So, as a K Rool and Banjo fan I thought I'd give my Genovian family here some encouragement after that direct and reflect on things. (WARNING: Long post ahead!)
I know many of the forum regulars don't know me and even in the K Rool and Banjo circles I was no more than a fellow hoper. A well wisher at most who couldn't contribute to the campaigns, as I don't have any art skill, theory intel or leak knowlege...but one thing I saw in both fandoms was DRIVE! Relentless, passionate drive to get their character IN the game by any means, not just talk about it. The kind of collective drive that showcases the power of organization and TEAMWORK!
For K. Rool, we had the #KrocTheVote and #BringBackKRool "Kampaigns" which were lead by people like
BKupa666
and others. Constantly, we would latch ourselves to any rumors we could. EVEN having the horror of a Mill costume couldn't stop us. We made art, and fan videos, and meme'd the pants off of that damned costume so hard that it became part of Smash culture to an extent. Just like Ridley and being "Too Big", we took the "Irrelevant" argument and threw it back at them!
Indeed, even with Banjo seeming as unlikely as ever, We never ceased to make our voices heard. Even when both groups were seen as insufferable cults by the "Majority", we stayed the course because we knew the importance of keeping these characters we loved alive. We understood that even through all of the bullying, the memes and seemingly never-ending disappointment, our cause MEANT something. It wasn't about fan service or pleasing a minority. It was about showing Nintendo and Microsoft that these characters deserved to be preserved for a new generation of fans to enjoy.
After their releases, this is exactly what happened. Make no mistake: Super Smash Bros. IS the "Kingmaker" of games and one only needs to look at the fan bases of both characters to see how they are now perpetually thriving and vibrant. K. Rool is now synonymous with his Gangplank Galleon remix as opposed to the "Relic" he was seen as before, and Banjo's been even further cemented as a gaming icon with tons of new fans being created and discovering the games for the first time, In short, both of these efforts were a resounding success,
The fact remains, however, that this was not without struggle and hardship. It takes a lot of dedication to yell loud enough that a corporation like Nintendo can hear you (See Mother 3 as an example) and the road to validation and vindication for your support can be a long, arduous and even thankless. I know there are times many of you must feel as they once did: Tired, angry and questioning "Why? Why do we put ourselves through this? Are they right? Is Geno better off left in the past and forgotten?! Will Nintendo EVER listen to us?" - It's true, Banjo and K. Rool were in no small way lucky to be chosen even WITH our support, but take heed of what I'm about to tell you...
THE SAME THINGS THAT MADE THEM POSSIBLE ARE THE SAME THINGS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HAVE DONE AND ARE CONTINUING TO DO THUS FAR! You all
HAVE the same spirit (No pun intended) they had,
AND an incredible amount of evidence in your favor to boot! I dare say, you may even be more resilient and more steadfast than they were at times! In fact, now is the time to rise above and show it! If anything, the pain you feel in your hearts from the direct yesterday should provide you with EVEN MORE resolve to keep fighting, regardless of what happens next! I can personally assure you that no matter what may come out of all this, in the end I will have been able to say from the bottom of my heart that I have grown to love both Geno and SMRPG itself over the last few years not only because it's a great game with an amazing character, but because the community BEHIND it is amazing as well. I'll repeat that: It's not just the game and everything about it. It's every single one of you. I will never look at what I thought was at the most a cool character the same way ever again. He has become so much more to me and I have all of you to thank for it.
It is with those words, then, that i send all of you that still wait with hope on the outskirts of Star Road my OWN wishes: KEEP GOING! Spread that Geno-SMRPG love far and wide across the Nintendo community! To some, the reasons for your cause may seem hard for them to pronounce, so just tell them "GENO FOR SMASH!!" and imagine the rejoicing to come when that star finally falls! Think of all the reaction videos to Geno's reveal you'll get to watch that will be saved into compilations on YouTube for years to come afterward, all because people like you decided long ago that what you wanted WASN'T "Irrelevant"! That your feelings WERE valid! That YOU could make it happen - and you know what? If history has taught me anything, if you keep working to bring about that future, sooner or later that's exactly what it will be.
In closing, I urge you all to join me in looking to the future as Fighter #77 draws near, Even in the midst of all that's happened, I know one thing: I'm not going anywhere and neither should any of you. This ride is FAR from over and if ANY of these insiders are right, one way or another the best is still yet to come. So, what have we got to lose? Let's all see this thing through together, right up to the end and beyond!