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The Professor Layton for Smash Ultimate support thread! See OP for where to meet us next after the boards close. Thank you for all your support!

BluePikmin11

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Yo-kai Watch and Dragon Quest are not really successful globally, so out of all of the choices, Phoenix and Sora would remain. I am starting to have some hope for Layton getting in Smash now.
 
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Curious Villager

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Yo-kai Watch and Dragon Quest are not really successful globally, so out of all of the choices, Phoenix and Sora would remain. I am starting to have some hope for Layton getting in Smash now.
If we can get both Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton in Smash i'd be over the moon! Their pretty much the only two third parties I really want to see in Smash.

Here is hoping Sakurai will take a look at some more modern Japanese third parties this time around.
 
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King Sonnn DeDeDoo

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I DID IT! My brain was challenged to the absolute limit, but I finally beat it!
Nice! I really do feel like these games make people better a critical thinking, for example when I played it I was in 9th grade and noticed a drastic improvement in my math abilities after playing Curious Village.

I do love St. Mystere, and I think it would make a great and iconic stage for Layton if he gets in.
 

Curious Villager

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Saw this video posted on r/smashbros of Layton's combat skills:


Seems like it comes from the anime. I gotta catch up with the newest episodes sometime.
I'd rather not stereotype him even further as a fulltime swordfighter, especially knowing the stigma the Smash community has against sword wielding characters...
 

SEGAGameBoy

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I've never played a Professor Layton game before. But, I'm planning on getting Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy for my 3DS. I support!
 

King Sonnn DeDeDoo

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I'd rather not stereotype him even further as a fulltime swordfighter, especially knowing the stigma the Smash community has against sword wielding characters...
Great, another anime swordsman /s

I wouldn’t mind Layton using a sword/pipe/stoker as apart of his move set since he’s shown to be a skilled fencer multiple times, but it only needs to be a fraction of his moves similar to how Ganondorf only uses his sword for smash attacks. Most of his moves should utilize contraptions and puzzle mechanics.
 

Curious Villager

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Great, another anime swordsman /s

I wouldn’t mind Layton using a sword/pipe/stoker as apart of his move set since he’s shown to be a skilled fencer multiple times, but it only needs to be a fraction of his moves similar to how Ganondorf only uses his sword for smash attacks. Most of his moves should utilize contraptions and puzzle mechanics.
Definitely! I don't mind him pulling out a lead pipe for some attacks here and there like Ganondorf does or even Ness and Lucas do with their bat and stick respectively, but it certainly shouldn't be his main meat and potatoes as far as his overall moveset goes. The gentleman has way too many interesting tools and gadgets that it would be a shame to miss out on them.
 

BluePikmin11

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A fencing gentleman makes him more stand-out to me personally. I dunno about the professor utilizing a bunch of gadgets and the puzzle mechanics for his standard attacks, but I feel they should be saved for special moves.
 
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Curious Villager

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That would be quite underwhelming to be honest. I don't know if I would want Hershel in the game at all if he just ends up fighting like a generic JRPG protagonist in Smash.

Unless we by any chance get Luke or Katrielle at some later point down the line, I feel it would be best to ensure that Hershel represents the series as a whole. Having him mostly based off what he does on occasion on a handful of cutscenes throughout the games feels quite disrespectful towards the character himself as well as the franchise as a whole. Plus it would feel like Sakurai didn't do much research on the character and the series he hails from and just threw a moveset together based on whatever stood out to him on the moment. Which is very unlike him, especially with how he has been handling unique newcomers in the newer entries in the Smash series.
 
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fogbadge

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yeah id really hope his moveset would include various things from puzzles and what not, throwing that magnifying glass about pushing moving blocks

maybe he could even toss a hint coin in the air as a taunt
 

PK Bash

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That would be quite underwhelming to be honest. I don't know if I would want Hershel in the game at all if he just ends up fighting like a generic JRPG protagonist in Smash.

Unless we by any chance get Luke or Katrielle at some later point down the line, I feel it would be best to ensure that Hershel represents the series as a whole. Having him mostly based off what he does on occasion on a handful of cutscenes throughout the games feels quite disrespectful towards the character himself as well as the franchise as a whole. Plus it would feel like Sakurai didn't do much research on the character and the series he hails from and just threw a moveset together based on whatever stood out to him on the moment. Which is very unlike him, especially with how he has been handling unique newcomers in the newer entries in the Smash series.
I really agree with this. A Layton character in Smash has got to capture the essence of the whole series so if you can't see a Layton moveset on someone like Luke, Kat, or even someone like Stachenscarfen or Granny Riddleton for all I care, that moveset is no good for the main man Professor Layton either. The occasional use of a drainpipe or other makeshift sword is totally fine here and there but it absolutely cannot be the crux of his moveset... that'd just be tragic.

I could def see him playing like a sword fighter, where every move has to be deliberate, but I'd sooner turn him into a character more like Villager or even Snake to be honest, with careful zoning and setups and whatnot, than a full-on sword character.

Some examples could be setting a moving block that Layton (or maybe any character) could then whack to send flying across the level, a puzzle trap where Layton plants a puzzle in the stage somewhere like a tree or C4 and any character who passes over it triggers the red "!" and is frozen in place a la ZSS stun gun, and a collection of general spacing moves that could use limbs, the Prof's trunk, the aforementioned drainpipe... etc etc, along with filling in some other essential gaps wouldn't really be that hard, there's more than enough iconic elements to draw from across the series.

Basically, this character has a lot more potential than just fencing.
Let's not sell this character short - we can, and should, make him far more interesting than a simple swordsman.
 

BluePikmin11

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I kinda pictured him being a fencer for a long while. When I play a Layton game and try to imagine a move-set for him, usually the tricky fencing sword plays for standard attacks come to mind first, with gadgets coming last, incorporating them via special moves. In the PL games I played, Layton makes gadgets occasionally, with puzzles primarily being the professor's priority. I kinda integrate the professor's outside of the box thinking with his fencing skills rather than incorporating many puzzles into his standard moves. For me, it would feel very strange for Layton to have a variety of tools from puzzles like Villager in his entire move-set. I feel that would be overkilling it.

I guess the motivation for me when I want his fencing sword to be his primary tool for standard attacks is that Layton uses his fencing skills very rarely in the games. And when he does use it, Layton feels like a true badass. Those occasional times of Layton using his fencing sword is the primary drive, the reason why I want him to use it for standard attacks. I do not see this side of Layton often, and it would be awesome for Sakurai to utilize tricky fencing skills to its maximum potential.
 

Curious Villager

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Here's a bit of progress on Layton's model.
I realized too late that I apparently had some leftover reference sample's of Layton's design from Azran Legacy so I might do some changes and try and base his design off that. Let me know if it looks alright so far..

Also, Rate their Chances are apparently doing a rating for Layton right now so if you want to give your thoughts on Layton there, be my guest.
 

King Sonnn DeDeDoo

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I’m not sure I can post the video since it contains strong language, but YouTuber Prozd uploaded a short video about Professor Layton (he does a very good impression of Layton).

What’s more important than the contents of the video is that the top comment of the video has 2.2k likes, and it’s a comment about wanting Layton for smash. Sure it’s only a comment on the YouTube comment section, but it’s at least nice to see Layton support outside this thread.
 

SmashKeks

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Well right now, there's only fan-subs. So you would have look at websites like KissAnime to watch it.

Edit: Actually, I just found out that you can actually watch it officially on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGna5A6RFDw

It legit has English subtitles.
Well that's disheartening. The video is still up, but it doesn't appear to have English subtitles, only Japanese closed caption.
 

amageish

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I support Layton! He has such great move-set potential as a puzzle game character and would also represent an era of Nintendo history that is really overlooked by Smash Bros (seriously, the DS is the second best-selling video game console of all time and is only represented with Lucario). I'm hoping that Layton's Mystery Journey not being localized by Nintendo won't hurt his odds...
 

ThoughtfulWanderer

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I support. Layton's affinity for puzzles really sets him up for not just a unique moveset, but also a unique mechanic like many of Smash 4's newcomers. The idea of a level-headed gentleman taking down a giant monster or beefy swordsmen is also much too appealing.

I think he may have been a dark horse candidate among European ballot voters like Bayonetta. Don't know how far that would get him but I'm not completely writing him off as a possibility.
 

Curious Villager

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I support Layton! He has such great move-set potential as a puzzle game character and would also represent an era of Nintendo history that is really overlooked by Smash Bros (seriously, the DS is the second best-selling video game console of all time and is only represented with Lucario). I'm hoping that Layton's Mystery Journey not being localized by Nintendo won't hurt his odds...
Yeah I was pretty shocked to find out on how criminally overlooked the DS era of gaming was when someone made a chart for every Smash characters debut on every console. Especially for a console that sold so well and brought in many popular games and franchises too.

I always knew that the handheld era of gaming never got as much love in Smash outside of the Game Boy and 3DS era (and even then, those where mostly due to Pokemon and Smash 3DS's heavier emphasis on handheld gaming) but that was still quite an eye opener.
 

amageish

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Yeah I was pretty shocked to find out on how criminally overlooked the DS era of gaming was when someone made a chart for every Smash characters debut on every console. Especially for a console that sold so well and brought in many popular games and franchises too.

I always knew that the handheld era of gaming never got as much love in Smash outside of the Game Boy and 3DS era (and even then, those where mostly due to Pokemon and Smash 3DS's heavier emphasis on handheld gaming) but that was still quite an eye opener.
Yeah, that's the chart I've seen as well. It's kinda crazy how little the DS is focused on when compared to it's precedessor and successor - especially considering that it outperformed both of them sales-wise. Lucario is the only character and Hanenbow, the Living Room, Pictochat 1/2, and the Spirit Train are the only stages explicitly based on DS titles (one could argue that Smashville, WarioWare Inc, and such are also based on DS games, but they're not directly lifted from it). It's certainly not the best argument in favour of Layton in particular, but it certainly doesn't hurt!
 

Curious Villager

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Yeah, that's the chart I've seen as well. It's kinda crazy how little the DS is focused on when compared to it's precedessor and successor - especially considering that it outperformed both of them sales-wise. Lucario is the only character and Hanenbow, the Living Room, Pictochat 1/2, and the Spirit Train are the only stages explicitly based on DS titles (one could argue that Smashville, WarioWare Inc, and such are also based on DS games, but they're not directly lifted from it). It's certainly not the best argument in favour of Layton in particular, but it certainly doesn't hurt!
I think the living room stage was based off Nintendogs & Cat's. At least if I recall correctly, I think cats can appear too occasionally on that stage but yeah. Even the 3DS version didn't add all that much content for DS era games despite Smash games being known for being a generation behind (Though that may have been due to the 3DS version coming later on within the 3DS's lifespan but still)
 

fogbadge

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i dont think that argument really works as they dont included characters to represent specific console eras (except maybe the nes) i am having trouble coming up with nintendo franchises that debuted on the ds
 

Isaac: Venus Adept

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Yeah I feel like Layton was one of the more iconic franchises that debuted on the original DS which was Nintendo's most successful console of all time so that's another good reason to add him
 

Curious Villager

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i dont think that argument really works as they dont included characters to represent specific console eras (except maybe the nes) i am having trouble coming up with nintendo franchises that debuted on the ds
I mean yeah, obviously they don't concern themselves about that, nor do I think this would boost Layton's (or any DS era characters) chances for Smash. But still, It's an interesting thing to see.
 

fogbadge

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I mean yeah, obviously they don't concern themselves about that, nor do I think this would boost Layton's (or any DS era characters) chances for Smash. But still, It's an interesting thing to see.
it is, and bit more handheld representation would be good
 

ThoughtfulWanderer

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So a Youtuber by the name of Billybo10K just did a Rate their chances video for Layton, I'd say he did a very good and objective review on Hershel's chances for Smash Ultimate.
Yeah, not everyone factors in Layton's large casual audience, especially from Europe. His series is really enjoyable to watch and he's pretty grounded in reality with his picks, analyzing their individual chances more than their chances competitively with the limited number of newcomer spots. It can get really difficult to judge that way.

He's even an active user here on Smashboards (though under a slightly different name).
 

Curious Villager

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Yeah, not everyone factors in Layton's large casual audience, especially from Europe. His series is really enjoyable to watch and he's pretty grounded in reality with his picks, analyzing their individual chances more than their chances competitively with the limited number of newcomer spots. It can get really difficult to judge that way.

He's even an active user here on Smashboards (though under a slightly different name).
Yeah he mentioned that he used the Rate their Chances thread here on Smashboards as inspiration for his series.

And true, Layton does have a large following on Europe, I recall the Christopher Miller incident hyped up a lot of European fans to vote for him on the Smash ballot when he mistook thinking that one of his voice sessions being intended for Smash 4.
 
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BluePikmin11

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Yeah he mentioned that he used the Rate their Chances thread here on Smashboards as inspiration for his series.

And true, Layton does have a large following on Europe, I recall the Christopher Miller incident hyped up a lot of European fans to vote for him on the Smash ballot when he mistook thinking that one of his voice sessions being intended for Smash 4.
When did that event take place during the ballot period?
 

ThoughtfulWanderer

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When did that event take place during the ballot period?
The very start of August, so late in the ballot's life. Unless there was an unrealistically massive surge of Layton votes, I don't think it had much impact because they were probably already in the process of choosing the roster if not close to finishing it entirely.
 

Curious Villager

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I think the roster was decided about a month or two before the confirmation of Bayonetta and Corrin I think, at least I think it was around that time Sakurai made the project proposal for Smash Ultimate if I recall.

I don't think they decided the roster before the Ballot fully ended.
 

BluePikmin11

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The very start of August, so late in the ballot's life. Unless there was an unrealistically massive surge of Layton votes, I don't think it had much impact because they were probably already in the process of choosing the roster if not close to finishing it entirely.
The possible time votes for Layton in August would still be a factor, as finalized decisions took place in December of 2015. This period of time probably gave some boost to Layton, maybe not to a large degree though.
 

Curious Villager

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Eitherway, It's hard to tell how third parties will be handled this time around as we didn't get any new ones revealed at E3 where they usually tend to be revealed (Unless you count Snake's return) Either we may not be having any new ones this time around (At least for the base roster), or Sakurai may be treating third parties like regular first party newcomers and reveal them whenever he feels is most appropriate. (Like Cloud and Bayonetta)
 
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ThoughtfulWanderer

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The possible time votes for Layton in August would still be a factor, as finalized decisions took place in December of 2015. This period of time probably gave some boost to Layton, maybe not to a large degree though.
Yeah, it's not impossible. Who knows how many fans of Layton actually saw it that late into the ballot cycle and decided to vote for him, though? In fact, some may have figured he was already coming once Miller posted that.

I would just be surprised if many decisions didn't come before the ballot closed, as they probably saw very noticeable trends of popular votes early on. It wouldn't just require seeing Layton drastically jump and deciding to put him in. They'd have to spend time negotiating with Level-5 to see if they'd even be okay with it (Jibanyan and all...), and then creating a moveset while factoring in their development time and resources. It could cause some complications depending on how much progress they made on their project plan, even if it wasn't finished until three or four months later.
 

King Sonnn DeDeDoo

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So this probably has been talked about before, but I bring it up since many of us believe that the Smash ballot will effect the Ultimate roster.

When voting in the ballot you had to give your gender. Do you think that this voting requirement might impact who Nintendo might chose for Smash? Not only do they have data for which characters are most wanted overall, but which characters are most popular for male and female voters.

Do y'all think that they might implement characters based upon appeal to both boys and girls in attempt to broaden their audience/buyers, rather than numbers in votes?
I asked this question in the discussion thread awhile back but didn't get many responses, but i'm reposting it here since I think it might pertain to Layton's chances in regards to the ballot.

Since the ballot votes represent only a small fraction of the smash bros player base, I'm wondering if they used the ballot to scout out which characters are popular with certain demographics rather than a pure popularity contest. Through the smash ballot data, the developers would be able to gauge the popularity of a character not only in votes, but in popularity by market location and by gender. The Japanese ballot also included data collection on the age of the voter, but this was left out of the ballots of other regions.

I don't think Nintendo would include the gender requirement without reason, and if Nintendo wants to appeal to as many demographics as possible, Professor Layton would make an excellent choice. Not only is the Layton series popular in North America, Europe, and Japan, and the series has a near even split appeal to both girls and boys.

In essence, Layton might not win the #1 spot for North America, Europe, or Japan in the ballot, but he might prove to be moderately popular in all regions and from both genders, while other characters' popularity might drop off between region and gender.
 
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ThoughtfulWanderer

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I asked this question in the discussion thread awhile back but didn't get many responses, but i'm reposting it here since I think it might pertain to Layton's chances in regards to the ballot.

Since the ballot votes represent only a small fraction of the smash bros player base, I'm wondering if they used the ballot to scout out which characters are popular with certain demographics rather than a pure popularity contest. Through the smash ballot data, the developers would be able to gauge the popularity of a character not only in votes, but in popularity by market location and by gender. The Japanese ballot also included data collection on the age of the voter, but this was left out of the ballots of other regions.

I don't think Nintendo would include the gender requirement without reason, and if Nintendo wants to appeal to as many demographics as possible, Professor Layton would make an excellent choice. Not only is the Layton series popular in North America, Europe, and Japan, and the series has a near even split appeal to both girls and boys.

In essence, Layton might not win the #1 spot for North America, Europe, or Japan in the ballot, but he might prove to be moderately popular in all regions and from both genders, while other characters' popularity might drop off between region and gender.
This could actually make a lot of sense. That way, they don't necessarily need a ton of casual voters because they could figure which characters appeal to general demographics even if they may not necessarily recognize who the characters are. Not every casual necessarily cares about who gets added and a young boy could think a giant crocodile with a cape is cool while a teen or adult girl could think a British gentleman with a top hat is charming.

Layton's a dark horse candidate in a lot of ways.
 
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