I'm a little bit concerned that the subject matter some of you choose to argue about is whether or not Geno is a side character or a protagonist! Think about it! It truly doesn't matter. Have you already forgotten Min Min's inclusion? Although it may feel a little differently since ARMS isn't an RPG with Party Members, ARMS does representation on the boxart with Springman being focus there and every other promotional material. Springman was also the first ARMS member to become an Assist Trophy (AT). Did it raise a lot of eyebrows? Not really, it actually made sense! ARMS was a new IP in its infancy so they safely tucked away the Mascot as an AT. It almost felt like it was born out of necessity for a recent title representation, and wasn't the byproduct of fans' outcries & support for the franchise.
It's such a silly thing to think about when you frame it in your mind that way. It doesn't matter if Geno is understood as a protagonist, a deuteragonist, a side character, or a party member. We have to remember he's going to be viewed, understood, and appreciated differently by almost everyone. Everyone may feel a little differently about role he may have played in SMRPG, but mostly everyone here in this thread agree on what role he should play in the future. That's right, it's time for him to join Smash!
There's so much love for this character, I feel it here every day. Please, don't let petty arguments get you down! His role in the game does not matter. The fans' love for him has transcended time and generations of gaming. When we look at the inclusion of Min Min and Piranha Plant (among a few other characters), well, it might be easier to brush off the aggressors and just wait patiently for our time!
Really, it's not worth debating about! If Geno was an uninteresting or unworthy pick for Smash by any means, this thread would not have amassed well over 3,000 posts.