I know I'm a bit late joining in, but in regards to the subject about our personal reasons for wanting Geno in Smash, you guys pretty much summed up many of my own reasons. I can't say I have an emotional reason for wanting him in, unlike many of you, which I admire. I just really, really enjoyed SMRPG as a kid, and Geno just happened to be my favorite character from the game; a game that was already filled with fun, unique characters that were totally unlike what we'd seen from the Mario series up to that point.
But if there's one reason I want Geno is Smash, more than anything, it's because I've always felt that Geno is one of the most unfortunate video game characters in history, because of the ownership situation he's in; and that him being in Smash would be only way he could escape that and make a meaningful comeback, even if only for the moment. That is something he DESERVES.
I don't think people realize how unfortunate he is. Sure, in comparison, you have characters like Banjo, who ended up in a cruddy situation, owned by a bunch of knuckle-heads who don't understand the appeal of his N64 games; but at least Banjo always had the potential to make a comeback. Microsoft always has the option to remaster his games, or make Banjo-Threeie or use him in anything. He may have made his name on the N64, but he's not a Nintendo character, he was never bound to it.
Geno, on the other hand, is a Mario character, owned by Square-Enix. All these years, and I can't help but feel angry that it still remains that way. Even if a Square-Enix developer designed him; anyone who has ever played SMRPG, recognizes him as a MARIO character. He was designed for a Mario game, to fit into the Mario aesthetic, designed with lore that makes him part of the Mario universe because of his association with Star Road. He is bound to the Mario franchise. He IS a MARIO CHARACTER, DAMMIT. And yet, he hasn't been able to be a part of the Mario franchise all these years, all because Square-Enix kept the rights to him. Rights to a character they can NEVER USE for their own games because everyone and their dog who know who Geno is, recognize him as a Mario character, and he would be blatantly out-of-place anywhere else. They have nothing to gain by owning him or lose by selling him to Nintendo, and yet they persist on keeping him in this limbo, all while Nintendo (seemingly) doesn't care enough to do anything about it. So instead of Geno getting to star in the other Mario RPG games that he rightfully belongs in, getting to kart race and play sports with the other Mario characters, or getting invited to Mario's parties... he's locked away, gathering dust, neglected. Everything interesting and awesome about him, and all the potential he has, wasted. Only an absolute miracle can save him from that hell.
That's what Smash is though. It's a miracle. It's a once-in-a-lifetime game that has already done the impossible and broke down the barriers, uniting video game worlds that we never imagined in our wildest dreams would crossover, acting as a godly celebration of video games as a whole, and is massive, passionate love letter from Mashiro Sakurai to anyone who has ever held a video game controller. Even if Geno doesn't make it in, god bless that absolute madman for what he's created. But because Smash has brought down those barriers, this really does feel like Geno's last chance to ever escape from his prison. The moment Square-Enix got involved in this, the planets aligned and that thousand-year door opened for Geno; that small door that he can barely seem to make it through, but we've all been reaching through with our support and optimism, hoping to pull him out. All the hope we've held, all the hype that even got Sakurai himself a little interested in Geno, has led up to this defining point.
If Geno doesn't make it into Ultimate, I can't see him ever making it into Smash, even if there is a future game. That door will slam shut, and we'll probably never see Geno appear in any video game ever again. Lloyd, Sora, Doomguy, Crash, Hayabusa? Yeah, you know what, those are all wonderful characters to have in Smash; and even though my fellow Geno supporters will probably hate me for saying this, I'm willing to admit that any one of those characters is more fitting to be in Smash over Geno, for how recognizable, popular and beloved they, and the games they hail from, are. But those characters, all of them, regardless of if they get into Smash or not, have a future. Geno, as the way things are, doesn't. That's why I choose to support him over all the other characters in the end. Him being in Smash would be the celebration that his character, and the SMRPG Series as a whole, deserves; and maybe even open the door for him to appear in future Mario games. It may even have a positive effect on the SMRPG Series going forward (and lord knows it needs it, considering how far off the rails Paper Mario has gone, and the weird place Mario & Luigi are in right now with AlphaDream's bankruptcy).
Ironically enough, I guess that ended up being an emotional reason anyway, go figure. And I apologize if it just sounded like I was venting at some points. But that's the reason I'm in this, and why I can't tolerate it when people needlessly hate on Geno and his supporters, all because they don't "get" Geno. We're all invested in this for our own reasons, some of us emotionally; so it's not easy to see where we're coming from, because you have to be able to see it through our eyes to do so. What you see as an irrelevant, overhyped side-character in your eyes, is also a long-lost friend to us, who we want to see get the justice he deserves, after all these years...
