Geno (♥♪!?): Return of the Starsend Savior

[TheCJBrine]

for those wondering:

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

I'm not expecting a new ballot anytime soon. The Japan only one after Smash 64 was used through Brawl and the Brawl one is arguably still being used. So far, I think Inkling, Bayonetta, and Isabelle are the only new characters distinctly added because of the Smash Ballot so I believe that pool is still largely untapped. Characters like Ridley, K. Rool, and Dark Samus were undoubtedly remnants of the Brawl poll and we still have other big characters from those days like Geno, Isaac, and Skull Kid that haven't been added yet.

In that case, would they go through every single remaining voted character that hasn't been an AT or unremovable background character to see how much of them could become realisable DLC? Seeing as there most likely won't be another Smash for a long time.

But let's be real here, Goku and Shrek still won't get in.

 

[Majalbatross]

Geno Blast. Art by me for a shirt. #GenoForSmash pic.twitter.com/b54Ma07XRA

— Zero Mayhem (@evangauntt) September 25, 2018

This person made a Geno shirt that looks pretty good

Big ups to you for linking to this! This design had me so encapsulated that...well, I just had to order a shirt! Will post it here when it arrives!

 

[Deleted member]

That Geno art is nice looking pretty cool there.

 

[FalconFire93]

I remember reading in this thread a while back that people weren't 100% satisfied with the Smashified render, so I made some (admittedly sloppy) edits to it to attempt to make it look more like the original Geno render. What d'you think?

Wow, that's a lot bigger than I was expecting it to show. My apologies!

Awesome, he looks really nice.

 

[Funktastic]

for those wondering:
View attachment 167028

Isn't there a gif somewhere of this Geno model looking at a laptop then glancing off to the side in that pose?

 

[TheCJBrine]

Isn't there a gif somewhere of this Geno model looking at a laptop then glancing off to the side in that pose?

Yeah; it was based on the leak.

I forgot the guy's username, though; it was on Twitter.

 

[EarlTamm]

Guys, I just saw this and I am dumbfounded. In a good way though.

 

[PhilosophicAnimal]

Guys, I just saw this and I am dumbfounded. In a good way though.

Hey, I respect your reasoning for being so into this craze, but...please, stop bringing this up here. This has literally zero to do with Geno.

Not that anyone on the internet owes me anything...just asking, one Genobro to another.

 

[EarlTamm]

Hey, I respect your reasoning for being so into this craze, but...please, stop bringing this up here. This has literally zero to do with Geno.

Not that anyone on the internet owes me anything...just asking, one Genobro to another.

I get it. Sorry about that, just figured it was a weird Mario series related news that should be heard. Did not help that social media is becoming rater charged again due to obvious reasons.

You know, I really should be on this thread more, kinda been off more and more lately. Sure Geno is still my number one, but it's all kinda fizzled out for me. I wonder why.

 

[THE 6r]

Well, the boards as a whole seems to be in a bit of a lull as of late.

 

[EarlTamm]

Well, the boards as a whole seems to be in a bit of a lull as of late.

I think that is it. There is really no more big speculation in this thread anymore as Geno's chance became higher and higher. It does not help that this thread has a decades worth of speculation behind it, so it kinda feels like there is nothing really new to discuss.

 

[Ze Diglett]

Isn't there a gif somewhere of this Geno model looking at a laptop then glancing off to the side in that pose?

I gotchu, fam.

 

[Deleted member]

I gotchu, fam.
View attachment 167085

Holy shoot he looks so badass. No wonder he's so supported such an awesome, cool and focused character. Definitely want him in more now.

 

[TBone06]

I gotchu, fam.
View attachment 167085

This GIF kills me every time I see it. I'm laughing uncontrollably for no reason. It's too good. That's how I feel every time someone says he shouldn't be in.

 

[PhilosophicAnimal]

I get it. Sorry about that, just figured it was a weird Mario series related news that should be heard. Did not help that social media is becoming rater charged again due to obvious reasons.

You know, I really should be on this thread more, kinda been off more and more lately. Sure Geno is still my number one, but it's all kinda fizzled out for me. I wonder why.

I think that is it. There is really no more big speculation in this thread anymore as Geno's chance became higher and higher. It does not help that this thread has a decades worth of speculation behind it, so it kinda feels like there is nothing really new to discuss.

No worries, and thanks for being cool about it. all I ask is for a respectful environment, and we're definitely good on that front. One of the few places on the internet where I can truly say that. This community really is quite remarkable.

And yeah, I feel you on the lull. It really is difficult sometimes to come up with new topics of discussion, especially about such a storied character. Info draughts don't help, either. I honestly have no clue how the Isaac board manages those post numbers...

Still, as quiet as it's been lately, I still enjoy checking up on the thread and chatting with you all. Again, remarkable community. We just need a little jolt of conversational energy.

How about this, everybody: what are some of your favorite/most memorable SMRPG enemies? No bosses, just the mooks. For me, Octovader always stood out. I mean, it's like a squid-Snifit held up by those flying shells from Mario Bros. 3? How did that idea get greenlit?

 

[Fatmanonice]

Geno story time? Geno story time. Alright, here comes Grandpa Fatman with Tales of Yore. This one is from the SSB4 days. I've shared this elsewhere on this site but I don't think I've ever detailed it in any of the Geno threads before.

It was November 21st, 2014. The big day had arrived. Smash Wii U was coming out. Things lined up perfectly. It was pay day and I had plans to pick up the game as soon as I got off work. Despite regularly being financially wrecked because of grad school, I had managed to set aside enough money for not only the game but limited edition Gamecube controller and adapter. All I had to do was survive my shift and the game was mine.

At the time, I was a student supervisor for the parking division of the campus police. This meant that I had to walk around campus and make sure people were doing their job (writing parking tickets but, hey, it got me out of school without debt). So, I was doing this and I was enjoying the walk because the weather was nice. I had gotten to one of the farthest parking lots on campus when I was approached by two international students. They asked me for help and then they showed me what I presumed was a dead tuxedo kitten. I was taken back a bit, as anyone would be. "We found it in the bushes and... we don't know what to do." I then told them that I would take it because I was friends with the owner of a local pet supply store literally in walking distance of where we were. They handed it to me and then quietly left.

For a few minutes, I was holding a kitten that had its eyes closed and barely any heat to it. I assumed that it had recently died and that the least I could do was take it somewhere it would be properly disposed of instead of being food for some random raccoon. So, I began my walk, trying to not bring too much attention to the fact that I was basically carrying a dead baby animal. I got to the side walk leading to the store when suddenly, if almost by magic, the kitten sprung to life. It looked at me, I looked at it. It was apparent that we were both a bit freaked out. "Uh..." I didn't have much time to really process what had happened because then the kitten tried to get away and was hardcore biting my hands. It was weak though and quickly tired itself out. The roof of its mouth was chalk white which meant that it was anemic and super close to starving to death. Soon the punk passed out and he closed his eyes and went dormant again. It was in that moment... that I fell in love with the little guy.

There was a change of plans but I couldn't decide what they were going to be. My landlord was incredibly strict at the time and me and my soon to be wife would have probably faced eviction if we were caught with a third cat. "Okay, right, I can't keep him..." I then walked over to the student center on campus. About every 5 minutes, the kitten would wake up, freak out, try to murder my hand, and then pass out from exhaustion. I sat in the student lounge and phoned up animal control. They said they'd send someone so I sat, waiting anxiously. Thirty minutes passed and the kitten went through its cycles: wake, bite, pass out, repeat. My hand hurt like a MF but I wanted to see this through. As time passed, I began to realize the mistake I had made. This was a stray kitten that would probably die by the end of the day if it didn't get help. It became grossly apparent that animal control would probably euthanize it without a second thought so I got up and left. "Damnit, this is happening all too fast..."

I walked outside and almost got hit by a car. The driver was mad until I showed them the kitten and told them the story. She looked at it and then me with quiet concern and then said "I can take him to the vet if you want." Do you ever have those moments in your life when you know that a decision made right then and there would affect thousands down the road? There I was, at a literal and metaphorical crosswalk when I look at the passed out kitten again. You become quickly attached to something as its literally dying in your hands so I told her that I would do it. She understood and left. Sometimes I think back on how things could have been if I had handed it over to her.

I then flagged down one of the campus shuttles and sat near the front. The kitten was in my lap now and just about everyone who got on and off asked me about it. It was like he was taking a nap and the thought would have been a lot more endearing if I didn't understand the grave reality of the situation. I eventually got back to the station, got my boss to agree to let me off early, and had one of my coworkers drive me to the vet my fiancee and I still go to. I got it checked in and the vet gave it various injections and formula though a syringe. After it was put back away in a carrier, the vet pulled me aside. "I'm going to level with you... there's a pretty good chance he's not going to make it. He's very malnourished and the waking and sleeping cycles might indicate brain damage. Do you understand?" I did and I left him in their care for the night. As you might have guessed, Smash Bros was the last thing on my mind at the time.

The next day came and I was told to come back to the vet office. He had survived the night but still wasn't doing super great. He was still anemic and choke full of parasites but both could be managed with medication, basically meaning I had no choice but to at least foster him. It was then time to pay the vet bill. The total came out within a few dollars of what I had saved up for the SSB4 bundle. It was funny in a Gift of the Magi sort of way so I couldn't even bring myself to be mad. I had wanted Smash 4 since 2012 but I had to recognize that this kitten was more important. It made me think of the probably thousands of hours I had spent on this boards on a near daily basis. Grad school was pissing on me and trying to convince me that it was rain so it and my then girlfriend were kind of the only breaks that I had in my life that was 60+ hour work weeks across multiple jobs on top of my studies. Still, this mattered more... a lot more.

I wound up taking him home, sneaking him past our landlord's son, and putting him in my girlfriend and I's personal bathroom. In the time before my girlfriend came home from work, I started thinking of names. I kept thinking about how he was practically lifeless and how he seemingly by some miracle came back to life in my hands. The similarities played out too perfectly... I had a name I had been saving for a pet since I was 8 years old... In those days, waiting for Smash 4, I regularly typed Geno 4 SSB4 but now it had more meaning to it. I gave up the game I had waited years for on that day for that kitten. So that was it... Geno for SSB4.

Geno's still with me to this day. Because of the experience, he has a voracious appetite and an undying sense of loyalty. His celebrated birthday is November 21st even though he was likely actually born in October. Because of the sacrifice I made that day, I didn't buy the Wii U version of Smash 4 until early 2017. I reasoned I was too busy anyways, which was true because, although no longer working the crazy hours that I did, I was still working full time and you just kind of have to pump the brakes on that sort of thing as you get older and have more responsibilities anyways. Geno turns four this year and it makes me happy that, whenever I watch Nintendo Directs on my bed, he'll lay at my feet. This means that, if and when the day comes, Geno will be there when his namesake is confirmed. Call it sappy, sentimental, what have you, but this just adds another layer to why I've been wanting Geno in Smash Bros for so long. I finally got to use a name I had been saving since childhood and it played out wonderfully for a cat that adores me. In the end, I hope it all works out. I hope I can be there with Geno and hopefully my wife to have something I've been waiting 22 years to have: for my favorite childhood character to come back in what's ultimately (pun intended) become the video game character Hall of Fame. Hopefully, that day comes soon.

 

[skydogc]

I gotchu, fam.
View attachment 167085

Almost feels like a reverse dab? haha I dunno, I love this one so much. Makes me smile. :]

 

[thirsty-pocket]

How about this, everybody: what are some of your favorite/most memorable SMRPG enemies? No bosses, just the mooks. For me, Octovader always stood out. I mean, it's like a squid-Snifit held up by those flying shells from Mario Bros. 3? How did that idea get greenlit?

Chained Kong because it was literally just Donkey Kong, who I wasn't used to seeing in a Mario game at the time, even though they shared origins.

Frogog because it was the first really weird and wacky thing I encountered that was CLEARLY not a regular from the Mario series. Also for whatever reason I thought it's belt buckle was a pot belly with an outie belly button... those 3D Models were rough and I didn't know Frogog's had official artwork. Gimmie a break.

These freaky things:

 

[PhilosophicAnimal]

Geno story time? Geno story time. Alright, here comes Grandpa Fatman with Tales of Yore. This one is from the SSB4 days. I've shared this elsewhere on this site but I don't think I've ever detailed it in any of the Geno threads before.

It was November 21st, 2014. The big day had arrived. Smash Wii U was coming out. Things lined up perfectly. It was pay day and I had plans to pick up the game as soon as I got off work. Despite regularly being financially wrecked because of grad school, I had managed to set aside enough money for not only the game but limited edition Gamecube controller and adapter. All I had to do was survive my shift and the game was mine.

At the time, I was a student supervisor for the parking division of the campus police. This meant that I had to walk around campus and make sure people were doing their job (writing parking tickets but, hey, it got me out of school without debt). So, I was doing this and I was enjoying the walk because the weather was nice. I had gotten to one of the farthest parking lots on campus when I was approached by two international students. They asked me for help and then they showed me what I presumed was a dead tuxedo kitten. I was taken back a bit, as anyone would be. "We found it in the bushes and... we don't know what to do." I then told them that I would take it because I was friends with the owner of a local pet supply store literally in walking distance of where we were. They handed it to me and then quietly left.

For a few minutes, I was holding a kitten that had its eyes closed and barely any heat to it. I assumed that it had recently died and that the least I could do was take it somewhere it would be properly disposed of instead of being food for some random raccoon. So, I began my walk, trying to not bring too much attention to the fact that I was basically carrying a dead baby animal. I got to the side walk leading to the store when suddenly, if almost by magic, the kitten sprung to life. It looked at me, I looked at it. It was apparent that we were both a bit freaked out. "Uh..." I didn't have much time to really process what had happened because then the kitten tried to get away and was hardcore biting my hands. It was weak though and quickly tired itself out. The roof of its mouth was chalk white which meant that it was anemic and super close to starving to death. Soon the punk passed out and he closed his eyes and went dormant again. It was in that moment... that I fell in love with the little guy.

There was a change of plans but I couldn't decide what they were going to be. My landlord was incredibly strict at the time and me and my soon to be wife would have probably faced eviction if we were caught with a third cat. "Okay, right, I can't keep him..." I then walked over to the student center on campus. About every 5 minutes, the kitten would wake up, freak out, try to murder my hand, and then pass out from exhaustion. I sat in the student lounge and phoned up animal control. They said they'd send someone so I sat, waiting anxiously. Thirty minutes passed and the kitten went through its cycles: wake, bite, pass out, repeat. My hand hurt like a MF but I wanted to see this through. As time passed, I began to realize the mistake I had made. This was a stray kitten that would probably die by the end of the day if it didn't get help. It became grossly apparent that animal control would probably euthanize it without a second thought so I got up and left. "Damnit, this is happening all too fast..."

I walked outside and almost got hit by a car. The driver was mad until I showed them the kitten and told them the story. She looked at it and then me with quiet concern and then said "I can take him to the vet if you want." Do you ever have those moments in your life when you know that a decision made right then and there would affect thousands down the road? There I was, at a literal and metaphorical crosswalk when I look at the passed out kitten again. You become quickly attached to something as its literally dying in your hands so I told her that I would do it. She understood and left. Sometimes I think back on how things could have been if I had handed it over to her.

I then flagged down one of the campus shuttles and sat near the front. The kitten was in my lap now and just about everyone who got on and off asked me about it. It was like he was taking a nap and the thought would have been a lot more endearing if I didn't understand the grave reality of the situation. I eventually got back to the station, got my boss to agree to let me off early, and had one of my coworkers drive me to the vet my fiancee and I still go to. I got it checked in and the vet gave it various injections and formula though a syringe. After it was put back away in a carrier, the vet pulled me aside. "I'm going to level with you... there's a pretty good chance he's not going to make it. He's very malnourished and the waking and sleeping cycles might indicate brain damage. Do you understand?" I did and I left him in their care for the night. As you might have guessed, Smash Bros was the last thing on my mind at the time.

The next day came and I was told to come back to the vet office. He had survived the night but still wasn't doing super great. He was still anemic and choke full of parasites but both could be managed with medication, basically meaning I had no choice but to at least foster him. It was then time to pay the vet bill. The total came out within a few dollars of what I had saved up for the SSB4 bundle. It was funny in a Gift of the Magi sort of way so I couldn't even bring myself to be mad. I had wanted Smash 4 since 2012 but I had to recognize that this kitten was more important. It made me think of the probably thousands of hours I had spent on this boards on a near daily basis. Grad school was pissing on me and trying to convince me that it was rain so it and my then girlfriend were kind of the only breaks that I had in my life that was 60+ hour work weeks across multiple jobs on top of my studies. Still, this mattered more... a lot more.

I wound up taking him home, sneaking him past our landlord's son, and putting him in my girlfriend and I's personal bathroom. In the time before my girlfriend came home from work, I started thinking of names. I kept thinking about how he was practically lifeless and how he seemingly by some miracle came back to life in my hands. The similarities played out too perfectly... I had a name I had been saving for a pet since I was 8 years old... In those days, waiting for Smash 4, I regularly typed Geno 4 SSB4 but now it had more meaning to it. I gave up the game I had waited years for on that day for that kitten. So that was it... Geno for SSB4.

Geno's still with me to this day. Because of the experience, he has a voracious appetite and an undying sense of loyalty. His celebrated birthday is November 21st even though he was likely actually born in October. Because of the sacrifice I made that day, I didn't buy the Wii U version of Smash 4 until early 2017. I reasoned I was too busy anyways, which was true because, although no longer working the crazy hours that I did, I was still working full time and you just kind of have to pump the brakes on that sort of thing as you get older and have more responsibilities anyways. Geno turns four this year and it makes me happy that, whenever I watch Nintendo Directs on my bed, he'll lay at my feet. This means that, if and when the day comes, Geno will be there when his namesake is confirmed. Call it sappy, sentimental, what have you, but this just adds another layer to why I've been wanting Geno in Smash Bros for so long. I finally got to use a name I had been saving since childhood and it played out wonderfully for a cat that adores me. In the end, I hope it all works out. I hope I can be there with Geno and hopefully my wife to have something I've been waiting 22 years to have: for my favorite childhood character to come back in what's ultimately (pun intended) become the video game character Hall of Fame. Hopefully, that day comes soon.

Oh man...

Thank you for sharing that. It's an amazing story. Geno means an incredible amount to you, in more ways than one.

Now I really want to see Geno in this game, if only to see this dream come full circle. This needs to happen.

 

[Klimax]

Geno story time? Geno story time. Alright, here comes Grandpa Fatman with Tales of Yore. This one is from the SSB4 days. I've shared this elsewhere on this site but I don't think I've ever detailed it in any of the Geno threads before.

It was November 21st, 2014. The big day had arrived. Smash Wii U was coming out. Things lined up perfectly. It was pay day and I had plans to pick up the game as soon as I got off work. Despite regularly being financially wrecked because of grad school, I had managed to set aside enough money for not only the game but limited edition Gamecube controller and adapter. All I had to do was survive my shift and the game was mine.

At the time, I was a student supervisor for the parking division of the campus police. This meant that I had to walk around campus and make sure people were doing their job (writing parking tickets but, hey, it got me out of school without debt). So, I was doing this and I was enjoying the walk because the weather was nice. I had gotten to one of the farthest parking lots on campus when I was approached by two international students. They asked me for help and then they showed me what I presumed was a dead tuxedo kitten. I was taken back a bit, as anyone would be. "We found it in the bushes and... we don't know what to do." I then told them that I would take it because I was friends with the owner of a local pet supply store literally in walking distance of where we were. They handed it to me and then quietly left.

For a few minutes, I was holding a kitten that had its eyes closed and barely any heat to it. I assumed that it had recently died and that the least I could do was take it somewhere it would be properly disposed of instead of being food for some random raccoon. So, I began my walk, trying to not bring too much attention to the fact that I was basically carrying a dead baby animal. I got to the side walk leading to the store when suddenly, if almost by magic, the kitten sprung to life. It looked at me, I looked at it. It was apparent that we were both a bit freaked out. "Uh..." I didn't have much time to really process what had happened because then the kitten tried to get away and was hardcore biting my hands. It was weak though and quickly tired itself out. The roof of its mouth was chalk white which meant that it was anemic and super close to starving to death. Soon the punk passed out and he closed his eyes and went dormant again. It was in that moment... that I fell in love with the little guy.

There was a change of plans but I couldn't decide what they were going to be. My landlord was incredibly strict at the time and me and my soon to be wife would have probably faced eviction if we were caught with a third cat. "Okay, right, I can't keep him..." I then walked over to the student center on campus. About every 5 minutes, the kitten would wake up, freak out, try to murder my hand, and then pass out from exhaustion. I sat in the student lounge and phoned up animal control. They said they'd send someone so I sat, waiting anxiously. Thirty minutes passed and the kitten went through its cycles: wake, bite, pass out, repeat. My hand hurt like a MF but I wanted to see this through. As time passed, I began to realize the mistake I had made. This was a stray kitten that would probably die by the end of the day if it didn't get help. It became grossly apparent that animal control would probably euthanize it without a second thought so I got up and left. "Damnit, this is happening all too fast..."

I walked outside and almost got hit by a car. The driver was mad until I showed them the kitten and told them the story. She looked at it and then me with quiet concern and then said "I can take him to the vet if you want." Do you ever have those moments in your life when you know that a decision made right then and there would affect thousands down the road? There I was, at a literal and metaphorical crosswalk when I look at the passed out kitten again. You become quickly attached to something as its literally dying in your hands so I told her that I would do it. She understood and left. Sometimes I think back on how things could have been if I had handed it over to her.

I then flagged down one of the campus shuttles and sat near the front. The kitten was in my lap now and just about everyone who got on and off asked me about it. It was like he was taking a nap and the thought would have been a lot more endearing if I didn't understand the grave reality of the situation. I eventually got back to the station, got my boss to agree to let me off early, and had one of my coworkers drive me to the vet my fiancee and I still go to. I got it checked in and the vet gave it various injections and formula though a syringe. After it was put back away in a carrier, the vet pulled me aside. "I'm going to level with you... there's a pretty good chance he's not going to make it. He's very malnourished and the waking and sleeping cycles might indicate brain damage. Do you understand?" I did and I left him in their care for the night. As you might have guessed, Smash Bros was the last thing on my mind at the time.

The next day came and I was told to come back to the vet office. He had survived the night but still wasn't doing super great. He was still anemic and choke full of parasites but both could be managed with medication, basically meaning I had no choice but to at least foster him. It was then time to pay the vet bill. The total came out within a few dollars of what I had saved up for the SSB4 bundle. It was funny in a Gift of the Magi sort of way so I couldn't even bring myself to be mad. I had wanted Smash 4 since 2012 but I had to recognize that this kitten was more important. It made me think of the probably thousands of hours I had spent on this boards on a near daily basis. Grad school was pissing on me and trying to convince me that it was rain so it and my then girlfriend were kind of the only breaks that I had in my life that was 60+ hour work weeks across multiple jobs on top of my studies. Still, this mattered more... a lot more.

I wound up taking him home, sneaking him past our landlord's son, and putting him in my girlfriend and I's personal bathroom. In the time before my girlfriend came home from work, I started thinking of names. I kept thinking about how he was practically lifeless and how he seemingly by some miracle came back to life in my hands. The similarities played out too perfectly... I had a name I had been saving for a pet since I was 8 years old... In those days, waiting for Smash 4, I regularly typed Geno 4 SSB4 but now it had more meaning to it. I gave up the game I had waited years for on that day for that kitten. So that was it... Geno for SSB4.

Geno's still with me to this day. Because of the experience, he has a voracious appetite and an undying sense of loyalty. His celebrated birthday is November 21st even though he was likely actually born in October. Because of the sacrifice I made that day, I didn't buy the Wii U version of Smash 4 until early 2017. I reasoned I was too busy anyways, which was true because, although no longer working the crazy hours that I did, I was still working full time and you just kind of have to pump the brakes on that sort of thing as you get older and have more responsibilities anyways. Geno turns four this year and it makes me happy that, whenever I watch Nintendo Directs on my bed, he'll lay at my feet. This means that, if and when the day comes, Geno will be there when his namesake is confirmed. Call it sappy, sentimental, what have you, but this just adds another layer to why I've been wanting Geno in Smash Bros for so long. I finally got to use a name I had been saving since childhood and it played out wonderfully for a cat that adores me. In the end, I hope it all works out. I hope I can be there with Geno and hopefully my wife to have something I've been waiting 22 years to have: for my favorite childhood character to come back in what's ultimately (pun intended) become the video game character Hall of Fame. Hopefully, that day comes soon.

That's a beautiful story, I don't even know what to say, damn.

 

[FCZHornet]

Geno story time? Geno story time. Alright, here comes Grandpa Fatman with Tales of Yore. This one is from the SSB4 days. I've shared this elsewhere on this site but I don't think I've ever detailed it in any of the Geno threads before.

It was November 21st, 2014. The big day had arrived. Smash Wii U was coming out. Things lined up perfectly. It was pay day and I had plans to pick up the game as soon as I got off work. Despite regularly being financially wrecked because of grad school, I had managed to set aside enough money for not only the game but limited edition Gamecube controller and adapter. All I had to do was survive my shift and the game was mine.

At the time, I was a student supervisor for the parking division of the campus police. This meant that I had to walk around campus and make sure people were doing their job (writing parking tickets but, hey, it got me out of school without debt). So, I was doing this and I was enjoying the walk because the weather was nice. I had gotten to one of the farthest parking lots on campus when I was approached by two international students. They asked me for help and then they showed me what I presumed was a dead tuxedo kitten. I was taken back a bit, as anyone would be. "We found it in the bushes and... we don't know what to do." I then told them that I would take it because I was friends with the owner of a local pet supply store literally in walking distance of where we were. They handed it to me and then quietly left.

For a few minutes, I was holding a kitten that had its eyes closed and barely any heat to it. I assumed that it had recently died and that the least I could do was take it somewhere it would be properly disposed of instead of being food for some random raccoon. So, I began my walk, trying to not bring too much attention to the fact that I was basically carrying a dead baby animal. I got to the side walk leading to the store when suddenly, if almost by magic, the kitten sprung to life. It looked at me, I looked at it. It was apparent that we were both a bit freaked out. "Uh..." I didn't have much time to really process what had happened because then the kitten tried to get away and was hardcore biting my hands. It was weak though and quickly tired itself out. The roof of its mouth was chalk white which meant that it was anemic and super close to starving to death. Soon the punk passed out and he closed his eyes and went dormant again. It was in that moment... that I fell in love with the little guy.

There was a change of plans but I couldn't decide what they were going to be. My landlord was incredibly strict at the time and me and my soon to be wife would have probably faced eviction if we were caught with a third cat. "Okay, right, I can't keep him..." I then walked over to the student center on campus. About every 5 minutes, the kitten would wake up, freak out, try to murder my hand, and then pass out from exhaustion. I sat in the student lounge and phoned up animal control. They said they'd send someone so I sat, waiting anxiously. Thirty minutes passed and the kitten went through its cycles: wake, bite, pass out, repeat. My hand hurt like a MF but I wanted to see this through. As time passed, I began to realize the mistake I had made. This was a stray kitten that would probably die by the end of the day if it didn't get help. It became grossly apparent that animal control would probably euthanize it without a second thought so I got up and left. "Damnit, this is happening all too fast..."

I walked outside and almost got hit by a car. The driver was mad until I showed them the kitten and told them the story. She looked at it and then me with quiet concern and then said "I can take him to the vet if you want." Do you ever have those moments in your life when you know that a decision made right then and there would affect thousands down the road? There I was, at a literal and metaphorical crosswalk when I look at the passed out kitten again. You become quickly attached to something as its literally dying in your hands so I told her that I would do it. She understood and left. Sometimes I think back on how things could have been if I had handed it over to her.

I then flagged down one of the campus shuttles and sat near the front. The kitten was in my lap now and just about everyone who got on and off asked me about it. It was like he was taking a nap and the thought would have been a lot more endearing if I didn't understand the grave reality of the situation. I eventually got back to the station, got my boss to agree to let me off early, and had one of my coworkers drive me to the vet my fiancee and I still go to. I got it checked in and the vet gave it various injections and formula though a syringe. After it was put back away in a carrier, the vet pulled me aside. "I'm going to level with you... there's a pretty good chance he's not going to make it. He's very malnourished and the waking and sleeping cycles might indicate brain damage. Do you understand?" I did and I left him in their care for the night. As you might have guessed, Smash Bros was the last thing on my mind at the time.

The next day came and I was told to come back to the vet office. He had survived the night but still wasn't doing super great. He was still anemic and choke full of parasites but both could be managed with medication, basically meaning I had no choice but to at least foster him. It was then time to pay the vet bill. The total came out within a few dollars of what I had saved up for the SSB4 bundle. It was funny in a Gift of the Magi sort of way so I couldn't even bring myself to be mad. I had wanted Smash 4 since 2012 but I had to recognize that this kitten was more important. It made me think of the probably thousands of hours I had spent on this boards on a near daily basis. Grad school was pissing on me and trying to convince me that it was rain so it and my then girlfriend were kind of the only breaks that I had in my life that was 60+ hour work weeks across multiple jobs on top of my studies. Still, this mattered more... a lot more.

I wound up taking him home, sneaking him past our landlord's son, and putting him in my girlfriend and I's personal bathroom. In the time before my girlfriend came home from work, I started thinking of names. I kept thinking about how he was practically lifeless and how he seemingly by some miracle came back to life in my hands. The similarities played out too perfectly... I had a name I had been saving for a pet since I was 8 years old... In those days, waiting for Smash 4, I regularly typed Geno 4 SSB4 but now it had more meaning to it. I gave up the game I had waited years for on that day for that kitten. So that was it... Geno for SSB4.

Geno's still with me to this day. Because of the experience, he has a voracious appetite and an undying sense of loyalty. His celebrated birthday is November 21st even though he was likely actually born in October. Because of the sacrifice I made that day, I didn't buy the Wii U version of Smash 4 until early 2017. I reasoned I was too busy anyways, which was true because, although no longer working the crazy hours that I did, I was still working full time and you just kind of have to pump the brakes on that sort of thing as you get older and have more responsibilities anyways. Geno turns four this year and it makes me happy that, whenever I watch Nintendo Directs on my bed, he'll lay at my feet. This means that, if and when the day comes, Geno will be there when his namesake is confirmed. Call it sappy, sentimental, what have you, but this just adds another layer to why I've been wanting Geno in Smash Bros for so long. I finally got to use a name I had been saving since childhood and it played out wonderfully for a cat that adores me. In the end, I hope it all works out. I hope I can be there with Geno and hopefully my wife to have something I've been waiting 22 years to have: for my favorite childhood character to come back in what's ultimately (pun intended) become the video game character Hall of Fame. Hopefully, that day comes soon.

This was the best thing I’ve read all week. I hope you are doing well and everything lines up perfectly so you and geno can celebrate Geno with the rest of us!

 

[skydogc]

Geno story time? Geno story time. Alright, here comes Grandpa Fatman with Tales of Yore. This one is from the SSB4 days. I've shared this elsewhere on this site but I don't think I've ever detailed it in any of the Geno threads before.

It was November 21st, 2014. The big day had arrived. Smash Wii U was coming out. Things lined up perfectly. It was pay day and I had plans to pick up the game as soon as I got off work. Despite regularly being financially wrecked because of grad school, I had managed to set aside enough money for not only the game but limited edition Gamecube controller and adapter. All I had to do was survive my shift and the game was mine.

At the time, I was a student supervisor for the parking division of the campus police. This meant that I had to walk around campus and make sure people were doing their job (writing parking tickets but, hey, it got me out of school without debt). So, I was doing this and I was enjoying the walk because the weather was nice. I had gotten to one of the farthest parking lots on campus when I was approached by two international students. They asked me for help and then they showed me what I presumed was a dead tuxedo kitten. I was taken back a bit, as anyone would be. "We found it in the bushes and... we don't know what to do." I then told them that I would take it because I was friends with the owner of a local pet supply store literally in walking distance of where we were. They handed it to me and then quietly left.

For a few minutes, I was holding a kitten that had its eyes closed and barely any heat to it. I assumed that it had recently died and that the least I could do was take it somewhere it would be properly disposed of instead of being food for some random raccoon. So, I began my walk, trying to not bring too much attention to the fact that I was basically carrying a dead baby animal. I got to the side walk leading to the store when suddenly, if almost by magic, the kitten sprung to life. It looked at me, I looked at it. It was apparent that we were both a bit freaked out. "Uh..." I didn't have much time to really process what had happened because then the kitten tried to get away and was hardcore biting my hands. It was weak though and quickly tired itself out. The roof of its mouth was chalk white which meant that it was anemic and super close to starving to death. Soon the punk passed out and he closed his eyes and went dormant again. It was in that moment... that I fell in love with the little guy.

There was a change of plans but I couldn't decide what they were going to be. My landlord was incredibly strict at the time and me and my soon to be wife would have probably faced eviction if we were caught with a third cat. "Okay, right, I can't keep him..." I then walked over to the student center on campus. About every 5 minutes, the kitten would wake up, freak out, try to murder my hand, and then pass out from exhaustion. I sat in the student lounge and phoned up animal control. They said they'd send someone so I sat, waiting anxiously. Thirty minutes passed and the kitten went through its cycles: wake, bite, pass out, repeat. My hand hurt like a MF but I wanted to see this through. As time passed, I began to realize the mistake I had made. This was a stray kitten that would probably die by the end of the day if it didn't get help. It became grossly apparent that animal control would probably euthanize it without a second thought so I got up and left. "Damnit, this is happening all too fast..."

I walked outside and almost got hit by a car. The driver was mad until I showed them the kitten and told them the story. She looked at it and then me with quiet concern and then said "I can take him to the vet if you want." Do you ever have those moments in your life when you know that a decision made right then and there would affect thousands down the road? There I was, at a literal and metaphorical crosswalk when I look at the passed out kitten again. You become quickly attached to something as its literally dying in your hands so I told her that I would do it. She understood and left. Sometimes I think back on how things could have been if I had handed it over to her.

I then flagged down one of the campus shuttles and sat near the front. The kitten was in my lap now and just about everyone who got on and off asked me about it. It was like he was taking a nap and the thought would have been a lot more endearing if I didn't understand the grave reality of the situation. I eventually got back to the station, got my boss to agree to let me off early, and had one of my coworkers drive me to the vet my fiancee and I still go to. I got it checked in and the vet gave it various injections and formula though a syringe. After it was put back away in a carrier, the vet pulled me aside. "I'm going to level with you... there's a pretty good chance he's not going to make it. He's very malnourished and the waking and sleeping cycles might indicate brain damage. Do you understand?" I did and I left him in their care for the night. As you might have guessed, Smash Bros was the last thing on my mind at the time.

The next day came and I was told to come back to the vet office. He had survived the night but still wasn't doing super great. He was still anemic and choke full of parasites but both could be managed with medication, basically meaning I had no choice but to at least foster him. It was then time to pay the vet bill. The total came out within a few dollars of what I had saved up for the SSB4 bundle. It was funny in a Gift of the Magi sort of way so I couldn't even bring myself to be mad. I had wanted Smash 4 since 2012 but I had to recognize that this kitten was more important. It made me think of the probably thousands of hours I had spent on this boards on a near daily basis. Grad school was pissing on me and trying to convince me that it was rain so it and my then girlfriend were kind of the only breaks that I had in my life that was 60+ hour work weeks across multiple jobs on top of my studies. Still, this mattered more... a lot more.

I wound up taking him home, sneaking him past our landlord's son, and putting him in my girlfriend and I's personal bathroom. In the time before my girlfriend came home from work, I started thinking of names. I kept thinking about how he was practically lifeless and how he seemingly by some miracle came back to life in my hands. The similarities played out too perfectly... I had a name I had been saving for a pet since I was 8 years old... In those days, waiting for Smash 4, I regularly typed Geno 4 SSB4 but now it had more meaning to it. I gave up the game I had waited years for on that day for that kitten. So that was it... Geno for SSB4.

Geno's still with me to this day. Because of the experience, he has a voracious appetite and an undying sense of loyalty. His celebrated birthday is November 21st even though he was likely actually born in October. Because of the sacrifice I made that day, I didn't buy the Wii U version of Smash 4 until early 2017. I reasoned I was too busy anyways, which was true because, although no longer working the crazy hours that I did, I was still working full time and you just kind of have to pump the brakes on that sort of thing as you get older and have more responsibilities anyways. Geno turns four this year and it makes me happy that, whenever I watch Nintendo Directs on my bed, he'll lay at my feet. This means that, if and when the day comes, Geno will be there when his namesake is confirmed. Call it sappy, sentimental, what have you, but this just adds another layer to why I've been wanting Geno in Smash Bros for so long. I finally got to use a name I had been saving since childhood and it played out wonderfully for a cat that adores me. In the end, I hope it all works out. I hope I can be there with Geno and hopefully my wife to have something I've been waiting 22 years to have: for my favorite childhood character to come back in what's ultimately (pun intended) become the video game character Hall of Fame. Hopefully, that day comes soon.

You're good people man. God bless you.

 

[valkiriforce]

Wow, that's quite an amazing story. Very cute name for a kitten, too.

I think my favorite enemies from SMRPG would be the K-9/Chow, Shogun/Armored Ant, Chained Kong, Corkpedite/Body combo, Shadow and the cloned party members from that Belome fight. Last time I fought them they cloned Geno twice:

 

[TheCJBrine]

That story was so heartwarming.

I don't even know what to say about it.

 

[FCZHornet]

I think my favorite SMRPG bad guy has to be Belome, and to double on the lovely kitten story above, I’ve always thought Belome would make a great dog name. Preferably a big, slobbery yellow dog.

So many great bad guys though

 

[TheBeastHimself]

Sakurai said he wanted to include Geno in Brawl but wasn't able to. Did he ever state why?

 

[TheCJBrine]

Sakurai said he wanted to include Geno in Brawl but wasn't able to. Did he ever state why?

I don't think so, but I'd assume either not having time or being unable to work with Square.

 

[TheBeastHimself]

Oh okay, Square shouldn't really be a problem then.

Honestly there's no reason for Geno not to be in Smash at this point. Everything just points in his favor on top of the huge amount of supporters. He's on K. Rool and Ridley level. That would be a major let down if he weren't in, but I can't see Smash Ultimate without him.

 

[PhilosophicAnimal]

Chained Kong because it was literally just Donkey Kong, who I wasn't used to seeing in a Mario game at the time, even though they shared origins.

Frogog because it was the first really weird and wacky thing I encountered that was CLEARLY not a regular from the Mario series. Also for whatever reason I thought it's belt buckle was a pot belly with an outie belly button... those 3D Models were rough and I didn't know Frogog's had official artwork. Gimmie a break.

These freaky things:

I did the same thing with Frogog, lol. The models caused all sorts of confusion in my young mind at the time. Speaking of that and also the K-9s, does anyone else think they look like they're wearing round hipster glasses? Just something I've always noticed...

Good enemy picks all around. Another I just remembered: the Enigmas. Oh, and the Forkies. I never got that whole "enraptured" thing, lol.

See? Now we're rolling! We just needed a good story and a new topic.

 

[valkiriforce]

I don't mind sharing a little story on my introduction to Super Mario RPG; it was likely 1996/97 when we stopped by Blockbuster and I was allowed to rent a game. I chose Super Mario RPG because the cover looked interesting, but another family member rented a Nintendo 64 in that big plastic suitcase it used to come in at Blockbuster along with Super Mario 64. We had the N64 hooked up to the TV downstairs, and whenever I wanted to play Super Mario RPG I'd switch the console plugs for the SNES to play it, so we just kept going back and forth between the SNES and N64 on that TV. I was fascinated with Super Mario 64 and I had fun with it, but I was also really taken by Super Mario RPG and really enjoyed the atmosphere of that game. When I watched the intro for the first time and saw Geno, I actually had a hard time making out much from what we see of his face outside of his peeking eye. I think I thought maybe his nose was a beak for some reason, so I thought okay maybe he's a bird or something. Either way, he seemed really mysterious and I liked that he literally packs a laser cannon in his arm, although I probably though he was holding a wand that shot a laser beam at the time lol.

I rented it again at some point not long after, and someone had a save file just before the Yaridovich fight, and I remember struggling through that one because of the water blast attack, but I really liked the music and setting of that boss battle. I never did beat it...but the game definitely left quite an impression on me. Much later probably around 2003 I found it used at a GameStop for $24.99 and got to finally play the game from beginning to end, and adored every minute of it. Geno still stands out to me as a touching story of coming down to save the world's wishes, and leaving Mario and Peach during the parade as he ascends to the stars to that touching music that ends with a "The End" message. It just seemed like such a lively world full of so much character and love for what the developers included in the game. The Booster segment of the game including the Tower, Booster Hill and Marrymore are some of my favorites for all the humor and action that takes place, and I also like the Yaridovich fight since it reminds me of my younger days struggling to get through that fight, and...well the list goes on. I really, really would love to see Geno make a return after having left us 22 years ago...we need the wishes of the world to be saved again. He's like an old, dear friend we hope to see return one day.

 

[alemerltoucanet]

Geno story time? Geno story time. Alright, here comes Grandpa Fatman with Tales of Yore. This one is from the SSB4 days. I've shared this elsewhere on this site but I don't think I've ever detailed it in any of the Geno threads before.

It was November 21st, 2014. The big day had arrived. Smash Wii U was coming out. Things lined up perfectly. It was pay day and I had plans to pick up the game as soon as I got off work. Despite regularly being financially wrecked because of grad school, I had managed to set aside enough money for not only the game but limited edition Gamecube controller and adapter. All I had to do was survive my shift and the game was mine.

At the time, I was a student supervisor for the parking division of the campus police. This meant that I had to walk around campus and make sure people were doing their job (writing parking tickets but, hey, it got me out of school without debt). So, I was doing this and I was enjoying the walk because the weather was nice. I had gotten to one of the farthest parking lots on campus when I was approached by two international students. They asked me for help and then they showed me what I presumed was a dead tuxedo kitten. I was taken back a bit, as anyone would be. "We found it in the bushes and... we don't know what to do." I then told them that I would take it because I was friends with the owner of a local pet supply store literally in walking distance of where we were. They handed it to me and then quietly left.

For a few minutes, I was holding a kitten that had its eyes closed and barely any heat to it. I assumed that it had recently died and that the least I could do was take it somewhere it would be properly disposed of instead of being food for some random raccoon. So, I began my walk, trying to not bring too much attention to the fact that I was basically carrying a dead baby animal. I got to the side walk leading to the store when suddenly, if almost by magic, the kitten sprung to life. It looked at me, I looked at it. It was apparent that we were both a bit freaked out. "Uh..." I didn't have much time to really process what had happened because then the kitten tried to get away and was hardcore biting my hands. It was weak though and quickly tired itself out. The roof of its mouth was chalk white which meant that it was anemic and super close to starving to death. Soon the punk passed out and he closed his eyes and went dormant again. It was in that moment... that I fell in love with the little guy.

There was a change of plans but I couldn't decide what they were going to be. My landlord was incredibly strict at the time and me and my soon to be wife would have probably faced eviction if we were caught with a third cat. "Okay, right, I can't keep him..." I then walked over to the student center on campus. About every 5 minutes, the kitten would wake up, freak out, try to murder my hand, and then pass out from exhaustion. I sat in the student lounge and phoned up animal control. They said they'd send someone so I sat, waiting anxiously. Thirty minutes passed and the kitten went through its cycles: wake, bite, pass out, repeat. My hand hurt like a MF but I wanted to see this through. As time passed, I began to realize the mistake I had made. This was a stray kitten that would probably die by the end of the day if it didn't get help. It became grossly apparent that animal control would probably euthanize it without a second thought so I got up and left. "Damnit, this is happening all too fast..."

I walked outside and almost got hit by a car. The driver was mad until I showed them the kitten and told them the story. She looked at it and then me with quiet concern and then said "I can take him to the vet if you want." Do you ever have those moments in your life when you know that a decision made right then and there would affect thousands down the road? There I was, at a literal and metaphorical crosswalk when I look at the passed out kitten again. You become quickly attached to something as its literally dying in your hands so I told her that I would do it. She understood and left. Sometimes I think back on how things could have been if I had handed it over to her.

I then flagged down one of the campus shuttles and sat near the front. The kitten was in my lap now and just about everyone who got on and off asked me about it. It was like he was taking a nap and the thought would have been a lot more endearing if I didn't understand the grave reality of the situation. I eventually got back to the station, got my boss to agree to let me off early, and had one of my coworkers drive me to the vet my fiancee and I still go to. I got it checked in and the vet gave it various injections and formula though a syringe. After it was put back away in a carrier, the vet pulled me aside. "I'm going to level with you... there's a pretty good chance he's not going to make it. He's very malnourished and the waking and sleeping cycles might indicate brain damage. Do you understand?" I did and I left him in their care for the night. As you might have guessed, Smash Bros was the last thing on my mind at the time.

The next day came and I was told to come back to the vet office. He had survived the night but still wasn't doing super great. He was still anemic and choke full of parasites but both could be managed with medication, basically meaning I had no choice but to at least foster him. It was then time to pay the vet bill. The total came out within a few dollars of what I had saved up for the SSB4 bundle. It was funny in a Gift of the Magi sort of way so I couldn't even bring myself to be mad. I had wanted Smash 4 since 2012 but I had to recognize that this kitten was more important. It made me think of the probably thousands of hours I had spent on this boards on a near daily basis. Grad school was pissing on me and trying to convince me that it was rain so it and my then girlfriend were kind of the only breaks that I had in my life that was 60+ hour work weeks across multiple jobs on top of my studies. Still, this mattered more... a lot more.

I wound up taking him home, sneaking him past our landlord's son, and putting him in my girlfriend and I's personal bathroom. In the time before my girlfriend came home from work, I started thinking of names. I kept thinking about how he was practically lifeless and how he seemingly by some miracle came back to life in my hands. The similarities played out too perfectly... I had a name I had been saving for a pet since I was 8 years old... In those days, waiting for Smash 4, I regularly typed Geno 4 SSB4 but now it had more meaning to it. I gave up the game I had waited years for on that day for that kitten. So that was it... Geno for SSB4.

Geno's still with me to this day. Because of the experience, he has a voracious appetite and an undying sense of loyalty. His celebrated birthday is November 21st even though he was likely actually born in October. Because of the sacrifice I made that day, I didn't buy the Wii U version of Smash 4 until early 2017. I reasoned I was too busy anyways, which was true because, although no longer working the crazy hours that I did, I was still working full time and you just kind of have to pump the brakes on that sort of thing as you get older and have more responsibilities anyways. Geno turns four this year and it makes me happy that, whenever I watch Nintendo Directs on my bed, he'll lay at my feet. This means that, if and when the day comes, Geno will be there when his namesake is confirmed. Call it sappy, sentimental, what have you, but this just adds another layer to why I've been wanting Geno in Smash Bros for so long. I finally got to use a name I had been saving since childhood and it played out wonderfully for a cat that adores me. In the end, I hope it all works out. I hope I can be there with Geno and hopefully my wife to have something I've been waiting 22 years to have: for my favorite childhood character to come back in what's ultimately (pun intended) become the video game character Hall of Fame. Hopefully, that day comes soon.

Dude... This story is amazing! This makes me want Geno in Smash even more. His inclusion will probably be the most meaningful one yet tbh because of all of the wonderful stories such as this one from long time fans. Can't wait for the reactions in this board when the day comes!

 

[Klimax]

Since we talk about enemies, here's the ones that i find the most memorables.

A boss: I really love Boomer, he's such a good vilain in my opinion. While he's in the bad guy's side, he still has honor and dignity. He serves Smithy until his very last breath, that is something that was memorable in my opinion.

A simple monster: Chester, this guy's tough as hell and the fact that he can summon a Bahamutt is pretty terrifying.

 

[MooseSmuggler]

Geno story time? Geno story time. Alright, here comes Grandpa Fatman with Tales of Yore. This one is from the SSB4 days. I've shared this elsewhere on this site but I don't think I've ever detailed it in any of the Geno threads before.

It was November 21st, 2014. The big day had arrived. Smash Wii U was coming out. Things lined up perfectly. It was pay day and I had plans to pick up the game as soon as I got off work. Despite regularly being financially wrecked because of grad school, I had managed to set aside enough money for not only the game but limited edition Gamecube controller and adapter. All I had to do was survive my shift and the game was mine.

At the time, I was a student supervisor for the parking division of the campus police. This meant that I had to walk around campus and make sure people were doing their job (writing parking tickets but, hey, it got me out of school without debt). So, I was doing this and I was enjoying the walk because the weather was nice. I had gotten to one of the farthest parking lots on campus when I was approached by two international students. They asked me for help and then they showed me what I presumed was a dead tuxedo kitten. I was taken back a bit, as anyone would be. "We found it in the bushes and... we don't know what to do." I then told them that I would take it because I was friends with the owner of a local pet supply store literally in walking distance of where we were. They handed it to me and then quietly left.

For a few minutes, I was holding a kitten that had its eyes closed and barely any heat to it. I assumed that it had recently died and that the least I could do was take it somewhere it would be properly disposed of instead of being food for some random raccoon. So, I began my walk, trying to not bring too much attention to the fact that I was basically carrying a dead baby animal. I got to the side walk leading to the store when suddenly, if almost by magic, the kitten sprung to life. It looked at me, I looked at it. It was apparent that we were both a bit freaked out. "Uh..." I didn't have much time to really process what had happened because then the kitten tried to get away and was hardcore biting my hands. It was weak though and quickly tired itself out. The roof of its mouth was chalk white which meant that it was anemic and super close to starving to death. Soon the punk passed out and he closed his eyes and went dormant again. It was in that moment... that I fell in love with the little guy.

There was a change of plans but I couldn't decide what they were going to be. My landlord was incredibly strict at the time and me and my soon to be wife would have probably faced eviction if we were caught with a third cat. "Okay, right, I can't keep him..." I then walked over to the student center on campus. About every 5 minutes, the kitten would wake up, freak out, try to murder my hand, and then pass out from exhaustion. I sat in the student lounge and phoned up animal control. They said they'd send someone so I sat, waiting anxiously. Thirty minutes passed and the kitten went through its cycles: wake, bite, pass out, repeat. My hand hurt like a MF but I wanted to see this through. As time passed, I began to realize the mistake I had made. This was a stray kitten that would probably die by the end of the day if it didn't get help. It became grossly apparent that animal control would probably euthanize it without a second thought so I got up and left. "Damnit, this is happening all too fast..."

I walked outside and almost got hit by a car. The driver was mad until I showed them the kitten and told them the story. She looked at it and then me with quiet concern and then said "I can take him to the vet if you want." Do you ever have those moments in your life when you know that a decision made right then and there would affect thousands down the road? There I was, at a literal and metaphorical crosswalk when I look at the passed out kitten again. You become quickly attached to something as its literally dying in your hands so I told her that I would do it. She understood and left. Sometimes I think back on how things could have been if I had handed it over to her.

I then flagged down one of the campus shuttles and sat near the front. The kitten was in my lap now and just about everyone who got on and off asked me about it. It was like he was taking a nap and the thought would have been a lot more endearing if I didn't understand the grave reality of the situation. I eventually got back to the station, got my boss to agree to let me off early, and had one of my coworkers drive me to the vet my fiancee and I still go to. I got it checked in and the vet gave it various injections and formula though a syringe. After it was put back away in a carrier, the vet pulled me aside. "I'm going to level with you... there's a pretty good chance he's not going to make it. He's very malnourished and the waking and sleeping cycles might indicate brain damage. Do you understand?" I did and I left him in their care for the night. As you might have guessed, Smash Bros was the last thing on my mind at the time.

The next day came and I was told to come back to the vet office. He had survived the night but still wasn't doing super great. He was still anemic and choke full of parasites but both could be managed with medication, basically meaning I had no choice but to at least foster him. It was then time to pay the vet bill. The total came out within a few dollars of what I had saved up for the SSB4 bundle. It was funny in a Gift of the Magi sort of way so I couldn't even bring myself to be mad. I had wanted Smash 4 since 2012 but I had to recognize that this kitten was more important. It made me think of the probably thousands of hours I had spent on this boards on a near daily basis. Grad school was pissing on me and trying to convince me that it was rain so it and my then girlfriend were kind of the only breaks that I had in my life that was 60+ hour work weeks across multiple jobs on top of my studies. Still, this mattered more... a lot more.

I wound up taking him home, sneaking him past our landlord's son, and putting him in my girlfriend and I's personal bathroom. In the time before my girlfriend came home from work, I started thinking of names. I kept thinking about how he was practically lifeless and how he seemingly by some miracle came back to life in my hands. The similarities played out too perfectly... I had a name I had been saving for a pet since I was 8 years old... In those days, waiting for Smash 4, I regularly typed Geno 4 SSB4 but now it had more meaning to it. I gave up the game I had waited years for on that day for that kitten. So that was it... Geno for SSB4.

Geno's still with me to this day. Because of the experience, he has a voracious appetite and an undying sense of loyalty. His celebrated birthday is November 21st even though he was likely actually born in October. Because of the sacrifice I made that day, I didn't buy the Wii U version of Smash 4 until early 2017. I reasoned I was too busy anyways, which was true because, although no longer working the crazy hours that I did, I was still working full time and you just kind of have to pump the brakes on that sort of thing as you get older and have more responsibilities anyways. Geno turns four this year and it makes me happy that, whenever I watch Nintendo Directs on my bed, he'll lay at my feet. This means that, if and when the day comes, Geno will be there when his namesake is confirmed. Call it sappy, sentimental, what have you, but this just adds another layer to why I've been wanting Geno in Smash Bros for so long. I finally got to use a name I had been saving since childhood and it played out wonderfully for a cat that adores me. In the end, I hope it all works out. I hope I can be there with Geno and hopefully my wife to have something I've been waiting 22 years to have: for my favorite childhood character to come back in what's ultimately (pun intended) become the video game character Hall of Fame. Hopefully, that day comes soon.

DAMMIT, I'm at work, now I've got a bad case of the FEELS. I literally teared up.

 

[JustCallMeJon]

If this is the final roster how do you feel?

• 69: Celica
• 70: Incineroar
• 60e: Ken
• 71: Geno
• 38e: Shadow
• 72: Steve

 

[Michael the Spikester]

If this is the final roster how do you feel?

• 69: Celica
• 70: Incineroar
• 60e: Ken
• 71: Geno
• 38e: Shadow
• 72: Steve

Would had wanted Medusa, Banjo and Black Shadow but I got K. Rool and Ridley so they would had just been icing on cake. Could still also hope for them through DLC.

 

[FCZHornet]

Literally anything with geno in it, otherwise include lebron James I don’t care

 

[Klimax]

I don't believe it, 6 characters is too much in my opinion. But I would be more than happy with that.

I believe that we'll get:
69: Incineroar
60e: Ken
38e: Shadow
70: Geno

And nothing more for the base roster.

 

[Ze Diglett]

How about this, everybody: what are some of your favorite/most memorable SMRPG enemies? No bosses, just the mooks. For me, Octovader always stood out. I mean, it's like a squid-Snifit held up by those flying shells from Mario Bros. 3? How did that idea get greenlit?

Oh, for me, the answer's easy. SMRPG has a lot of memorable enemy designs; some are weird, like the Octovader as you mentioned (I always thought those flying shells it held were actually eyestalks, true story), some are neat references to other Nintendo characters, like the Chained Kongs probably being long-lost relatives of Donkey Kong, and some are just out of place like pretty much every enemy on Star Hill. But one enemy in particular always stood out to me, and it's not one most people give much thought to...

Yup. Mr. Kipper. This throwaway fish enemy from the Sunken Ship that poses no discernible threat to any semi-competently levelled player stuck out in my mind as my favorite enemy in the game. And honestly, the reason's kind of stupid; I just always found the fact that every single fish you encounter in the Sunken Ship is named "Mr. Kipper" hilarious. For some reason, I always imagine some average middle-aged white guy when I read that name (I know, I'm weird), and it's gotten to the point where I've made Mr. Kipper something of an inside joke among me and my friends, even those who haven't played SMRPG. If SMRPG 2 ever happens, Mr. Kipper is an enemy I really hope makes a return, even if it's probably not gonna happen anytime soon.

 

[ctt4lfecw]

This doesn't get brought up too often, but aside from Daisy we still don't have our new Mario character. So there's some more points for Geno.