edit: oh wait they don't.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

my proposed YL new FS is Fierce Deity right, he takes out the Fierce Deity mask and becomes Fierce Deity Link but what all should he do in that final smash

It could just be Triforce Slash with a Fierce Deity look and it'd still feel accurate given how people use this form to go unga bunga on bosses

 

[Hadokeyblade]

I want them to sell it seperate so bad

But like

I also fully expect this to be held hostage behind MoM.

Which I was gonna buy and play at some point anyways, so I'll get a cool song whenever I get around to it, lol.

I just realized that the madlads tied Smash bros to the Kingdom hearts game where its firmly established in the lore that Sora is no longer in the Disney universe but rather in a different dimmension entirely lol

 

[DaybreakHorizon]

It's nice being able to post without having to worry about losing a massive draft now, but man this place is empty nowadays, huh?

 

[Shroob]

It's nice being able to post without having to worry about losing a massive draft now, but man this place is empty nowadays, huh?

Eh, seems to be the same faces as usual.

 

[MooMew64]

It's nice being able to post without having to worry about losing a massive draft now, but man this place is empty nowadays, huh?

Eh, not really empty empty, we’re just down to the core community. The peeps who were in it for the character campaigns only have packed up and gone home, as if that was your hook for the site, it’s gone now.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

I just realized that the madlads tied Smash bros to the Kingdom hearts game where its firmly established in the lore that Sora is no longer in the Disney universe but rather in a different dimmension entirely lol

Ultimate was Kingdom Hearts 4 all along.

It just took us three and a half years to find out

 

[Swamp Sensei]

It's nice being able to post without having to worry about losing a massive draft now, but man this place is empty nowadays, huh?

Well I just got off work.

And the rest of my free time will be spent with Metroid Dread for the rest of the foreseeable weekend.

Now if you'll excuse me.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh Metroooooooooooooid.

 

[Noipoi]

Now that DLC is finished, I went over all the trailers and ranked them based on my own thoughts on each trailer. For old time's sake, I'll be presenting similar to a good ol' tehponycorn long form speculation piece. I present:

Tehponycorn's Final Smash Ultimate Trailer Tier List​

Spoiler: Table of Contents

Spoiler: 1. Introduction

I don't have much to say in the form of acknowledgements, but I suppose I'll acknowledge everyone who sent their congratulations upon Sora's reveal–whether that be here or on Discord. I genuinely appreciate all of y'all'ses thoughts, as well as the opportunity to reconnect with y'all. It's certainly been a triumphant ending to be sure. I won't be reflecting too much on speculation itself, since that'll be another piece.

You could say that this piece is the first in a three-essay series where I'll be reflecting on Smash Ultimate Speculation. In this piece, as the name implies, I'll be ranking all of the Smash Ultimate Trailers (including World of Light, the Launch Trailer, and Mii Costume reveals). I've sorted the trailers into 6 tiers based on my thoughts on each trailer. The tiers go from Ultimate Tier to Echo/Mii Costume Tier, with the tiers in-between going from S to B, because no Smash trailer is actually bad. There's clearly a lot of thought and care put into all of them, which should be valued and appreciated regardless of your own thoughts about the character.

This piece, alongside the two that'll follow it, is somewhat of a departure from my previous pieces. I hope believe I've made a reputation for myself based on the quality of my research and my attempts to remain objective. This piece is obviously painted by my own biases, though I've made as much effort as I can to rank the trailers based on my thoughts on their quality rather than my own thoughts about the characters revealed (though obviously my thoughts on the characters paints my thoughts on their quality–though I've tried to reduce this as much as possible).

There's only really one rule for the tier list itself, being that trailers are ranked chronologically within their tiers, so there's no ranking within tiers. That being said, let's get into it!

Spoiler: 2. The Tier List

View attachment 333758

Spoiler: 2.1 Ultimate Tier

These trailers are the best of the best, and have exceptional qualities that set them apart from other trailers.

Everyone is Here!
As far as I'm concerned, this is the Smash Ultimate trailer. This trailer boldly introduced Smash Ultimate to the world (it was previously just Super Smash Bros. for Switch) and set the pace for this crazy speculation cycle. Speculation on cut and returning veteran characters, which was a hallmark of previous Smash Speculation cycles, was completely thrown out the window, and from the introduction of third parties in Smash 4 (and their triumphant return) it seemed as if the sky was the limit for speculation. This isn't mentioning the monumental achievement of bringing back every. single. character. That is such a significant achievement that, while universally celebrated at the time, I think has somewhat been taken for granted three years later. The sheer amount of negotiations required to do so, as well as bringing Konami back into the fold, is by no means a small accomplishment, and spoke to the strength of Sakurai and Nintendo's business acumen as well as how far they were willing to go to make this Smash game the best one yet.

The World of Light Cinematic
Essentially the only time we see the cast interact with one another, and what a way to do so. This trailer is both hype-inducing and absolutely heartwrenching with all of the character moments contained within it. The way Galeem is surrounded by Master Hands before they dissolve and are absorbed into Galeem. The sheer number of light beams shot out, completely overwhelming the cast. Shulk seeing Galeem's attack and being unable to warn everyone. Sonic slowing down to reach out to Pikachu. The Inklings diving into their ink to hide. Link, Samus, Pokémon Trainer, and Bowser all trying to fight back only for it to be in vain. Wii Fit Trainer doing the sun pose to try and get i-frames, and the Duck Duck stopping to try and carry the Dog with him. Falco, Mewtwo, Bayonetta, Greninja, and Lucario's attempts to evade only to get caught. How Palutena attempts to save Pit and Dark Pit, only for them to be unable to fly when she's gone. Kirby ****ING BOLTING (the look on his face is great) and barely escaping. These small moments, condensed into around 2 minutes, show the best of Smash Bros., being the interactions between these seemingly disparate characters.

Spoiler: KIRBY GET OUT OF THERE

View attachment 333728

But we don't stop there. Galeem's light envelops the entire universe, turning it to a barren wasteland where everyone is reduced to spirits and concluding the display of its sheer power. And then we cut to Kirby crash landing as Lifelight begins playing and we dive into gameplay. It's an amazing trailer that sells World of Light perfectly (in fact, you could say it oversells the game mode), and is one of Smash Ultimate's best trailers by a long shot.

The One Winged Angel!
One of the most surprising trailers by far. It takes the original World of Light trailer and completely subverts it by introducing Sephiroth in extravagant fashion–he *ing destroys Galeem as One-Winged Angel starts playing. It's not Galeem, but Sephiroth who completely tears through the entire cast. The trailer subverts other Smash trailers again when Sephiroth fights Mario. For one moment it looks like Mario is ****ing dead (again) before it's revealed Sephiroth caught him on his overalls. The sheer amount of power this shows is stellar, as he's not just beating the * out of everyone, he's toying with them. His confrontation with Cloud is essentially Advent Children condensed into 3 minutes and actually good, and perfectly showcases Sephiroth's character. All in all, this trailer has it all: surprise, wit via its subversion of previous Smash trailers, and hype via Sephiroth's sheer power being put on display.

The Last Key
Perhaps this is a biased choice, but I think this trailer stands alongside the best, not only in its surprise, but in its triumphant tone and as wrap-up to Smash Ultimate. The way it starts by immediately referencing the first trailer with the flaming Smash logo, with everyone standing in front of it. The fire dies out, and a single flame drops representing the final fighter and the last three years of Smash Ultimate coming to an end. The way the cast turns to trophies, showing that its all over, before Mario frees himself to approach the lone flame. A sinister tone plays as he hesitates, before his face shows determination and reaches into the flame–regardless of what may come. He reaches into the flame and pulls out a lone sword, that he throws. The Keyblade's silhouette is shown in flames before it cuts to the Mickey keychain. I appreciate this moment for so many reasons, but I'll specifically mention the flex on Nintendo's part. Years of speculation over the Mickey keychain and whether Nintendo could even get it, silenced by a resounding "Ladies and Gentlemen, we got it." And then comes Sora. Simple and Clean begins playing as he falls out, calling back to the first Kingdom Hearts. The orchestra swells as he flies about in an incredibly triumphant moment. The true ballot winner, always thought to be impossible, all leading to his card: Sora is finally here. Cut to gameplay, and then we end on a shot of Sora and Mario shaking hands, wrapping up what is probably one of Smash Ultimates highest moments and cementing that this is real and not some weird fever dream that you're about to wake up from to find out that it was actually Flame Chungus or something. This trailer has a power and energy that I don't think any other trailer has, and it's surely one of the best.

Spoiler: 2.2 S Tier

These trailers are just great. Like, some of the best ones. They undoubtedly stand at the top, though they're not the absolute best.

Super Smash Bros. is coming to Nintendo Switch!
The first Smash Ultimate trailer. When I watched it again, the first thing that stuck out to me was how good the animation for the Inklings was. They really captured the fast-paced, frenetic energy of Splatoon perfectly, and you could call it the first "twist" trailer in how it opens similar to a Splatoon trailer before the lights dim and the action slows. A fire appears in the distance, reflected in Inkling's eye...the Smash logo. In the flames stand the core cast of Smash, and the picture speaks louder than any words. This is simultaneously an invitation and challenge. The next Smash Brothers is coming, and it's time to get ready. All in all it's a haunting trailer that both introduced and set the tone for this entry in the series.

The Rivals
I kind of surprised myself with this placement since I never cared much for K. Rool, but this trailer is good. The way it begins by priming viewers to be prepared for K. Rool by showing iconic rivalries in Smash before cutting to Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong...vibing. They do be a couple of monkeys vibing. They're drawn to the window by some rumbling, and the silhouette of King K. Rool appears. It's him!...except it isn't. It's King Dedede and he's doing a little bit of trollin'. The subversion is amazing, but then, of course, comes King K. Rool. From here, the energy completely skyrockets. It's a ceremonious showing that after years of requests K. Rool is finally here, and he's here in full force. The ending with Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong and K. Rool facing off ties together the trailer perfectly by calling back to the very beginning and cementing the fact that Donkey Kong has finally met his match.

The Masked Rebel (The Game Awards version)
The first Smash Ultimate DLC Trailer, the Masked Rebel is, in my opinion, the most effective twist trailer. For one, it was the second trailer (though I wouldn't count the first) to use the style of the game its based on. It further lacked the iconic Smash "swoop" as I'll call it (where the Smash logo cuts in from black), which made it a genuine surprise when the "invitation" the Phantom Thieves received was truly for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, especially if you didn't catch the "Not real gameplay footage" disclaimer shown at the very beginning. Even if you did, it was certainly feasible for the announcement to be for Persona 5 Arena, Persona 5 Royal (not yet detailed), or Persona 5 Strikers (not yet announced), Persona Kart, Atlus milks the **** out of Persona 5 so take your pick. I think the context behind this trailer is also relevant, as no one was expecting a Smash Ultimate reveal at the event due to the interference of clout-chasing "insiders" (who I'll write more detailing thoughts on in a later piece in the series). Instead, everyone was expecting the oft-rumored Metroid Prime Trilogy. I wrote about the sequence of events in one of my earliest Speculation pieces, The Games Awards as a Case Study for Doubt if you're interested in knowing the specific chain of events. Back to the trailer, the fake leaks only amplified the surprise factor and, in my opinion, cemented this trailer as one of the most shocking–especially given that prior to his reveal only a handful of people (myself included) thought Joker was even possible. All-in-all an incredible trailer and part of one of the most interesting periods of Smash Speculation.

Bonus points for the later, gameplay version of the trailer having Makoto, when asked by Yusuke if Joker will be okay, saying "he's got a knife and a gun, I'm sure he'll be fine" as if those aren't two of the deadliest weapons to be brought to Smash at any point. Joker won't just be fine, he's going to ****ing kill Mario in cold blood and no one can stop him.

Sans Mii Costume Reveal
I know I made a tier specifically for Mii Costumes and Echoes, but as far as I'm concerned the Sans Mii Costume (and its reveal) transcends Mii Costumes. This was the first premium Mii Costume, and the way Megalovania just starts playing and Sans is just standing there is so hilarious. The cut is so abrupt and then BOOM it's Sans and he's in Smash Bros. It's a ****post, except it's real and Megalovania is in Smash Bros. One of the most surprising and exciting reveals by far.

The Legendary Wolf
I wouldn't call many trailers a celebration in of themselves, but this trailer is a wonderful celebration of SNK and the legacy of the King of Fighters series. The way that they highlight the Neo Geo system where King of Fighters started. The way that iconic characters like Geese Howard, Nakoruru, and Iori Yagami each get little scenes with each showing an iconic moment or trait of theirs (Geese falling to his death, Nakoruru's bird, and the famous Iori laugh) before it fades to Terry's hand grabbing the invitation. The way that Terry holds the invitation up triumphantly, silhouetted in white before the art style changes to the Smash engine and Terry's card appears (even referencing the Fatal Fury series). You can tell there's a lot of love put into Terry in Smash, at least above some other fighters, and it's clear Sakurai and co. enjoyed working on him a lot just from his trailer alone.

A New Seed!
I think this trailer is, surprisingly, one of the most expressive trailers of the bunch. It begins similar to other in-game trailers, with a standard duel of the characters. Nothing noteworthy, until...

Spoiler: POV

View attachment 333731

Mario crashes through a wall into pure darkness. From here the surprise is dropped as the Minecraft mob and cave noises play and Mario looks around nervously. Digging is heard and from the wall, straight out of Minecraft, Steve emerges. The standoff between Steve and Mario (who looks as shocked as viewers probably did) is amazing, and sets the tone for the trailer that Steve is just...there. Yeah, he's in the game and he's going to eat meat in front of Mario before literally leaving him for dead (what is it with Smash trailers and killing Mario?). From there the gameplay portion begins, showcasing just how faithful to Minecraft Steve is. The dude's essentially a near faithful recreation, and he's brought with him Alex, Zombie, and Enderman (who has one of my favorite shots from a trailer). It's another triumphant trailer that celebrates the best of Minecraft as its integrated into Smash, and doesn't fail to have the necessary surprise and hype energy that makes a great trailer.

Spoiler: Bonus: I see you...

View attachment 333737

Spoiler: 2.3 A+ Tier

The trailers are really good. They check off all the boxes of a good Smash trailer, though they don't stand out for any reason other than the characters revealed in them.

A Piercing Screech
The first newcomer trailer for Smash Ultimate, immediately following up Everyone is Here! if I recall correctly. Along with Everyone is Here! this trailer set the tone for Smash Ultimate speculation going forward, and what a way to do so. People don't talk about Ridley very much nowadays, but anyone who was here during Smash 4 speculation can tell you that he was by far one of the largest character requests, even going back to the Brawl and Melee eras. In the past he'd been shot down for, quite literally, being too big. So, while going into Smash for Switch Ridley fans were as passionate as ever, to say Ridley was fighting an uphill battle for inclusion would be an understatement.

And then comes his trailer. Sakurai mentioned later that the concept behind Ridley was "pure evil" and this trailer pulls this off incredibly well through its tone. Mega Man, Mario, and Samus walk down a dark, futuristic walkway. Ridley swoops in, fast and silent, actually murdering Mega Man and Mario before they can so much as make a sound. Samus turns around to find them both missing, before Ridley appears, taunting Samus by twirling Mario's cap. This trailer is incredibly effective at showing Ridley for what he is, and what I think fans always wanted him to be when they imagined him in the game. The English tagline Ridley hits the big time! is a nice bit of meta-humor as well, poking fun at previous statements to his detriment.

Between Everyone is Here! and Ridley's announcement, the message was clear that Nintendo was listening to fans with this entry and fulfilling popular requests within the fandom. It felt like the sky was the limit, and popular fan requests like K. Rool and Geno actually felt possible where they hadn't in the past. It was truly a special time within the fandom, and I don't think any other character besides Ridley could've pulled that off (maybe K. Rool, but Ridley kind of stood on his own in terms of being a popular legacy request that just. wouldn't. die.).

Can I also comment that like, Samus kinda lets Mega Man and Mario die. She doesn't think to look behind her until after they're both dead? Also when she does it's with gun pointed so like, did she know they were dead already and that someone was there? If so that's kinda ****ed up because she didn't act until after they were gone. You'd think as an intergalactic bounty hunter of wide renown and based on her previous feats she'd have god-like reflexes, but either she doesn't, or she let Mega Man and Mario die for whatever reason. Maybe Ridley isn't the true villain of this trailer...

Vampire Killer
Admittedly, this trailer was somewhat undermined by the numerous credible leaks of Simon Belmont in the game. That being said, it's still a high quality trailer. This time it's not Mario who dies, but Luigi as his soul is quite literally torn out of his body after he goes toe to toe with multiple Castlevania enemies and bosses. Simon's revealed as he saves(?) Luigi by beating the **** out of Death. The gameplay portion of this trailer is actually significant, as besides showcasing Simon (and later Richter's) movesets, it also shows off wider Castlevania representation in Smash through the Dracula boss in World of Light and the Alucard assist trophy. This trailer is also notable for being the first double-reveal trailer, announcing both Simon and Richter. Both are given ceremonious reveals, with Simon being foreshadowed and Richter appearing in the nick of time to save Simon (even saying his famous line against Dracula). All-in-all, this is just a great trailer, especially in how it showed how on-board Konami was with including Castlevania in Smash (Konami had–and still has–a reputation of not caring about their video game IPs, so seeing so much love given to Castlevania was a welcome surprise to many).

Heroic Encounter
Again, just another really good trailer. The beginning's somewhat standard, with Dharkon influenced fighters bodying Link (another influential NES-era fantasy character–referenced by name in Dragon Quest 3) before Hero comes in and bodies them in return. The animation of the fight is stellar (but then again so is like all the animation in these trailers lol), but once Hero shows up the trailer really takes off. It's another one of those triumphant trailers that displays a series meeting Smash is stellar fashion. The scene where Four, Eight, and Erdrick show up is especially noteworthy, as the camerawork and lighting reinforce how big of a moment this is for gaming. Remember, before Smash, Dragon Quest Heroes never appeared together in anything, so when Four and Eight both appear with pure white behind them, only to be followed by the camera zooming and focusing on Erdrick, the quintessential Dragon Quest protagonist, it's a huge moment! The composition of this trailer in regard to its music is also amazing, if not for the composer Sugimiya being a homophobic war crime denier (rest in hell *******). Still, I'd say this trailer is carried by the strength of its mechanics, and gives Dragon Quest the due respect it deserves.

Best Friends
I've spoken about subversive trailers previously, and this trailer's another one of those, this time riffing on...King K. Rool's Smash trailer?

We've reached the point where we're subverting Smash trailers in Smash trailers. Something something Darkness within Darkness.

I personally enjoy the interactions between Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and King K. Rool because they do be vibin' together. I think it helps reinforce the whole "Best Friends" theme that former enemies are hanging out together before Banjo's reveal, and K. Rool's addition in parallel to some scenes from his own trailer (like him running up to the window and vying for space with DK and Diddy before they break it) is a funny touch. Duck Hunt Dog doing some trollin' is also kind offunny, but the repetition of the joke from K. Rool's trailer makes it a bit stale in my opinion. Banjo's introduction is a huge moment given his legacy popularity among fans, and they play it up to great effect in this trailer (with the trio of DK, Diddy, and K. Rool celebrating along with viewers at home). The ending where Banjo and Kazooie beat up (kill?) K. Rool is full of energy and live, and the ending shot of them celebrating with all the other Nintendo characters pins the trailer together perfectly as it's essentially a "welcome home" to these two lost Nintendo idols.

The Ashen Demon
I know this one's an unpopular opinion (since I shared this tier list on Discord before/while writing this), but hear me out here:

I just think this trailer is REALLY funny. There's so many dimensions of meta-humor to this trailer, especially when considering the wider context of the trailer within Speculation as a whole.

To start, this is the least surprising trailer because it shows Byleth within the first 10 seconds. This wouldn't mean much on its own, if not for the fact that this trailer premiered in an announced Smash Ultimate event, so everyone immediately knew it was Byleth (though someone thought it was...Kylo Ren?). The trailer starts as a pretty straight adaptation of the scene from Fire Emblem three Houses, except instead of being freed by merging with Sothis, Byleth is freed by Sothis flashing a Smash invitation, leading to Solon saying "So joining Smash consumes even the darkness itself?!" Cut to gameplay. Byleth is a fairly standard swordsman by the look of things. Then some other swordies beat him up, so he returns to Sothis tired and beat up. Sothis' clear irritation of the "too many swordsmen" remark feels almost reflective of the devs knowing of this criticism and just...not caring about it, but the challenge is presented regardless: if there are too many swordsmen in Smash, how does Byleth differentiate himself?

Become a woman. That's how.

oh and I guess he also gets the hero relics but the introduction of female Byleth halfway through the trailer is genius, and leads to two great moments:

Spoiler: Super Byleth 64

View attachment 333754

Spoiler: Da **** she doin' up there?

View attachment 333755

Solon looks so sad to be upstaged and completely ignored, which is also pretty funny considering how serious the trailer starts. This is by far the most self-aware Smash Ultimate trailer, completely lampooning the common "too many swordsmen" criticism of Smash and telling fans a resounding "we don't care we're going to add who we want lmao" and I love it.

But then you have to consider the wider context of the trailer, being that it's the closer to Fighters Pass 1 and hype is flying high. A lot of people were expecting Dante, and then it's Byleth. By far one of the most underwhelming and predictable characters. The sheer amount of salt this trailer is generated is insane, with salt lasting to this day. It made PapaGenos go legitimately crazy because he drank too much Kool-Aid and took this game way too seriously (he later tried to do damage control by saying it was all acted but anyone with a brain knows it wasn't, and that he had a heated gamer moment over a character getting into a children's video game). This trailer so many dimensions of irony and humor that stretch both within and outside of the bounds of the trailer itself, and I think for that it's deserving of a spot in the A+ tier.

Spoiler: 2.4 A- Tier

These trailers aren't bad. Maybe a bit underwhelming in some minor ways, but still hype-inducing and full of lovable moments.

Clash of Flames
This is definitely a trailer for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch(tm). Ken beats up Little, and then Incineroar beats up Ken. The only scene that really stood out to me was the post-logo scene where Villager, Bowser Jr., and King K. Rool are all squaring up to fight Incineroar and Incineroar looks so tired, but otherwise this trailer just doesn't do it for me.

Ramen time!
This is kinda just Terry's trailer, but with less fanfare because it's ARMS, and only two people played ARMS ever. The non-gameplay portion is incredibly expressive, making use of ARMS artstyle well, and Captain Falcon and Kirby eating Ramen is a major highlight, but otherwise it's a rather short trailer without much to it.

One Day, Pyra Just Disappeared
View attachment 333757

Anyways, next trailer.

The Iron Fist of Darkness
Kazuya throws people in a volcano: the trailer. The references to Tekken are nice (especially when he faces off against Ryu and Terry), and the scenes of Kazuya throwing people in a volcano are pretty funny, but otherwise...he just throws people into a Volcano and that's kinda it.

More Fighters (Launch Trailer)
It's definitely got a lot of neat animation, and seeing all of the characters in action is cool! Almost scratches that characters interacting with one another itch, except it's nothing big or exceptional, and I legitimately forgot it existed until I saw it on the tier list maker I used, so yeah. Can't rank it too high if I couldn't even remember it.

Spoiler: 2.5 B Tier

These trailers are okay. They're definitely lacking in some significant regard, but honestly no Smash trailer is bad so you can't say they're bad.

All in a Day's Work
I appreciate what they were going for in replicating Animal Crossing's art style, but ** this trailer is boring. It was transparent that it was going to be Smash from the beginning of the trailer, so the Animal Crossing section a minute and a half of what's essentially dead air time before we get a short, not even 40 second gameplay segment to wrap it up. Isabelle is such a significant Nintendo character (she's practically the face of Animal Crossing for **'s sake) and she really deserved better than this half-hearted trailer.

Piranha Plant joins the battle! (Nintendo Switch)
This is hardly even a trailer. It's completely in-engine, and only barely over a minute in length. That being said, it has its own video trailer, and it's pretty funny for what it's worth. For whatever reason Mario is PISSED, which is funny, and Piranha Plant came at a perfect moment in speculation to be a giant middle finger to Grinch "leak" supporters, which I appreciate because I'm a petty *****. On its own, however, the trailer's isn't really anything at all...

Spoiler: 2.6 Echo/Mii Costume Tier

These dudes didn't even get trailers lmao. But they're still reveals so like...they're here too. I'm just gonna lump them all in one since if you've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all.

Echo Fighters (Daisy, Chrom & Dark Samus)
All the Echo Fighters really got were gameplay segments, which is half a trailer to me. All of these characters are significant and have lots of fans, but they didn't get nearly as much fanfare as other newcomers, so I really can't rank their reveals on the same tier as any other newcomer.

Premium Mii Costumes that aren't Sans (Cuphead, Vault Boy, Dragonborn, Doomslayer)
If the Echo Fighters didn't get a lot of fanfare, then the non-Sans Premium Mii Costumes got even less. They got trailers in the broadest sense, however, so I suppose they count too?

Sans doesn't count because he's Sans. Next question.

Spoiler: 3. Closing

That's the tier list. Don't really know what else to say. Bye?

Spoiler: 4. Afterword

Writing this piece was…a lot. I don’t know why, but it feels like it took a lot more effort than any of my previous pieces on their own (though my Second Ultimate Square Enid Character Argument probably took more effort between all of the essays I wrote). Maybe it’s because it’s been almost a year since the last time I wrote a long-form piece here. Maybe it’s because this piece is reflective instead of argumentative, so I couldn’t just simply follow an outline prepared in advance. Whatever the reason, I hope y’all appreciated a bit of my thoughts on each trailer. Smash reveals have been a hallmark of gaming events and Nintendo Directs for the past 3 years, so it’s an odd thought that we won’t be seeing them anymore for another 3-5 years.

I’ll be writing another two pieces…sometime in the future. Maybe it’ll take a month, or maybe it’ll take more like a year. I want to write about my in-depth thoughts on Sora and my support for him over the years as well as my experiences this speculation cycle, since I feel as if this is the first cycle I really participated in. However, based on my critical lack of free time and the effort with which it would take to make both of these pieces to the level of detail and quality that I desire, don't expect them any time soon. The best estimate I could give is December, since I'll be finished with my classes for the semester and recovering from jaw surgery, so it's not like I'll have much else to do besides lay around the house, play video games, and write essays for fun, but who knows what'll happen then so I make no promises.

I'll have more fluffy, nice reflections in the next two pieces, but I guess I'll just say that it's been nice to be back. Yeah. That's it. 'till next time!

I agree with pretty much every single placement here…

Except the Byleth one? I dunno, man. I didn’t find it that funny. Just kinda lame. I remember feeling like it was wasting my time, though maybe that’s because it was early and I was tired and instead of being hyped I just wanted to go back to sleep. I dunno point is, I can see your point as to why you’d place it so high. But I personally disagree.

But rad tier list, all the same

 

[Shroob]

Hindsight's funny.

 

[DaybreakHorizon]

Eh, not really empty empty, we’re just down to the core community. The peeps who were in it for the character campaigns only have packed up and gone home, as if that was your hook for the site, it’s gone now.

but-but-but...big internet numbers to fuel my fragile ego...;_;

Maybe the tier list piece was just bad or posted at a bad time or something lmao. Either way gives me food for thought for other reflection pieces if/when I write them.

 

[MooMew64]

but-but-but...big internet numbers to fuel my fragile ego...;_;

Maybe the tier list piece was just bad or posted at a bad time or something lmao. Either way gives me food for thought for other reflection pieces if/when I write them.

Nah man, your essays are some of the best ones out there for Smash. I read a bit of it but I was doing other things at the time too and got distracted: From what I did read, though, it’s a cool piece.

I did a short quip review of each character, but maybe this weekend I’ll go into a bit more detail on how this whole journey was, too. It certainly isn’t one I’ll ever forget, and it’s one I doubt Nintendo will ever top for any other game.

 

[DanganZilla5]

Hindsight's funny.

I remember it was either HungryBox or HMK who said "I don't need Sora anymore!"

Well they got him anyway.

 

[Noipoi]

It certainly isn’t one I’ll ever forget, and it’s one I doubt Nintendo will ever top for any other game.

That’s cuz they’ve yet to announce Cubivore 2.

 

[SneakyLink]

ソラが配信されるまでは､土日もなんらかの写真を出そうと思います｡#スマブラSP pic.twitter.com/vnX8dxVXrW

— 桜井 政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) October 9, 2021

Until Sora releases, we're getting Saturday and Sunday POTDs that aren't anniversary related.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

I know we all have differing opinions on various things

but one thing I’m sure we can all agree on is that the VR Labo mode was totally unnecessary and useless

yes I’m harping on this and I don’t even care

 

[Shroob]

Can I just say


I dunno who started it but


#ThankYouSakurai was perhaps the perfect way to end this all off.



Like, jeez. For as much as this fanbase can be rotten, deep down, I think we really do appreciate all the hard work that Sakurai and his team put in.

 

[Þe 1 → Way]

I know we all have differing opinions on various things

but one thing I’m sure we can all agree on is that the VR Labo mode was totally unnecessary and useless

yes I’m harping on this and I don’t even care

Could’ve been really cool too if they made a like a virtual museum celebrating everything thats in Smash.

Instead, its just the normal game but annoying as you have to hold your hands so high and the fight gets harder to see because the angle is messed up.

 

[BluePikmin11]

I was wondering, how'd you guys get through the drought?

Like sometime ago, I would very rarely come here to see the old speculators come here to still post. What did you guys do to pass the time when there were no rumors, leaks, and much speculation going on during Fighters Pass 2.

I'm kinda curious, coming back here and all.

 

[Shroob]

I was wondering, how'd you guys get through the drought?

Like sometime ago, I would very rarely come here to see the old speculators come here to still post. What did you guys do to pass the time when there were no rumors, leaks, and much speculation going on during Fighters Pass 2.

I'm kinda curious, coming back here and all.

A will of iron.

 

[PLATINUM7]

I was wondering, how'd you guys get through the drought?

Like sometime ago, I would very rarely come here to see the old speculators come here to still post. What did you guys do to pass the time when there were no rumors, leaks, and much speculation going on during Fighters Pass 2.

I'm kinda curious, coming back here and all.

Well, there was a lot of complaining about there being nothing to talk about.

Other times we'd just pick a certain character, series or company and talk about them.

 

[Noipoi]

I was wondering, how'd you guys get through the drought?

Like sometime ago, I would very rarely come here to see the old speculators come here to still post. What did you guys do to pass the time when there were no rumors, leaks, and much speculation going on during Fighters Pass 2.

I'm kinda curious, coming back here and all.

Cry about there being no rumors, leaks, or much speculation going on.

 

[Shroob]

Look


I know hindsight and all that but


Knowing what we know now is just

"In case people were expecting Sora"

 

[MooMew64]

Look


I know hindsight and all that but


Knowing what we know now is just

View attachment 333763

"In case people were expecting Sora"

Sakurai was so tired of people whining about ARMS and FE picks that he put Sora in just to invalidate every single funni YT person’s “FP2 GONNA BE LAME” videos.

Except Arlo, who of all people, completely called it, giving us the funniest end to Smash ever.

 

[Nekoo]

"In case people were expecting Sora"

Which is funny in insight.

Also,I went to check the Japanese side of reactions, and boy, if you thought we were crybabies, boy oh boy, you're wrong.
If they're girls? They cried.
If they're men? They screamed and Cried.
It was all the way to even Vtubers from Hololives wanting him and loosing their **** for him.

Everyone seems to have wished for Sora pre-presentation, but weren't expecting him at all.
It feels so weird and surreal to see the amount of reaction he got out of everyone around the world.

Weirdly enough, it's really only the west that had some oddballs AGAINST him at all lmao

 

[MooMew64]

Which is funny in insight.

Also,I went to check the Japanese side of reactions, and boy, if you thought we were crybabies, boy oh boy, you're wrong.
If they're girls? They cried.
If they're men? They screamed and Cried.
It was all the way to even Vtubers from Hololives wanting him and loosing their **** for him.

Everyone seems to have wished for Sora pre-presentation, but weren't expecting him at all.
It feels so weird and surreal to see the amount of reaction he got out of everyone around the world.

Weirdly enough, it's really only the west that had some oddballs AGAINST him at all lmao

AFAIK it seems to mostly be Crash fans who are mad. Rayman fans too, oddly enough.

There’s a bunch of Waluigi posts too but TBH it’s hard to tell how many are serious.

(Also yeah, even Hololive wanted him: Pekora was hyped as hyped can get, lol)

 

[MarioRaccoon]

One thing I want for Ultimate DX is a 9th alt for every character, including DLC.

Examples:

• Mario -> Smash 64 design
• Luigi -> Smash 64 design
• Peach -> Sunshine design
• Bowser -> Dry Bowser
• Bowser Jr -> Dry Bowser Jr
• Samus -> Dread design
• Cloud -> KH design
• Sephiroth-> KH design
• Ryu -> SF Alpha design
• Ken -> SF Alpha design
• Snake -> Old Snake (MGS4)
• Olimar -> Pikmin 4 protagonist
• Bayonetta -> Bayo 3 design
• Steve -> import some minecraft skins
• Fox -> Star Fox 64 design
• Falco -> Star Fox 64 design
• Wolf -> Star Fox 64 design
• Yoshi -> Boshi
• Inklings -> Splat 3 design
• Link- > BOTW 2 design
• Ganandorf -> Phantom Ganandorf
• Terry -> Garou design
• King K Rool -> Kaptain design
• Isabelle -> New Horizons design
• Pyra/Mythra -> Xeno 3 design
  Give me ideas for the rest of the roster xD.

 

[Sucumbio]

I have a sinking feeling the next smash will not only be ages away but will have a much smaller roster. With several that were in ultimate not there anymore. Dunno why this hit me all of a sudden.... I'd been perfectly happy assuming smash 6 would be full of returning characters but somehow now I feel even the original cast aren't safe. Prolly just paranoia.

 

[SharkLord]

I know we all have differing opinions on various things

but one thing I’m sure we can all agree on is that the VR Labo mode was totally unnecessary and useless

yes I’m harping on this and I don’t even care

The VR Labo mode?

Oh yeah, that's right. They did add a VR Labo mode. Probably the least memorable part of the game honestly

 

[Warumian]

Looking back speculation for this game was crazy like Sakurai getting his eyes red because of overwork hinting to a character like K rool and the f-ing chairs that was the goofiest thing I've ever seen related to this game, I swear to god if Sakurai died during those times people would said "holy f-k Sakurai is hinting at King Boo".

 

[Hadokeyblade]

One thing I want for Ultimate DX is a 9th alt for every character, including DLC.

Examples:

• Mario -> Smash 64 design
• Luigi -> Smash 64 design
• Peach -> Sunshine design
• Bowser -> Dry Bowser
• Bowser Jr -> Dry Bowser Jr
• Samus -> Dread design
• Cloud -> KH design
• Sephiroth-> KH design
• Ryu -> SF Alpha design
• Ken -> SF Alpha design
• Snake -> Old Snake (MGS4)
• Olimar -> Pikmin 4 protagonist
• Bayonetta -> Bayo 3 design
• Steve -> import some minecraft skins
• Fox -> Star Fox 64 design
• Falco -> Star Fox 64 design
• Wolf -> Star Fox 64 design
• Yoshi -> Boshi
• Inklings -> Splat 3 design
• Link- > BOTW 2 design
• Ganandorf -> Phantom Ganandorf
• Terry -> Garou design
• King K Rool -> Kaptain design
• Isabelle -> New Horizons design
• Pyra/Mythra -> Xeno 3 design
  Give me ideas for the rest of the roster xD.

I kinda figured for Ken it would be cool to have his SF5 design, say what you will about his character model in that, i think it's a good design

Sonic - Boom sonic
Joker - Persona dancing in starlight outfit
Pokemon - Shiny forms (Why is it that only Incineroar gets his?? Seriously this really bugs me)
Megaman - Bad box art
Marth - Classic look

 

[ProfPeanut]

I was wondering, how'd you guys get through the drought?

Like sometime ago, I would very rarely come here to see the old speculators come here to still post. What did you guys do to pass the time when there were no rumors, leaks, and much speculation going on during Fighters Pass 2.

I'm kinda curious, coming back here and all.

I mean, there's nothing wrong with just tuning out and leaving Smash in the past, especially now when the future of Smash seems more transient than ever. Then again, that's how you end up with a lot of Smash boards dying off, like when we were well into the post-Brawl era

Which is funny in insight.

Also,I went to check the Japanese side of reactions, and boy, if you thought we were crybabies, boy oh boy, you're wrong.
If they're girls? They cried.
If they're men? They screamed and Cried.
It was all the way to even Vtubers from Hololives wanting him and loosing their **** for him.

Everyone seems to have wished for Sora pre-presentation, but weren't expecting him at all.
It feels so weird and surreal to see the amount of reaction he got out of everyone around the world.

Weirdly enough, it's really only the west that had some oddballs AGAINST him at all lmao

Dang, post some links if you can. I'd like to see those, but searching Japanese videos on Youtube can be frustrating.

 

[Noipoi]

I swear to god if Sakurai died during those times people would said "holy f-k Sakurai is hinting at King Boo".

I shouldn’t laugh at this but I am lmao

 

[PSIGuy]

On the topic of future games having a smaller roster; that just means they have to make it up in other ways. I look forward to their attempts. A few ideas I've had

• Assist Trophies become playable - albeit as much simpler characters. Very simple controls and movesets (think Movement + Jump + Attack), but also mechanics that wouldn't be balanced for regular play. Think 1:1 Shovel Knight (run, jump, attack and shovel drop), or Umihara Kawase. Lyn is playable - except you control a cursor and tell her what to do like in FE GBA. Waluigi plays more like he's in Mario Tennis than in Smash with the ability to lob or slice projectiles. Balanced? No. Chaotic? Yes.
• Platformer content and modes that make use of it. A few big maps like Dracula's Castle, Zebes, etc that can be played as single player levels or in Smash Run against other players. All auto-scrolling stages have regular platformer versions, so you can play through SMB 1-1 for real.
• Make smarter use of content in general. Having platformer stages double as Smash Run stages for example. Don't have bosses that are only fightable at the end of a few character's classic modes or nestled away in a huge story mode. Have a boss rush/rematch function! Let people bring an assist trophy to All-Star mode as back-up! If there's Goombas in the platformer levels, let them appear in regular fights too! Have a "kill most enemies" mode, while we're at it! PLAY UP THE CROSS-OVER ANGLE!

I'm fine with a smaller roster as long as it offers something Ultimate doesn't have. And let's be honest, there's a lot Ultimate doesn't have despite it's massive roster of characters and stages. It's not like there's nowhere to go.

 

[Nekoo]

Dang, post some links if you can. I'd like to see those, but searching Japanese videos on Youtube can be frustrating.

Gotta spoiler stuff so there you go

Spoiler: Sora JP reaction

Just so you understand the thing.While those reaction might seems like your usual US/West clickbaity reaction Hype screaming.
Japan isn't like this. They show emotion, yes, but are way more modest, and even at time, are impressed with how "we" can just scream and be hyped for the reveals openly, having compilation of foreigner getting hyped for Smash.

This is the only reveal where they went absolute banana just like us.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

I mean, there's nothing wrong with just tuning out and leaving Smash in the past, especially now when the future of Smash seems more transient than ever. Then again, that's how you end up with a lot of Smash boards dying off, like when we were well into the post-Brawl era



Dang, post some links if you can. I'd like to see those, but searching Japanese videos on Youtube can be frustrating.

I really wish that one youtube channel that always uploaded the Japanese reactions would get on that for Sora already.

 

[ZelDan]

You know what would make up for a smaller roster or cuts?

A story mode with actual story and actual character interactions, and not just limited to the first couple minutes of the story either. Also have some actually good gameplay along with this. Actually utilizing gaming villains and having way more gaming villains as well and not just largely relying on some shadowy OCs or whatever would be great.