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Sunrise, Sunset - Isaac for Smash Ultimate #GoldenSunday

StormC

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one of if not the most selling fighting game of all time needs third parties to sell DLC.

Yeah sure
I didn't say anything about "needs to." Just that they are clearly using third parties as a focus for DLC. Take it up with Nintendo if you think it's unneeded.

also do tell how smash relies on Joker and Banjo
They're buying the Fighters Pass for some reason, and I don't think it's just Hero.
 

GoodGrief741

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one of if not the most selling fighting game of all time needs third parties to sell DLC.

Yeah sure

also do tell how smash relies on Joker and Banjo
I don't think Smash DLC needs third parties to sell, but Nintendo sure does seem to think so.
 

Dinoman96

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6/8 of the DLC newcomers we've gotten from both Smash 4 and Ultimate have been third party. I believe that shows what their priorities are.

Our only first party DLC newcomers thus far are Piranha Plant (Ultimate's "suprise character" that was obviously meant to be apart of the base roster) and Corrin (added in to promote Fire Emblem Fates). I feel like if we're gonna get any new first party characters at this point, it's just gonna be more promotional stuff like Corrin. So characters from games like Fire Emblem Three Houses and Pokemon Sword/Shield.

So in that sense, yeah, I'd just prefer third parties.
 
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Organization XIII

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Wow, 6 out of 8. Never really looked at it that closely. They really have put a larger emphasis on 3rd parties. Seems kind of ironic that with the thing that made Smash such a hit, being a Nintendo crossover game where you play as your favorite Nintendo character, somehow Nintendo and or Sakurai have no faith in adding in Nintendo characters as DLC. Heck, Banjo was a notable DLC request not because he's a third party character but because of his first party appeal. If he had just been a Microsoft property all along no one would have ever cared to see him in Smash. They really should give some first party characters some love as DLC as well.
Still, a high chance that the DLC we will obviously get after the pass will be more first party focused because mostly just fans will still be buying around that point. Guess we will see though.
 
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NessAtc.

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6/8 of the DLC newcomers we've gotten from both Smash 4 and Ultimate have been third party. I believe that shows what their priorities are.

Our only first first party DLC newcomers thus far are Piranha Plant (the game's "suprise character" that was obviously meant to be apart of the base roster) and Corrin (added in to promote Fire Emblem Fates). I feel like if we're gonna get any new first party characters at this point, it's just gonna be more promotional stuff like Corrin. So characters from games like Fire Emblem Three Houses and Pokemon Sword/Shield.

So in that sense, yeah, I'd just prefer third parties.
I don't think it shows anything at this point, because for those 3 third party dlc characters in smash 4, we got a ****ton of new 1st party franchises in the base game. For Ultimate, we didn't get very much first party comparatively.
 
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GoodGrief741

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I don't think it shows anything at this point, because for those 3 third party dlc characters in smash 4, we got a ****ton of new 1st party franchises in the base game. For Ultimate, we didn't get very much first party comparatively.
Now that you mention it, if we end up getting one new first party franchise and six new third party franchises in this game I'm gonna be pissed.

I'm gonna be pissed aren't I?
 

ZelDan

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Now that you mention it, if we end up getting one new first party franchise and six new third party franchises in this game I'm gonna be pissed.

I'm gonna be pissed aren't I?
The fact that we have only new first party franchise repped is also something that bothers me. I'm completely fine with third party characters making it into Smash, and I could even accept more third party franchises getting repped over first party franchises, as long as there's still an adequate amount of new first parties represented. But only 1 new franchise in Ultimate? Really? It's pretty annoying because if Smash wasn't forced (by Sakurai, Nintendo, or Pokemon Company I don't know) to have to give Pokemon a new character on a silver platter every game, maybe we could have gotten Isaac instead of Incineroar. Also, if Sakurai didn't suddenly gain a fascination for a Pirahna PLant of all things, maybe we could have had a retro NES rep for a bonus character instead of the plant. Maybe Mach Rider, maybe Balloon fighter, whatever.

Boom, that'd give us 3 new first party reps. Splatoon, Golden Sun, and a retro IP. I could have lived with that...
 

StormC

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I guess Sakurai felt he was tapped out on "surprise" characters from the olden days after Game And Watch, Duck Hunt, and R.O.B. The theme between these characters seems to be "these are the last choices you'd expect in a fighting game." Piranha Plant fits into that. Maybe he also decided to add one from an established franchise because they didn't have much time/resources for new stages in the base game.

It'd be nice if Sakurai talked about Isaac and Golden Sun in Smash at some point. But maybe talking about ballot runner-ups would only fan the flames.
 

Guynamednelson

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Later reveals are considered less "hype".
It'd apparently be less hype to have a Nintendo character instead of a third-party one, and there would be Waluigi fans pissed that he's not the AT that gets promoted first. (Sure, some would get hope, but you know some others would go "Of course Sakurai would choose Anime Swordsman 3837474")

Hmmm....
 
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Ben Holt

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I support not just Waluigi, but an entire Fighter's Pass dedicated to promoting Assist Trophies to playable characters.
Waluigi, Spring Man, Shovel Knight, Issac, and Krystal.
Quoted straight from my post in the Waluigi thread.
 

GoodGrief741

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The fact that we have only new first party franchise repped is also something that bothers me. I'm completely fine with third party characters making it into Smash, and I could even accept more third party franchises getting repped over first party franchises, as long as there's still an adequate amount of new first parties represented. But only 1 new franchise in Ultimate? Really? It's pretty annoying because if Smash wasn't forced (by Sakurai, Nintendo, or Pokemon Company I don't know) to have to give Pokemon a new character on a silver platter every game, maybe we could have gotten Isaac instead of Incineroar. Also, if Sakurai didn't suddenly gain a fascination for a Pirahna PLant of all things, maybe we could have had a retro NES rep for a bonus character instead of the plant. Maybe Mach Rider, maybe Balloon fighter, whatever.

Boom, that'd give us 3 new first party reps. Splatoon, Golden Sun, and a retro IP. I could have lived with that...
Yeah, those two are really baffling decisions. Especially going with Piranha Plant over any other Mario character or, say, someone like Balloon Fighter who wouldn't need a stage.
 

StormC

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Balloon Fighter would have probably been a good "surprise" choice while also being a way to honor Iwata. Maybe Sakurai felt it would be redundant with Villager's moveset, who knows. Maybe he thought it'd just be funny to put in a mook as a playable character.

I like Incineroar but they probably should have announced him earlier to get him out of the way. I would have probably swapped Incineroar/Ken and Simon/Richter's announcements. Ending on Castlevania would have been a much stronger finish, I feel.
 

ZelDan

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Balloon Fighter would have probably been a good "surprise" choice while also being a way to honor Iwata. Maybe Sakurai felt it would be redundant with Villager's moveset, who knows. Maybe he thought it'd just be funny to put in a mook as a playable character.

I like Incineroar but they probably should have announced him earlier to get him out of the way. I would have probably swapped Incineroar/Ken and Simon/Richter's announcements. Ending on Castlevania would have been a much stronger finish, I feel.
yeah, they definitely needed to re orgainze things. How I see it, things should have gone down:

E3 2018: The character announcements are the same, but also announce every single assist trophy here as well, to rip off the bandaid quicker and not allow people to build up too much hope and hype for specific characters. it would also help since people might be able to get over it easier thanks to the hype "every is here!" brought. As someone who liked the idea of Lyn being playable, I was basically like "Damn, sucks to see she's an AT again, but goddamn everyone is back! That's dope!"

August 2018: Incineroar and Ken are announced here. Chrom and Dark Samus are still here. And leave it at those characters. This direct would still be seen positively I believe thanks to the echoes I believe, that plus all the awesome modes and features that were announced during the direct as well.

September 2018: Still the same. Isabelle is revealed.

October 2018: I might have actually had K Rool revealed here in an individual trailer, just for pacing's sake and so that's there's not as much of a gap between Smash announcements.

November 2018: Castlevania stuff basically takes Kencineroar's spot here, and would likely make for a much more exciting final base announcement, and there wouldn't be as much as a bloodbath to upset people because, again, all assist trophies were announced earlier at a more proper time. This would also make Pirahna Plant an easier pill to swallow for some I think (they'd still think it's lame, but maybe wouldn't get as outraged over it).
 

Dee Dude

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Not gonna lie, I think the best way to revealing :ultpiranha: was to make him the very first newcomer reveal, yes even before :ultridley::ultdaisy::ultinkling:.

It would’ve been a more hilarious outcome throwing everyone’s expectations completely away just for Sakurai to have a good laugh joking and tell us that the actual characters we’re looking forward to are coming right after.

Getting the shock pick over with so there’d be less salt.
 
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NessAtc.

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The thing is Smash reveals have never saved the best for last, Brawl ended with Wolf, Toon Link, and Jigglypuff, Smash 4 ended with Shulk, Duck Hunt and Bowser Jr., and so Ultimate ended with Incineroar, Ken, and Plant

smash 4 dlc also ended with Corrin and Bayonetta, coming right after Cloud of all characters
 
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ZelDan

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The thing is Smash reveals have never saved the best for last, Brawl ended with Wolf, Toon Link, and Jigglypuff, Smash 4 ended with Shulk, Duck Hunt and Bowser Jr., and so Ultimate ended with Incineroar, Ken, and Plant

smash 4 dlc also ended with Corrin and Bayonetta, coming right after Cloud of all characters
I thought Bayonetta was incredibly hype, maybe not AS much as Cloud but I was still happy with her being the end.

I also was fine with Shulk. Not the biggest fan of XC1 (I enjoyed it but didn't think it was the most amazing thing since sliced bread), but as someone always wanting to see more new 1st party IPs getting repped and as someone who has grown up with JRPGs, I found his inclusion to be pretty satisfactory.
 
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NessAtc.

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I thought Bayonetta was incredibly hype, maybe not AS much as Cloud but I was still happy with her being the end.

I also was fine with Shulk. Not the biggest fan of XC1 (I enjoyed it but didn't think it was the most amazing thing since sliced bread), but as someone always wanting to see more new 1st party IPs getting repped and as someone who has grown up with JRPGs, I found his inclusion to be pretty satisfactory.
the point is the peak is never at the end, it's always been at the beginning/ towards the middle, that was the case for Brawl, 4, 4 dlc, and now Ultimate
 
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Door Key Pig

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Still, a high chance that the DLC we will obviously get after the pass will be more first party focused because mostly just fans will still be buying around that point. Guess we will see though.
I mean, IF there's some other DLC love afterwards, whether it be another pass or more individual DLC like Smash 4, based on distaste for that monetary model.
the point is the peak is never at the end, it's always been at the beginning/ towards the middle, that was the case for Brawl, 4, 4 dlc, and now Ultimate
Yeah like, business-wise, of course you'd want to get the biggest reveals out first, creating interest and hype for the product over the span of several months before the game came out, rather than a month before release that's way shorter notice.
 

Organization XIII

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I mean, IF there's some other DLC love afterwards, whether it be another pass or more individual DLC like Smash 4, based on distaste for that monetary model.
I really don't think it's an if we get more DLC it's a matter of when. Really the only question is if it'll be another pass since Sakurai didn't seem to like that model or individual DLC like you said. More DLC I really have no doubt about.
 

Door Key Pig

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I really don't think it's an if we get more DLC it's a matter of when. Really the only question is if it'll be another pass since Sakurai didn't seem to like that model or individual DLC like you said. More DLC I really have no doubt about.
Idk you just have the argument of "they all may want a break after working on Smash for a while" and stuff, so I'd at least remain cautiously optimistic about that prospect in case it doesn't happen. I'd personally like it too, and Ultimate has made a lot of money so far, maybe even on the Fighter's Pass sales for all we know.
 

Organization XIII

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Idk you just have the argument of "they all may want a break after working on Smash for a while" and stuff, so I'd at least remain cautiously optimistic about that prospect in case it doesn't happen. I'd personally like it too, and Ultimate has made a lot of money so far, maybe even on the Fighter's Pass sales for all we know.
That wasn't my argument? I don't remember ever detailing the reasons I believed in more DLC for Smash on here. Still I see no reason to be cautiously optimistic I see it happening. Could be wrong but I do think there's enough pointing to more DLC being likely that I see it as happening.
 

Door Key Pig

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That wasn't my argument? I don't remember ever detailing the reasons I believed in more DLC for Smash on here. Still I see no reason to be cautiously optimistic I see it happening. Could be wrong but I do think there's enough pointing to more DLC being likely that I see it as happening.
Is that because of the monetary and popularity success of Ultimate and DLC, might I ask?
 

Ben Holt

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Is that because of the monetary and popularity success of Ultimate and DLC, might I ask?
That and the fact that Ultimate had so few newcomers at launch that DLC could fill in for the roster shortcomings.
 

Organization XIII

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Is that because of the monetary and popularity success of Ultimate and DLC, might I ask?
Partially but also because by Sakurai's own admission he's not the one who dictates DLC happening. That's how we got the pass. And also the code in the game is already set up for more then just the 5 we have. Combine all that with Ultimate's success and I don't see Nintendo higher-ups going "yeah ok we can stop here we made enough".
 

N3ON

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It's long but it was worth saying.

We wouldn't have to settle for second place every time if Golden Sun fans would stop going dormant every single time something seems to be in our way. Good Lord if the Banjo, K Rool, or Ridley fans did that they wouldn't be here.
I take umbrage with that. The fact that the character in question hasn't had a leading role in a game for eighteen years, the series itself hasn't had a title in nine, and hasn't had a great one in seventeen, yet clocks in second behind a character who appears damn near every year in multiple million-unit selling titles as apart of the biggest gaming series full stop is not a testament to Nintendo, who like to act like Golden Sun barely ever existed, it's not a testament to Smash Bros., that straight up ditched the character last time, it's a testament to the fact that the fans, since pre-Brawl, have refused to cease pushing.

It's very easy to equate Banjo, K. Rool, Ridley and Isaac as if they all begin from the same starting point, and the latter's fans just lack the resolve to match the others. But that is a super flawed premise. Need I remind you that K. Rool and Ridley are the antagonists of DK and Metroid, series get a helluva lot more attention from fans, but also from Nintendo, than Golden Sun does. Golden Sun, meanwhile, has outpaced most its actual contemporaries, like Starfy, or Advance Wars, or Sin & Punishment, or even Rhythm Heaven. Those series, as fellow c-tier titles, gain an innate disadvantage promotion-wise, and audience-wise, from the likes of Metroid and DK.

Moreover, Ridley and Banjo are characters that would've been included a long time ago, probably in Brawl, had extenuating circumstances (whether concerns of feasibility or legality) not mitigated their chances. Take a different Brawl inclusion, like Wario, Diddy, Olimar, etc, keep their fanbase in play for ten additional years, and see how popular they get as the competition around them weakens. It's the fact that those character just function at a higher degree of prominence that allows a fanbase such as Banjo's to actually go dormant for nearly fifteen years then resurge almost overnight.

But I've been around the whole time, I've overseen every Isaac thread here since pre-Smash-4, and while obviously activity ebbs and flows, to single Isaac out as an exception and malign the fanbase for the typical reduction that comes with a confirmed role is pretty off-base. I guarantee right now if you go to the first page of "newcomer speculation" you will see that activity is dominated by characters either still in play, or only "soft deconfirmed" by spirit roles or whatnot. Of those that have been hard deconfirmed, you'll probably only see Isaac, Waluigi, Ashley, and maybe one or two others. So to suggest we're some aberration by lowered activity, or actually expect that such an event wouldn't hinder engagement is just misunderstanding how deconfirmations impact a character, across all of Smash.

Honestly though, Isaac fans have always, always showed up when it mattered. The secret is, right now it doesn't really matter. You may say that it perpetually matters, and whether that is true or not, the times it was actually crucial, such as the ballot, such as in reaction to his AT reveal, Isaac fans were certainly present, certainly vocal, and in the instance of the former, clearly affected development. I have every faith that, going forward, the influx will continue when necessary.

We are working from the disadvantage of being a dead series. Metroid and DK were not. Mario certainly isn't. We are working from the disadvantage of never having been an A-tier series. Banjo did not. Mario is so A-tier that even his supporting cast is ubiquitous. You want a comparison between series that actually share some degree of parity? Look at all the other dead ones with fanbases that, unlike us, have fallen by the wayside.

I think the fact that Isaac, after all this time, is still even in the top three is a massive coup which rests almost entirely on the backs of the fanbase. We perform phenomenally for having only ever been fed on scraps. This thread has had more posts made after Isaac's deconfirmation than most did in their entirety. A fanbase will slow when things seem resolved, welcome to Smash, but if there's anything that doesn't describe the Isaac fanbase, it's complacency.
 

Door Key Pig

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Partially but also because by Sakurai's own admission he's not the one who dictates DLC happening. That's how we got the pass. And also the code in the game is already set up for more then just the 5 we have. Combine all that with Ultimate's success and I don't see Nintendo higher-ups going "yeah ok we can stop here we made enough".
I suppose Sakurai not making the decision helps (as much as the man may need a break...). Hopefully then the attitude of "oh we can just wait until the next game to do more" isn't entirely in swing here if the DLC truly sells well.
 

Organization XIII

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I take umbrage with that. The fact that the character in question hasn't had a leading role in a game for eighteen years, the series itself hasn't had a title in nine, and hasn't had a great one in seventeen, yet clocks in second behind a character who appears damn near every year in multiple million-unit selling titles as apart of the biggest gaming series full stop is not a testament to Nintendo, who like to act like Golden Sun barely ever existed, it's not a testament to Smash Bros., that straight up ditched the character last time, it's a testament to the fact that the fans, since pre-Brawl, have refused to cease pushing.
I never really was claiming Nintendo was at fault here but rather the point is we don't have to just accept Waluigi is the character that will be the AT promotion or really keep being second place in any capacity but seeing as fans of our series seem to just stop pushing and accept their fate and then we have to keep spending time like this squabbling among ourselves to try and reclaim some of our strength is silly. We were a big name during the ballot, AT promotions are only going to happen because the fans want it enough to make it worth the devs while, so there is no reason we should a. stop requesting or b. just think some other character is more important. We don't have to accept the silver medal but somehow we always seem to find ourselves there.

It's very easy to equate Banjo, K. Rool, Ridley and Isaac as if they all begin from the same starting point, and the latter's fans just lack the resolve to match the others. But that is a super flawed premise. Need I remind you that K. Rool and Ridley are the antagonists of DK and Metroid, series get a helluva lot more attention from fans, but also from Nintendo, than Golden Sun does. Golden Sun, meanwhile, has outpaced most its actual contemporaries, like Starfy, or Advance Wars, or Sin & Punishment, or even Rhythm Heaven. Those series, as fellow c-tier titles, gain an innate disadvantage promotion-wise, and audience-wise, from the likes of Metroid and DK.
It's not just easy it's because it's the same. Fan demand is literally the thing that got them in. Other circumstances may have prevented them from joining or what have you but they overcame those exact problems with fan demand. That's our strength as well so there's no reason to lose heart when the director of the game comes out and says "Oh yeah X kept being requested so we added them". If anything that tells we should push HARDER.

But I've been around the whole time, I've overseen every Isaac thread here since pre-Smash-4, and while obviously activity ebbs and flows, to single Isaac out as an exception and malign the fanbase for the typical reduction that comes with a confirmed role is pretty off-base. I guarantee right now if you go to the first page of "newcomer speculation" you will see that activity is dominated by characters either still in play, or only "soft deconfirmed" by spirit roles or whatnot. Of those that have been hard deconfirmed, you'll probably only see Isaac, Waluigi, Ashley, and maybe one or two others. So to suggest we're some aberration by lowered activity, or actually expect that such an event wouldn't hinder engagement is just misunderstanding how deconfirmations impact a character, across all of Smash.
That's exactly my point though. While we haven't 100% disappeared from everywhere like Ashley we aren't nearly as active or as prominent in the fanbase as Waluigi still is. Maybe that's due to his meme status but it doesn't matter the fact is the time to support a character isn't when a game is announced. By that time it's already too late. What we do now affects the future a lot more especially since there's no ballot now for all the disheartened fans to sink their hopes into. Continually showing support now helps show we aren't just here for ATs and costumes but we are a request who is here to stay and should be listened to.
Honestly though, Isaac fans have always, always showed up when it mattered. The secret is, right now it doesn't really matter. You may say that it perpetually matters, and whether that is true or not, the times it was actually crucial, such as the ballot, such as in reaction to his AT reveal, Isaac fans were certainly present, certainly vocal, and in the instance of the former, clearly affected development. I have every faith that, going forward, the influx will continue when necessary.
No, the secret is right now it does matter and the problem is people thinks that it doesn't. Now is the time to cement ourselves as big and not going anywhere. Not just to the community but to Nintendo. We need to keep showing to fan polls we need to keep being a large force we need to keep requesting despite any such "ATs can't be DLC fan crap" because that's how you get a character from can only be a boss to being on the roster, that's how you get a forgotten relic on the roster, that's how you get a competitor's formerly Nintendo character that's been dead forever on the roster, that's how you get fan requests in the game. Right now it is the necessary time to show up and we're not showing up. When a new game is announced it's too late. When more DLC is announced it's too late. Now is when we should be trying our hardest to let Sakurai know we are the next dream character to get in.

We are working from the disadvantage of being a dead series. Metroid and DK were not. Mario certainly isn't. We are working from the disadvantage of never having been an A-tier series. Banjo did not. Mario is so A-tier that even his supporting cast is ubiquitous. You want a comparison between series that actually share some degree of parity? Look at all the other dead ones with fanbases that, unlike us, have fallen by the wayside.
This actively goes into what my quote said. So what if we have every disadvantage in the world? We have the one advantage on our side that can level that out in a time where Sakurai seems to have a greater emphasis on making fan requests come true. Letting percieved inconveniences get in the way of that is the exact problem right now.

I think the fact that Isaac, after all this time, is still even in the top three is a massive coup which rests almost entirely on the backs of the fanbase. We perform phenomenally for having only ever been fed on scraps. This thread has had more posts made after Isaac's deconfirmation than most did in their entirety. A fanbase will slow when things seem resolved, welcome to Smash, but if there's anything that doesn't describe the Isaac fanbase, it's complacency.
I'm aware and my point is nothing is resolved and acting like it is in our current situation is actively hurting us. It took like 2+ months for the Geno thread to surpass our thread just because we were so much bigger earlier but since then we have stagnated and now is the worst time for that. We are still big but we aren't active. We aren't prominent. And that needs to change.
 

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the main problem is everyone's given up on this DLC pass, so they push it off and say "let's do it later", when I say we should always do it until the day he actually gets in

to that end I've been working off the assumption he will get in this pass and been getting myself hyped and also others
 
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Ben Holt

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It's long but it was worth saying.


I take umbrage with that. The fact that the character in question hasn't had a leading role in a game for eighteen years, the series itself hasn't had a title in nine, and hasn't had a great one in seventeen, yet clocks in second behind a character who appears damn near every year in multiple million-unit selling titles as apart of the biggest gaming series full stop is not a testament to Nintendo, who like to act like Golden Sun barely ever existed, it's not a testament to Smash Bros., that straight up ditched the character last time, it's a testament to the fact that the fans, since pre-Brawl, have refused to cease pushing.

It's very easy to equate Banjo, K. Rool, Ridley and Isaac as if they all begin from the same starting point, and the latter's fans just lack the resolve to match the others. But that is a super flawed premise. Need I remind you that K. Rool and Ridley are the antagonists of DK and Metroid, series get a helluva lot more attention from fans, but also from Nintendo, than Golden Sun does. Golden Sun, meanwhile, has outpaced most its actual contemporaries, like Starfy, or Advance Wars, or Sin & Punishment, or even Rhythm Heaven. Those series, as fellow c-tier titles, gain an innate disadvantage promotion-wise, and audience-wise, from the likes of Metroid and DK.

Moreover, Ridley and Banjo are characters that would've been included a long time ago, probably in Brawl, had extenuating circumstances (whether concerns of feasibility or legality) not mitigated their chances. Take a different Brawl inclusion, like Wario, Diddy, Olimar, etc, keep their fanbase in play for ten additional years, and see how popular they get as the competition around them weakens. It's the fact that those character just function at a higher degree of prominence that allows a fanbase such as Banjo's to actually go dormant for nearly fifteen years then resurge almost overnight.

But I've been around the whole time, I've overseen every Isaac thread here since pre-Smash-4, and while obviously activity ebbs and flows, to single Isaac out as an exception and malign the fanbase for the typical reduction that comes with a confirmed role is pretty off-base. I guarantee right now if you go to the first page of "newcomer speculation" you will see that activity is dominated by characters either still in play, or only "soft deconfirmed" by spirit roles or whatnot. Of those that have been hard deconfirmed, you'll probably only see Isaac, Waluigi, Ashley, and maybe one or two others. So to suggest we're some aberration by lowered activity, or actually expect that such an event wouldn't hinder engagement is just misunderstanding how deconfirmations impact a character, across all of Smash.

Honestly though, Isaac fans have always, always showed up when it mattered. The secret is, right now it doesn't really matter. You may say that it perpetually matters, and whether that is true or not, the times it was actually crucial, such as the ballot, such as in reaction to his AT reveal, Isaac fans were certainly present, certainly vocal, and in the instance of the former, clearly affected development. I have every faith that, going forward, the influx will continue when necessary.

We are working from the disadvantage of being a dead series. Metroid and DK were not. Mario certainly isn't. We are working from the disadvantage of never having been an A-tier series. Banjo did not. Mario is so A-tier that even his supporting cast is ubiquitous. You want a comparison between series that actually share some degree of parity? Look at all the other dead ones with fanbases that, unlike us, have fallen by the wayside.

I think the fact that Isaac, after all this time, is still even in the top three is a massive coup which rests almost entirely on the backs of the fanbase. We perform phenomenally for having only ever been fed on scraps. This thread has had more posts made after Isaac's deconfirmation than most did in their entirety. A fanbase will slow when things seem resolved, welcome to Smash, but if there's anything that doesn't describe the Isaac fanbase, it's complacency.
I think it's moreso the Smash Bros. developers that don't see Issac as a good choice simply because of their demographic.
Notice how during Simon and Richter's reveal that Sakurai noted that Castlevania was super popular among the music staff. That's because they are mostly dudes in their 40s and 50s whose fondest memories of gaming are on the NES. That's why we have so many obscure NES characters in the roster but not a single SNES one (unless Ness counts).
To them, the GBA might as well be as modern as the next gen PS5 and XBox Scarlett.
I support Issac 100%, but I understand that he is ultimately a niche pick for a very specific age group.
 

N3ON

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I never really was claiming Nintendo was at fault here but rather the point is we don't have to just accept Waluigi is the character that will be the AT promotion or really keep being second place in any capacity but seeing as fans of our series seem to just stop pushing and accept their fate and then we have to keep spending time like this squabbling among ourselves to try and reclaim some of our strength is silly. We were a big name during the ballot, AT promotions are only going to happen because the fans want it enough to make it worth the devs while, so there is no reason we should a. stop requesting or b. just think some other character is more important. We don't have to accept the silver medal but somehow we always seem to find ourselves there.

It's not just easy it's because it's the same. Fan demand is literally the thing that got them in. Other circumstances may have prevented them from joining or what have you but they overcame those exact problems with fan demand. That's our strength as well so there's no reason to lose heart when the director of the game comes out and says "Oh yeah X kept being requested so we added them". If anything that tells we should push HARDER.

That's exactly my point though. While we haven't 100% disappeared from everywhere like Ashley we aren't nearly as active or as prominent in the fanbase as Waluigi still is. Maybe that's due to his meme status but it doesn't matter the fact is the time to support a character isn't when a game is announced. By that time it's already too late. What we do now affects the future a lot more especially since there's no ballot now for all the disheartened fans to sink their hopes into. Continually showing support now helps show we aren't just here for ATs and costumes but we are a request who is here to stay and should be listened to.

No, the secret is right now it does matter and the problem is people thinks that it doesn't. Now is the time to cement ourselves as big and not going anywhere. Not just to the community but to Nintendo. We need to keep showing to fan polls we need to keep being a large force we need to keep requesting despite any such "ATs can't be DLC fan crap" because that's how you get a character from can only be a boss to being on the roster, that's how you get a forgotten relic on the roster, that's how you get a competitor's formerly Nintendo character that's been dead forever on the roster, that's how you get fan requests in the game. Right now it is the necessary time to show up and we're not showing up. When a new game is announced it's too late. When more DLC is announced it's too late. Now is when we should be trying our hardest to let Sakurai know we are the next dream character to get in.

This actively goes into what my quote said. So what if we have every disadvantage in the world? We have the one advantage on our side that can level that out in a time where Sakurai seems to have a greater emphasis on making fan requests come true. Letting percieved inconveniences get in the way of that is the exact problem right now.

I'm aware and my point is nothing is resolved and acting like it is in our current situation is actively hurting us. It took like 2+ months for the Geno thread to surpass our thread just because we were so much bigger earlier but since then we have stagnated and now is the worst time for that. We are still big but we aren't active. We aren't prominent. And that needs to change.
Yeah, you should really only refuse to accept Waluigi isn't the most likely upgrade if you're so fickle that accepting another character stands a better chance impedes you still supporting the character you like. If acknowledging that you aren't or won't be number one truly precludes you from trying, I guess don't acknowledge it. That's kind of ****ed up, Isaac would've never got to this point were that the case among all the supporters, and inclusion has never been based on belief (demand is still what counts), but I guess whatever works for you.

But judging one particular support camp when literally they all do this upon deconfirmation is misguided. Because guess what, the Waluigi fanbase has also been quieted. For longer too. It's not like they're working at full capacity either. No hard deconfirmed characters are. If they still make more waves than the Isaac fanbase now that the characters are in the same boat, it's because - shocker - that fanbase is just bigger. C'est la vie. But tbh, I don't think many people are expecting him either. This is how things go during the off-season, which for these characters, it is.

Meanwhile fanbases of Geno and Shantae and Crash (etc.) are still going. And it's not because they're innately more popular, it's not because those fanbases have more resolve, it's only because they've yet to be hard deconfirmed. And if and when they are, the activity will diminish. That's the reason the Geno thread is bigger than this one. The Ashley thread used to be a lot bigger than the Isaac thread, then she got deconfirmed. That's just the nature of the beast, and holding it against one specific fanbase doesn't make sense.

If you can't accept that's how things go, ok, but shaking your finger at just us is absolutely ridiculous. Take a look around. It's the tide; it won't change.

But that's not a negative. It's obviously not a broken system given how many past highly-popular characters have been included despite downtime. Past the subdued atmosphere between games, which happens across the board, Banjo's downtime was over a decade. Most people finally lost hope on Ridley after his official Smash 4 deconfirmation. K. Rool's demand got eclipsed by Dixie during Smash 4, in part due to Tropical Freeze, and only rebounded during the ballot.

It's a lot of nice flag-waving rhetoric of yours, but there's also a real break from reality with that kind of galvanizing. Sakurai specifically said to stop requesting characters, now is certainly not the most important time to make our voices heard. It's not some bluff, if they genuinely wanted results, they would impress onto Sakurai not to discourage it. Moreover, now that online Smash engagement is much lower than it was this time last year, you think now is when Nintendo is not only snooping for results, but prioritizing them above last year's? Or the ballot?

Sorry, but for my money, the most important times are when I know someone is listening (or at least not actively telling us to stop requesting) - like during the ballot or following presentations. And in that context, Isaac fans have done remarkably.

By no means am I saying people should call it a day, but what we've got right now is much closer to stoking the embers. Keep things burning so we can feed the fire when it really matters. Oh and also that another character being more likely should really not be anything new for this fanbase, nor has it stopped Isaac's gradual progression up the ladder to the enviable spot he's in now.
 

GoodGrief741

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I don't think there's anything wrong with accepting our disadvantages. While we've been chugging along for years and we should be proud of it, at the end of the day a character like Waluigi is more famous, and has mainstream support, something we don't enjoy. Still, we're ****ing second in line - that's insane.

Does this mean we shouldn't keep pushing to see if maybe the miracle happens and we get promoted over him? Sure, why not, who knows, maybe Sakurai really hates Waluigi and looks past him. But let's not make enemies (I don't think anyone was saying that), and let's keep expectations realistic.
Not gonna lie, I think the best way to revealing :ultpiranha: was to make him the very first newcomer reveal, yes even before :ultridley::ultdaisy::ultinkling:.

It would’ve been a more hilarious outcome throwing everyone’s expectations completely away just for Sakurai to have a good laugh joking and tell us that the actual characters we’re looking forward to are coming right after.

Getting the shock pick over with so there’d be less salt.
Why would they reveal a DLC character first?
It's long but it was worth saying.


I take umbrage with that. The fact that the character in question hasn't had a leading role in a game for eighteen years, the series itself hasn't had a title in nine, and hasn't had a great one in seventeen, yet clocks in second behind a character who appears damn near every year in multiple million-unit selling titles as apart of the biggest gaming series full stop is not a testament to Nintendo, who like to act like Golden Sun barely ever existed, it's not a testament to Smash Bros., that straight up ditched the character last time, it's a testament to the fact that the fans, since pre-Brawl, have refused to cease pushing.

It's very easy to equate Banjo, K. Rool, Ridley and Isaac as if they all begin from the same starting point, and the latter's fans just lack the resolve to match the others. But that is a super flawed premise. Need I remind you that K. Rool and Ridley are the antagonists of DK and Metroid, series get a helluva lot more attention from fans, but also from Nintendo, than Golden Sun does. Golden Sun, meanwhile, has outpaced most its actual contemporaries, like Starfy, or Advance Wars, or Sin & Punishment, or even Rhythm Heaven. Those series, as fellow c-tier titles, gain an innate disadvantage promotion-wise, and audience-wise, from the likes of Metroid and DK.

Moreover, Ridley and Banjo are characters that would've been included a long time ago, probably in Brawl, had extenuating circumstances (whether concerns of feasibility or legality) not mitigated their chances. Take a different Brawl inclusion, like Wario, Diddy, Olimar, etc, keep their fanbase in play for ten additional years, and see how popular they get as the competition around them weakens. It's the fact that those character just function at a higher degree of prominence that allows a fanbase such as Banjo's to actually go dormant for nearly fifteen years then resurge almost overnight.

But I've been around the whole time, I've overseen every Isaac thread here since pre-Smash-4, and while obviously activity ebbs and flows, to single Isaac out as an exception and malign the fanbase for the typical reduction that comes with a confirmed role is pretty off-base. I guarantee right now if you go to the first page of "newcomer speculation" you will see that activity is dominated by characters either still in play, or only "soft deconfirmed" by spirit roles or whatnot. Of those that have been hard deconfirmed, you'll probably only see Isaac, Waluigi, Ashley, and maybe one or two others. So to suggest we're some aberration by lowered activity, or actually expect that such an event wouldn't hinder engagement is just misunderstanding how deconfirmations impact a character, across all of Smash.

Honestly though, Isaac fans have always, always showed up when it mattered. The secret is, right now it doesn't really matter. You may say that it perpetually matters, and whether that is true or not, the times it was actually crucial, such as the ballot, such as in reaction to his AT reveal, Isaac fans were certainly present, certainly vocal, and in the instance of the former, clearly affected development. I have every faith that, going forward, the influx will continue when necessary.

We are working from the disadvantage of being a dead series. Metroid and DK were not. Mario certainly isn't. We are working from the disadvantage of never having been an A-tier series. Banjo did not. Mario is so A-tier that even his supporting cast is ubiquitous. You want a comparison between series that actually share some degree of parity? Look at all the other dead ones with fanbases that, unlike us, have fallen by the wayside.

I think the fact that Isaac, after all this time, is still even in the top three is a massive coup which rests almost entirely on the backs of the fanbase. We perform phenomenally for having only ever been fed on scraps. This thread has had more posts made after Isaac's deconfirmation than most did in their entirety. A fanbase will slow when things seem resolved, welcome to Smash, but if there's anything that doesn't describe the Isaac fanbase, it's complacency.
That's why you're the leader!
 

KirbyWorshipper2465

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I think it's more because most folks at Nintendo still haven't given Waluigi any major roles in games, since Camelot created him, and creators from certain divisions in Nintendo are usually more comfortable using characters that they made themselves (particularly blatant with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, which ONLY had DK as a returning character). Even Daisy got a major role with her playable stint in Super Mario Run after the merger with EAD/EPD (if I recall correctly). Their hesitation is going to cost his place in Smash if they still don't do anything about it.

Also, Stafy is no longer the designated monkey AT since nearly everyone can be hurt now, so...

I don't think Smash DLC needs third parties to sell, but Nintendo sure does seem to think so.
I think it'd be best to think that after the pass finishes, and not before. They'll probably sneak in a first party somewhere so it doesn't get too expensive. Although since people now think that Smash celebrates gaming as whole, it's a moot point. :drshrug:

That being said, with BK out of the way, Isaac will no longer need to share attention with them, which can only mean good for increased support.
 
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SonicLink125

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(I don’t know why, but this site refuses to let me post the links like how everyone else does it. Sorry.)

https://mobile.twitter.com/Dylanirus/status/1146273498605785088

So apparently, there is (at least) one character left not revealed yet for Aces.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SonicLink125/status/1146440786780643328

I posted with hoping that they miraculously put in Isaac. That would be amazing!

I mean, there has been interesting references to Golden Sun in this game lately. “Sol Sanctum”, Mario being an Adept, the abilities/specials are akin to Psynergy, etc. Its a LONG LONG shot, but...
 

KirbyWorshipper2465

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(I don’t know why, but this site refuses to let me post the links like how everyone else does it. Sorry.)

https://mobile.twitter.com/Dylanirus/status/1146273498605785088

So apparently, there is (at least) one character left not revealed yet for Aces.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SonicLink125/status/1146440786780643328

I posted with hoping that they miraculously put in Isaac. That would be amazing!

I mean, there has been interesting references to Golden Sun in this game lately. “Sol Sanctum”, Mario being an Adept, the abilities/specials are akin to Psynergy, etc. Its a LONG LONG shot, but...
Just don't get mad if it's someone like Pink Gold Peach instead. While Aces' roster has been getting better these days, I wouldn't be shocked if a disappointing pick appears last, and not even in a Smash way.
 
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Verde Coeden Scalesworth

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(I don’t know why, but this site refuses to let me post the links like how everyone else does it. Sorry.)
You have to click the button on the quick-post creators that looks like ...(with a down arrow), and then select the Media option.

Do note it's good to post a link here and there too, as multiple embeds(which is what the Media option would do) can lag a page, especially Mobile users.
 

N3ON

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I think it's moreso the Smash Bros. developers that don't see Issac as a good choice simply because of their demographic.
Notice how during Simon and Richter's reveal that Sakurai noted that Castlevania was super popular among the music staff. That's because they are mostly dudes in their 40s and 50s whose fondest memories of gaming are on the NES. That's why we have so many obscure NES characters in the roster but not a single SNES one (unless Ness counts).
To them, the GBA might as well be as modern as the next gen PS5 and XBox Scarlett.
I support Issac 100%, but I understand that he is ultimately a niche pick for a very specific age group.
I think that's true as well. More on the opposite end, so far as in he doesn't hold much cache with a large portion of the current Nintendo demographic (which would be his best shot), but he also seemingly fails to qualify for retro status given how Sakurai's cutoff doesn't extend past the eighties, really.

It's a bit unfair given, for example, Isaac is to us what Ice Climbers would be to the Melee audience back then (even though Golden Sun is further away from Ultimate than Ice Climber was from Melee), yet they've really only continued to cater to that older crowd instead of acknowledging how retro is a shifting scale.

Though the "retro rep" is not really what it once was. It doesn't even seem like a designated spot any more, let alone the two it arguably used to be. Castlevania is retro, sure, but it wasn't included for that reason.

I don't think there's anything wrong with accepting our disadvantages. While we've been chugging along for years and we should be proud of it, at the end of the day a character like Waluigi is more famous, and has mainstream support, something we don't enjoy. Still, we're ****ing second in line - that's insane.

Does this mean we shouldn't keep pushing to see if maybe the miracle happens and we get promoted over him? Sure, why not, who knows, maybe Sakurai really hates Waluigi and looks past him. But let's not make enemies (I don't think anyone was saying that), and let's keep expectations realistic.
For sure. Like I said, if support was predicated solely on the belief that the addition was first in line, we'd never be where we are now. People wouldn't have bothered. None of the characters that still have support were considered anything close to the top candidates when it began. Waluigi support was treated as an actual joke for years. But if you like the character, none of that should stop you from making your voice heard.

If and when Isaac gets included, it will have been anything but an overnight effort. Literally the better part of two decades we've been pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps. Not a lot of other characters can claim that. But finally and not since the unfortunate timing of 09/10 do we seem to be one of the leaders of the pack.

That's why you're the leader!
LoveThisGuy.gif


I think it's more because most folks at Nintendo still haven't given Waluigi any major roles in games, since Camelot created him, and creators from certain divisions in Nintendo are usually more comfortable using characters that they made themselves (particularly blatant with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, which ONLY had DK as a returning character). Even Daisy got a major role with her playable stint in Super Mario Run after the merger with EAD/EPD (if I recall correctly). Their hesitation is going to cost his place in Smash if they still don't do anything about it.
Absolutely, a real role in a Mario or Wario game would help Waluigi tremendously. But even Wario doesn't seem to get good roles anymore. :/
I don't think anyone can rely on EPD to achieve such a thing. Like you observed, they really only seem to value their own creations. The Kongs past Donkey were shed from Jungle Beat. Krystal was axed from Star Fox. God help you if you're not Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Toad, Yoshi, Bowser Jr or Rosalina in a main Mario game.

I don't think it's going to cost Waluigi a place in Smash, his popularity will definitely re-ignite once he's seen as a viable choice again, but he is the kind of character that probably would've stayed excluded if not for the fans. He can't be a clone like Daisy, and it's not like he has a great degree of series importance. Just a good attendance record in spin-offs.

Also, Stafy is no longer the designated monkey AT since nearly everyone can be hurt now, so...
Hey, at least Starfy managed to return as an AT despite no games in the interim. It's unfortunately more than can be said for Saki and the Advance Wars one. :/
 

NessAtc.

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Just don't get mad if it's someone like Pink Gold Peach instead. While Aces' roster has been getting better these days, I wouldn't be shocked if a disappointing pick appears last, and not even in a Smash way.
Pink Gold Peach won't get in before Metal Mario
 

N3ON

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If they add Isaac I'll buy that tennis game. First since the GameCube days.

But somehow I suspect I'll be holding on to my $60. Or... I guess... $80. Stupid Canadian dollar.
 

NessAtc.

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If they add Isaac I'll buy that tennis game. First since the GameCube days.

But somehow I suspect I'll be holding on to my $60. Or... I guess... $80. Stupid Canadian dollar.
I'm 90% sure that they know we want more Golden Sun, and I even made a retweet to shugo takahashi well over half a year ago with Isaac in tennis garb art(retweeted from the original artist ofc)

there's a non-zero chance they're aware we want more attention
 
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