Official Newcomer/DLC Speculation Discussion

[Playstation Guy 1000]

To be honest even though the google theory is fake, I do think it was the most interesting theory of all the dlc theories in this game

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Honestly, this just makes me wonder if Artorias is a costume coming instead.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

Honestly, this just makes me wonder if Artorias is a costume coming instead.

Wouldn’t surprise me if Artorias or Solaire of Astora were costumes that came with a new Bandai Namco character

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Wouldn’t surprise me if Artorias or Solaire of Astora were costumes that came with a new Bandai Namco character

Or just Hero alone. I mean, they're adventurous characters and all~

 

[tenworldsguy]

Just out of curiosity
Sans Hihechi, Lloyd, and KOSMOS, what potential Namco rep could there be? (list off those that have been deconfirmed as well, I'm very unfamiliar with Namco myself)

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Just out of curiosity
Sans Hihechi, Lloyd, and KOSMOS, what potential Namco rep could there be? (list off those that have been deconfirmed as well, I'm very unfamiliar with Namco myself)

It's Namco-Bandai. You also forgot Nightmare(Soul Calibur) and Agumon, two other big characters from Namco-Bandai. Plus Yuri Lowell(did I spell that right?), the other major Tales of option.

 

[GoodGrief741]

Just out of curiosity
Sans Hihechi, Lloyd, and KOSMOS, what potential Namco rep could there be? (list off those that have been deconfirmed as well, I'm very unfamiliar with Namco myself)

I would say the Prince of All Cosmos from Katamari is kind of an underdog pick. Someone from Soul Calibur could happen (don't think it will), and if Heihachi and Lloyd aren't it (which I find even unlikelier) it could be another character from their franchises (Jin or Kazuya for Tekken, Yuri or Velvet for Tales).

I think it's between Heihachi and Lloyd though

(Would love to see my baby boy the Prince as an AT though)

 

[YsDisciple]

It's Namco-Bandai. You also forgot Nightmare(Soul Calibur) and Agumon, two other big characters from Namco-Bandai. Plus Yuri Lowell(did I spell that right?), the other major Tales of option.

I would like to add Valkyrie to the list. Although she hasn't had a game in years, though has made cameos in recent games (Project X Zone 1 & 2), as well as in Pac-Man's taunt; she could be a unique and obscure/retro Bandai-Namco pic.

And to name other characters from said company, there's also Dig Dug, The Prince (from Katamari), Mr. Driller, and Klonoa.

 

[Wunderwaft]

Just out of curiosity
Sans Hihechi, Lloyd, and KOSMOS, what potential Namco rep could there be? (list off those that have been deconfirmed as well, I'm very unfamiliar with Namco myself)

The three major candidates in my opinion are Tekken, Tales, and Dark Souls. To me these three are the front runners for a Namco rep.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

I would like to add Valkyrie to the list. Although she hasn't had a game in years, though has made cameos in recent games (Project X Zone 1 & 2), as well as in Pac-Man's taunt; she could be a unique and obscure/retro Bandai-Namco pic.

And to name other characters from said company, there's also Dig Dug, The Prince (from Katamari), Mr. Driller, and Klonoa.

I prefer the name Taizo Hori, but eh. There's quite a lot of characters to consider. IMO, the big 4 are Heihachi, Lloyd Irving, Nightmare, and Agumon, in that order. I used to put Heihachi lower, but I learned a bit more about him that changed my mind, like actually focusing more on 2D mechanics, which makes him far more viable in being reworked for Smash.

 

[YsDisciple]

I prefer the name Taizo Hori, but eh. There's quite a lot of characters to consider. IMO, the big 4 are Heihachi, Lloyd Irving, Nightmare, and Agumon, in that order. I used to put Heihachi lower, but I learned a bit more about him that changed my mind, like actually focusing more on 2D mechanics, which makes him far more viable in being reworked for Smash.

I've read around the threads (don't remember if it was this very same one), that there was some concern over Heihachi's chances of getting into the roster due to Tekken's current story line. However, they could opt for using his Project X Zone design (which was the one his Sm4sh Mii costume was based off of).

Spoiler: Heihachi Mishima - Project X Zone

 

[Nemuresu]

I've read around the threads (don't remember if it was this very same one), that there was some concern over Heihachi's chances of getting into the roster due to Tekken's current story line. However, they could opt for using his Project X Zone design (which was the one his Sm4sh Mii costume was based off of).

Spoiler: Heihachi Mishima - Project X Zone

That design actually comes from Tekken Tag Tournament 2. It just so happens that Namco loved to use it until Tekken 7 hit the stores.

 

[YsDisciple]

That design actually comes from Tekken Tag Tournament 2. It just so happens that Namco loved to use it until Tekken 7 hit the stores.

Hmm, awesome. I had completely forgotten about that.

Was just thinking now of what possible tracks they could add if Heihachi ends up being one of the last two DLC fighters and boy oh BOY.

Moonlit Wilderness
Tekken Tag Tournament Intro

 

[GoodGrief741]

I've read around the threads (don't remember if it was this very same one), that there was some concern over Heihachi's chances of getting into the roster due to Tekken's current story line. However, they could opt for using his Project X Zone design (which was the one his Sm4sh Mii costume was based off of).

Spoiler: Heihachi Mishima - Project X Zone

That's the design I always expected them to use. Old Heihachi is cool, but Young Heihachi I think is more iconic and the black hair makes his spikes more striking.

 

[Idon]

That's the design I always expected them to use. Old Heihachi is cool, but Young Heihachi I think is more iconic and the black hair makes his spikes more striking.

I don't see how that design is more iconic at all. Old Heihachi IS Heihachi for almost every single Tekken whereas his young version only got used for one game which wasn't even mainline.

Young Heihachi being used for Project X Zone just seems to be another roster idiosyncrasy like with many other choices like Majima and Kiryu being based off their Zombie side-game. Same with PSASBR due to it having to market the most recent Tekken game which was TTT2, like Donte for DmC.

 

[StormC]

Tekken 3 is the highest selling Tekken game and features old Heihachi. It's also the one in the Pac-Man taunt.

 

[Michael the Spikester]

Now that I honestly think about it. Trailer Theory is probably not likely to be true and thus going back to my original final prediction.

Lloyd Irving and Jill Valentine.

 

[Deleted member]

Just wanna put it out there, but I think people are sleeping on Mai Shiranui:

Spoiler

Like DQ Hero/Erdrick, she's another one of those characters that "just make sense" when you stop and think about it. Just a list of stuff she's got in her favor:

-She's an incredibly iconic character in fighting games, just behind Ryu, and rivaling Chun Li
-She one of THE most iconic females in gaming, alongside the likes of Lara Croft, Samus, and Jill Valentine
-She's had a significant cultural impact in gaming, with character's like Kasumi (DOA) and Jam (Guilty Gear) being inspired by her.
-Additionally, her costume is incredibly iconic, making her by far one of, if not THE most popular cosplay character of all time, with various contests being held in Asia purely themed around Mai cosplay
-She's incredibly popular in Asia, appearing in games like BDO, DFO, and many many other Asia exclusive games purely due to how popular she is in China, Korea, and Hong Kong.
-She's also a fan favorite in her native country of Japan arguably taking the number 1 spot for most iconic female videogame character in Japan
-She's made a ridiculous amount of crossovers in other games (over 70 - more than Ryu), and is essentially SNK's mascot.
-SNK is a significant and important company in gaming, especially in Japan, they're up there with Capcom, Bamco, and Square Enix. Her getting added to Smash would bring Metal Slug, and other KoF content to Smash
-And let's not forget, King Of Fighters is Sakurai's favorite fighting game. Being one that he's cited to playing in his youth in Japanese arcades, and with the Smash series taking some inspiration from it in some mechanics.
-Also, less imporant, but her moveset from KoF/Final Fight would translate perfectly to Smash, and she'd be a unique fighter among the current roster.


Just out of how much excitement her inclusion into Smash would cause in Asia, and no, not just Japan, but also markets like China, Hong Kong, and Korea, I can definitely see Mai happening. People are sleeping on her hardcore. She's one of those few remaining characters who are popular and iconic enough to generate a huge uproar. Like the DQ Hero in fact, she honestly feels like she's missing from the roster given how iconic she is in gaming. I feel like I can definitely see Mai happening all things considered.

Here's her wiki article if you wanna read up on how significant Mai is to gaming:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai_Shiranui#Cultural_impact

I struggle to think of other characters that hold as much weight as she does.

Also, out of all the possible fighting game IP characters that could still be added to Smash, she's by far the most unique AND iconic. If you tell me "the next character will be from a fighting game IP" and/or "the next character will be female" I'd 100% put money on Mai. She's just an obvious choice when you stop and think about it.

 

[DarthEnderX]

Considering their track record of 3P characters being protags, I can't imagine the first Fatal Fury character being anyone besides Terry.

 

[TheYungLink]

Mai Shiranui is well-known and iconic for sure, but I'll believe in her chances when we get more than one unique newcomer from a third-party series. Currently, we only have one unique and one echo, so unless that's broken I'm pretty sure we'd get Terry Bogard first.

If it were up to me, I'd make it so that most third-party series (not companies, series) in Smash can expand to at most two unique characters, and one (or maybe even two maximum) Echo Fighter(s). This allows more fan favorites to get in Smash without overriding the "Nintendo first" philosophy behind Smash's roster.

Basically I want characters like Chun-Li and you want Mai Shiranui, but unless the Smash team decides to expand each third-party series, it isn't happening and at least for SNK we'd get Terry Bogard or Kyo Kusanagi first anyway.

 

[Deleted member]

It's not so much "protags" as it is "most recognizable and iconic characters" which in most cases, IS the protag. Mai however, is SNK's mascot and the most iconic character of the FF and KoF franchises. Like it or not, despite Terry being the MC, it's Mai that everyone remembers, Mai that gets in all the crossovers, Mai the one with all the cosplay and figures and merch, Mai that has the most media appearances outside of gaming...

You're making up rules that don't exist. There's nothing saying it HAS to be the MC that has to get in. It's more like, the most recognizable and iconic character of the franchise is who gets in. Mai is such a scenario here.

Also, I don't "want" Mai Shiranui. I'm overall indifferent to who gets in from here on since I got my most wanted. Mai is a prediction given she's a character that makes too much sense to be in Smash, one that people don't talk about much. Basically, much like Ryu, Cloud, and Yuusha, before they eventually found their way into Smash. People say Terry, Terry, Terry, but SNK has never put Terry in over Mai in any guest appearance or crossover. Ever.

 

[TheGuv]

There's also the scenario that one of the remaining DLC characters is someone no one throught off, think of someone among the lines Katalina when no one knew her back when hitagi "leaked" her.

 

[3BitSaurus]

You're making up rules that don't exist. There's nothing saying it HAS to be the MC that has to get in. It's more like, the most recognizable and iconic character of the franchise is who gets in. Mai is such a scenario here.

Also, I don't "want" Mai Shiranui. I'm overall indifferent to who gets in from here on since I got my most wanted. Mai is a prediction given she's a character that makes too much sense to be in Smash, one that people don't talk about much. Basically, much like Ryu, Cloud, and Yuusha, before they eventually found their way into Smash. People say Terry, Terry, Terry, but SNK has never put Terry in over Mai in any guest appearance or crossover. Ever.

I mean... there are no rules explicitly saying a main character will always get in first, but in the entire history of Smash, that only happened once.

So yeah, it's not impossible. Doesn't mean it's likely though.

Also "never picked Terry over Mai"? The SNK guest before Mai in DoA 6 was Terry in EX Layer. He was picked over other SNK characters. They could have chosen anyone, but they chose him. Terry is Mr. SNK and he still is their most iconic and well liked character in fan polls.

In fact, Dead or Alive is the only case, as far as I remember, of Mai being picked before Terry for a crossover game that isn't made by SNK.

Then there's the question: if Sakurai was going to choose a character to represent KOF, why not Kyo, who originated from that series?

I think a case could legitimately be made for Mai, but... these arguments all have holes in them.

 

[TheGuv]

BTW, what is the deal with Dragalia Lost? It is a 1stparty IP or not at all? some people told me that it's owned by Cygames because Dragalia Lost is part of the Cygames multiverse or something like that, but i found this https://trademark.trademarkia.com/dragalia-lost-79258558.html , it says it's a trademark of nintendo, but if you do a quick search: https://trademarks.justia.com/876/55/dragalia-87655619.html here it says it's a cyames trademark so it's really confusing.

It's Dragalia Lost 1stparty or 3rdparty?

 

[Wunderwaft]

BTW, what is the deal with Dragalia Lost? It is a 1stparty IP or not at all? some people told me that it's owned by Cygames because Dragalia Lost is part of the Cygames multiverse or something like that, but i found this https://trademark.trademarkia.com/dragalia-lost-79258558.html , it says it's a trademark of nintendo, but if you do a quick search: https://trademarks.justia.com/876/55/dragalia-87655619.html here it says it's a cyames trademark so it's really confusing.

It's Dragalia Lost 1stparty or 3rdparty?

I think it's a mix of both. Kind of how like Pokemon's IP is shared with Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc.
Nintendo publishes the game and Dragalia Lost even had a collaboration event with Fire Emblem, so it's safe to treat it as a first party IP I guess.

 

[Godzillathewonderdog]

People say Terry, Terry, Terry, but SNK has never put Terry in over Mai in any guest appearance or crossover. Ever.

This is just flat out wrong. Terry is in both King of Fighters 12 and Fighter EX Layer while Mai is not.

She does seem to be really popular in several Asian countries, but Smash (and pretty much every Nintendo game) has always catered towards fans in Japan and the west specifically. I think there are better characters to appease Japanese and western characters with.

And I don’t think the comparison to Dragon Quest works very well. If you compare the combined worldwide sales of all the video games Mai made a playable appearance in to the combined sales of all main line Dragon Quest games in Japan alone, Dragon Quest still wins by a large margin. Despite being a popular character the games she appears in just don’t sell very well.

 

[Deleted member]

I mean... there are no rules explicitly saying a main character will always get in first, but in the entire history of Smash, that only happened once.

So yeah, it's not impossible. Doesn't mean it's likely though.

There's nothing telling of how likely it may or may not be. This is people's just warped perception, wanting to see patterns where they don't exist. Common sense is common sense. The most popular and iconic characters that translate well into a fighting game will be the first to get in out of that franchise.

In the case of Mai, she's the most popular character that SNK own, of course she'd be picked first.

Also "never picked Terry over Mai"? The SNK guest before Mai in DoA 6 was Terry in EX Layer. He was picked over other SNK characters. They could have chosen anyone, but they chose him. Terry is Mr. SNK and he still is their most iconic and well liked character in fan polls.

Mai Shiranui's sex appeal escalated her popularity in Japan and worldwide, while the character herself is regarded as a female icon of SNK.[22] Play Time claimed that "already a cult" of Mai had existed in Japan by 1994, two years after her debut.[331] According to Kotaku's Ashcraft writing in 2010, "Mai is one of the most popular and recognisable fighting game characters. Her image has been recreated in countless figurines and endless fan art."[332]

UGO Team commented in 2008, "the over-endowed, perpetually jiggling Mai has become not only a mascot for SNK's King of Fighters series, but also for the whole company. ... Mai is an unapologetic sex symbol ... While some decry Mai's ubiquitousness as pandering fan service, we're more than happy to pick up the yearly iterations of the King of Fighters franchise just to get fresh hands on this fetching fighter.[342] Destructoid's editor-in-chief Dale North named "Terry and Andy Bogard, and the ever-bouncy Mai Shiranui" as the most popular of all characters from the Fatal Fury series,[343] while China's Xinhua News Agency called Mai the most important female role in the history of SNK.[344]

Like it or not, Mai Shiranui is the most popular character from The King of Fighters. Yes, Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami are the ostensible mainstays, and Terry Bogard was the hero of the precursor Fatal Fury titles, but it's Mai that everyone remembers for one reason or another. And it's Mai who gets the most merchandise, Mai whose absence from The King of Fighters XII set off a fan chorus of "No Mai, no buy," and Mai who crosses over to other series.[341]

— Todd Ciolek, Anime News Network, 2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai_Shiranui#Cultural_impact

It's Mai, not Terry.

In fact, Dead or Alive is the only case, as far as I remember, of Mai being picked before Terry for a crossover game that isn't made by SNK.

Mai Shiranui has been furthermore featured as a usually playable guest character in many various games in mostly Asian markets, such as China-only dance game Dazzle Dance.[132] To celebrate the 15th anniversary of The King of Fighter in 2009, Mai joined a Chinese MMORPG Yuyan Online.[133] She was added as a player character to a Korean multiplayer beat 'em up Dungeon Fighter Online in 2010,[134] and also joined the character rosters of two more Korean video games: an action game Mad Blade (formerly Bladecraft)[135] and an endless runner Kal Kal Kal All Together in 2013.[136] Mai was featured as an avatar replacement model to promote the Japanese MMORPG Wizardry Online in 2014.[137][138]

Mai has been appearing making guest character appearances in especially many Asian games since 2014, when she was added to several Chinese games, including MOBAs 300 Heroes[139] and The King of Solider II,[140] an action RPG Ultimate Heroes,[141] beat 'em ups Fantasy Fighter[142] and King of Fate,[143] and an RTS Dragon Throne: Battle of Red Cliffs.[144] She was also featured as a variant of character class Kunoichi in Korean MMORPG Black Desert Online to promote it in Japan.[145][146][147] In 2016, Mai was licensed as a bonus hero to at that time most popular video game in the world: a MOBA Wangzhe Rongyao,[148][149] where she is a Mage class character[150] additionally starring in its official tie-in webcomic.[151] She was further included in collaboration events in Brave Frontier,[152] Game of Dice,[153] and Samurai Kingdom.[154]

In 2017, other collaboration events included a Mai avatar in an MMORPG Mabinogi Heroes,[155] as well as her various guest appearances in many mobile games, including Boku to Dragon,[156] Clash of Kings,[157] Crash Fever,[158] Crusaders Quest,[159] GangRoad JOKER,[160] Grand Summoners,[161] Everybody's Marble,[162] If World,[163] Last Senkan,[164] Rival Arena VS,[165] Saishu Senkan: With Lovely Girls,[166] Tower of Saviors,[167] Valkyrie Connect,[168] Venus Eleven Vivid!,[169] World Cross Saga,[170] and Yamato Chronicle.[171] By mid-2018, she has further appeared in more games such as HIT[172] and The Fellowship of The Dragon,[173] also joining Puzzle & Dragons in celebration of the game's fifth anniversary,[174] followed by Dungeon Hunter Champions,[175] Knives Out-Tokyo Royale,[176] Phantasy Star Online 2,[177] Tokyo Prison,[178] and more.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's way way WAY more. She's the most crossed over character of all time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai_Shiranui#Guest_and_cameo_appearances

You guys are thoroughly underestimating just how popular this character is in Korea and China.

Then there's the question: if Sakurai was going to choose a character to represent KOF, why not Kyo, who originated from that series?

Because Mai is SNK's mascot and the most popular character in the franchise.

 

[Guynamednelson]

Because Mai is SNK's mascot

Most porn=/=mascot.

 

[Deleted member]

This is just flat out wrong. Terry is in both King of Fighters 12 and Fighter EX Layer while Mai is not.

She does seem to be really popular in several Asian countries, but Smash (and pretty much every Nintendo game) has always catered towards fans in Japan and the west specifically. I think there are better characters to appease Japanese and western characters with.

And I don’t think the comparison to Dragon Quest works very well. If you compare the combined worldwide sales of all the video games Mai made a playable appearance in to the combined sales of all main line Dragon Quest games in Japan alone, Dragon Quest still wins by a large margin. Despite being a popular character the games she appears in just don’t sell very well.

DFO is the highest grossing single game of all time. Mai made an appearance as a guest there. Mai has made over a hundred different guest appearances in media and she's the most cosplayed character ever. Incredibly beloved in Asia, AND in Latin America.

Again, you're trying to perceive things from your own bubble, your own sphere of influence, but time again we've seen that what Asia and Japan in particular want, precede the West. Cloud, Ryu, Bayonetta, Yuusha, etc... all characters that no one here really wanted all that much, but were highly popular in Asia, and had a ton of demand no one was even aware of. Mai's significance as a gaming icon in Asia is NOT to be underestimated. She's ridiculously popular over here. Probably THE most popular classic videogame female in Asia.

Most porn=/=mascot.

Bro, don't bother to reply with stupid **** if you're not gonna do the research.

 

[3BitSaurus]

There's nothing telling of how likely it may or may not be. This is people's just warped perception, wanting to see patterns where they don't exist. Common sense is common sense. The most popular and iconic characters that translate well into a fighting game will be the first to get in out of that franchise.

True, but there's also no grounds to think she's the most viable option from SNK either. There are no grounds to prove with factual evidence that she would absolutely happen before anyone else. It's not like Pikachu, who is more iconic than Pokémon Trainer by miles. She has contenders for her position.

In the case of Mai, she's the most popular character that SNK own, of course she'd be picked first.

Mai Shiranui's sex appeal escalated her popularity in Japan and worldwide, while the character herself is regarded as a female icon of SNK.[22] Play Time claimed that "already a cult" of Mai had existed in Japan by 1994, two years after her debut.[331] According to Kotaku's Ashcraft writing in 2010, "Mai is one of the most popular and recognisable fighting game characters. Her image has been recreated in countless figurines and endless fan art."[332]

UGO Team commented in 2008, "the over-endowed, perpetually jiggling Mai has become not only a mascot for SNK's King of Fighters series, but also for the whole company. ... Mai is an unapologetic sex symbol ... While some decry Mai's ubiquitousness as pandering fan service, we're more than happy to pick up the yearly iterations of the King of Fighters franchise just to get fresh hands on this fetching fighter.[342] Destructoid's editor-in-chief Dale North named "Terry and Andy Bogard, and the ever-bouncy Mai Shiranui" as the most popular of all characters from the Fatal Fury series,[343] while China's Xinhua News Agency called Mai the most important female role in the history of SNK.[344]

Like it or not, Mai Shiranui is the most popular character from The King of Fighters. Yes, Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami are the ostensible mainstays, and Terry Bogard was the hero of the precursor Fatal Fury titles, but it's Mai that everyone remembers for one reason or another. And it's Mai who gets the most merchandise, Mai whose absence from The King of Fighters XII set off a fan chorus of "No Mai, no buy," and Mai who crosses over to other series.[341]

— Todd Ciolek, Anime News Network, 2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai_Shiranui#Cultural_impact

It's Mai, not Terry.

You guys are thoroughly underestimating just how popular this character is in Korea and China

Because Mai is SNK's mascot and the most popular character in the franchise.

Mai is not the most popular, nor is she SNK's absolute mascot. She is very popular, sure. But saying she is SNK's undisputed mascot or the most popular KOF character is just factually wrong. Here, a popularity poll from 2018:

Spoiler: Big Image

You responded to my post as if I was somehow dismissing her popularity or her iconic status as a whole. I never did that. But calling her "the most popular" and dismissing all other SNK characters is not a good Idea. If you look at the poll above, she's far below Terry in number of votes and not that distant from Kyo at all. Sure, she's still top 5, but I think you're dismissing other SNK characters way too early.

Mai Shiranui has been furthermore featured as a usually playable guest character in many various games in mostly Asian markets, such as China-only dance game Dazzle Dance.[132] To celebrate the 15th anniversary of The King of Fighter in 2009, Mai joined a Chinese MMORPG Yuyan Online.[133] She was added as a player character to a Korean multiplayer beat 'em up Dungeon Fighter Online in 2010,[134] and also joined the character rosters of two more Korean video games: an action game Mad Blade (formerly Bladecraft)[135] and an endless runner Kal Kal Kal All Together in 2013.[136] Mai was featured as an avatar replacement model to promote the Japanese MMORPG Wizardry Online in 2014.[137][138]

Mai has been appearing making guest character appearances in especially many Asian games since 2014, when she was added to several Chinese games, including MOBAs 300 Heroes[139] and The King of Solider II,[140] an action RPG Ultimate Heroes,[141] beat 'em ups Fantasy Fighter[142] and King of Fate,[143] and an RTS Dragon Throne: Battle of Red Cliffs.[144] She was also featured as a variant of character class Kunoichi in Korean MMORPG Black Desert Online to promote it in Japan.[145][146][147] In 2016, Mai was licensed as a bonus hero to at that time most popular video game in the world: a MOBA Wangzhe Rongyao,[148][149] where she is a Mage class character[150] additionally starring in its official tie-in webcomic.[151] She was further included in collaboration events in Brave Frontier,[152] Game of Dice,[153] and Samurai Kingdom.[154]

In 2017, other collaboration events included a Mai avatar in an MMORPG Mabinogi Heroes,[155] as well as her various guest appearances in many mobile games, including Boku to Dragon,[156] Clash of Kings,[157] Crash Fever,[158] Crusaders Quest,[159] GangRoad JOKER,[160] Grand Summoners,[161] Everybody's Marble,[162] If World,[163] Last Senkan,[164] Rival Arena VS,[165] Saishu Senkan: With Lovely Girls,[166] Tower of Saviors,[167] Valkyrie Connect,[168] Venus Eleven Vivid!,[169] World Cross Saga,[170] and Yamato Chronicle.[171] By mid-2018, she has further appeared in more games such as HIT[172] and The Fellowship of The Dragon,[173] also joining Puzzle & Dragons in celebration of the game's fifth anniversary,[174] followed by Dungeon Hunter Champions,[175] Knives Out-Tokyo Royale,[176] Phantasy Star Online 2,[177] Tokyo Prison,[178] and more.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's way way WAY more. She's the most crossed over character of all time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai_Shiranui#Guest_and_cameo_appearances

Sure. She has a lot of crossovers... but again, that doesn't exclude other SNK characters. Look at other recent fighting game crossovers. Terry is in EX Layer, not her. Iori is in Million Arthur Arcana Blood, not her. Sure, she has a lot to her name, but it doesn't mean she will absolutely be picked for every single one instead of other characters. Your original point was that "SNK never picked Terry over her". Which, again, is factually wrong.

My point is: Mai is a strong contender if a character from SNK is chosen, but there's nothing to my knowledge that makes her so much more likely than other SNK characters that they wouldn't even be considered at all. Especially not Terry, Kyo and Nakoruru (the latter of which is in a similar position as her, in fact).

 

[Nquoid]

Kotaku's Patricia Hernandez wrote "one of Fatal Fury 2's biggest contributions to the medium was that it was the first game to introduce a character with breasts that moved on their own ... though Fatal Fury may not be a huge franchise nowadays, its legacy is very much alive: many top fighting games include a similar jiggle effect."

Any interest that anyone could talk me into having for this character maybe being in Smash has instantly gone out of the window. At least Bayonetta doesn't have a section labelled "sex appeal" on her Wikipedia page.

 

[Guybrush20X6]

Oh lord, we're back at Pyra-shaming debates again. This being the same game with Bayo-freaking-netta. (Not to mention, Mythra was the one who got censored.)

I look at it this way, Terry was the original protagonist but Mai has been the most consistent character across all the SNK games and was the lead on a couple of female lead spin-offs whereas Terry has taken a back seat to new protagonists in the KOF series.

I'd prefer Athena Asymia myself but Mai is the most recognised of SNK's roster.

 

[Predictabo]

Because Mai is SNK's mascot and the most popular character in the franchise.

Mai is neither. SNK's mascots are Terry, Nakoruru and Kyo.

 

[Ornl]

Mai Shiranui is 19 years old. Kasumi 17. They are probably disqualified.
In some countries, the hyper-sexualization of minor female characters can create controversies that are heavy with influence. In addition, Bayonetta is the only female among the third-party licensing characters, and is already hyper-sexualized. With a hyper-sexy 2nd DLC, minor or not, it's the image of Nintendo that can be affected. I think that a character whose character has been more realistic during his or her evoution is more likely.

 

[Deleted member]

Any interest that anyone could talk me into having for this character maybe being in Smash has instantly gone out of the window. At least Bayonetta doesn't have a section labelled "sex appeal" on her Wikipedia page.

That's cool. I'm not trying to rally support for the character, I think we're well beyond that, and I've already gotten my most wanted. I'm making a prediction based on objective observation. Mai Shiranui is a character that's flown under everyone's radars, and a rather logical pick for Smash when you take a step back and look at the facts.

True, but there's also no grounds to think she's the most viable option from SNK either. There are no grounds to prove with factual evidence that she would absolutely happen before anyone else. It's not like Pikachu, who is more iconic than Pokémon Trainer by miles. She has contenders for her position.

Not quite, especially when you look at her popularity in China, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. With KoF being a massively influential cult hit in Hong Kong for example, that still remains to this day:

https://books.google.co.jp/books?id...nepage&q=mai shiranui popularity asia&f=false

She's also, once again the one that appears in all the crossovers, gets cosplayed the most (once again, being the most cosplayed character of all time, with cosplay contests dedicated to her look entirely), and moves the highest amount of merch out of anyone. She's also really popular with girls in Asia, being a fan favorite of not only cosplayers, but also female gamers.

I don't think there's a more quantifiable way of measuring a character's popularity than seeing which one moves the most merch. That one being Mai. Hell the fact that she's a regular pick for crossovers over any other SNK character should be proof enough:

Spoiler

Game Appearances

• Fatal Fury 2
• Fatal Fury Special
• The King of Fighters '94
• Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory
• The King of Fighters '95
• Real Bout Fatal Fury
• The King of Fighters '96
• Real Bout Fatal Fury Special: Dominated Mind
• Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
• The King of Fighters '97
• Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers
• The King of Fighters '98
• Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
• Fatal Fury: First Contact
• The King of Fighters R-1
• The King of Fighters R-2
• The King of Fighters '99
• SNK Gals' Fighters
• SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millenium
• Capcom vs. SNK
• The King of Fighters 2000
• The King of Fighters 2001
• Capcom vs. SNK 2
• The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood
• The King of Fighters 2002
• The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood
• SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom
• The King of Fighters 2003
• The King of Fighters Neowave
• KOF: Maximum Impact
• The King of Fighters XI - Hidden character, PS2 only
• The King of Fighters XIII
• Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
• KOF: Maximum Impact 2
• KOF: Maximum Impact Regulation A
• The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
• The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
• The King of Fighters: Kyo
• Quiz King of Fighters
• KOF Sky Stage
• Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting
• Queen's Gate: Spiral Chaos
• Garou Densetsu The Legend of Wild Wolf - Roulette character
• Garou Densetsu Special - Roulette character
• Garou Densetsu Sougeki
• Garou Densetsu Premium
• The King of Fighters (Pachinko) - Roulette character
• Maximum Impact - Roulette character
• CR The King of Fighters
• The King of Fighters XIV
• Dead or Alive 5 Last Round - DLC Guest Character
• SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy
• Dead or Alive 6 - DLC Guest Character

Mobile Appearances

• Garou Densetsu vs Fighter's History Dynamite
• Days of Memories (First, Fifth, Eighth, and Ninth game) - Non-playable
• Gungho Games - Character skin
• Neo Geo Tennis Coliseum
• The King of Fighters Mobile
• The King of Fighters Mobile R-2
• The King of Fighters Volleyball
• The King of Millionaire
• The King of Fighters Mahjong
• KOF Gals Mahjong
• SNK Beach Volley Gal's Attack
• SNK Gal's Open ~Cutey Shot~
• Moeyo! KOF Daiundokai
• SNK Gals Island Dokidoki Puzzle Shock!
• Moeyo! SNK Gals Osuin Katoukai
• SNK Gals Island Hanakaruta Oshietekudasai
• SNK Gals Island Dokidoki Puzzle Shock! 2
• SNK Gals Island Astro Quest Hoshi☆wa Nigashimasen!
• SNK Dream Battle
• SNK High School Collection
• KOF x Fatal Fury
• Dai Shingeki RPG! Sister Quest - collaboration event
• Wizardry Online
• King of Fate
• Cos大乱斗
• Metal Slug Defense (Unlockable)
• Brave Frontier - Collaboration event
• Game of Dice
• King of Glory - Guest Character
• Ultimate Heroes
• World Cross Saga
• Venus Eleven Vivid
• Crusaders Quest
• Tian Tian Xuan Dou
• YAMATO Chronicle
• If World
• Crash Fever
• Bokuto Dragon
• Valkyrie Connect
• Tower of Saviors
• Kimi wa Hero
• Puzzle & Dragons
• The King of Fighters Destiny
• The King of Fighters World
• Clash of Kings
• The King of Fighters All Star
• Tokyo Prison
• Returners
• The King of Fighters: Orochi Go
• Dungeon Hunter Champions
• Soul Warrior
• The King of Fighters M《格鬥天王M》
• Knives Out-Tokyo Royale

Cameo Appearances

• Art of Fighting 2 - In Eiji's ending in-text cameo (English version only)
• Samurai Shodown - Cameo in Genan's and Haohmaru's ending; name's the same but written as: "不知火麻衣"
• Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden (Neo-Geo CD version only)
• The King of Fighters XI - in the Fatal Fury's Team ending
• The King of Fighters XII - Cameo in Andy's profile story
• The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise
• The King of Fighters 2 - Cameo in Hawaii; also a very rare roulette character
• Garou: Mark of the Wolves - In Hokutomaru's stage, along with Andy
• Mabinogi Heroes - as an avatar
• Phantasy Star Online 2 - as a costume

Anime Appearances

• Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
• Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
• The King of Fighters: Another Day - 1st episode
• The King of Fighters: Destiny

Mai is not the most popular, nor is she SNK's absolute mascot. She is very popular, sure. But saying she is SNK's mascot or the most popular KOF character is just factually wrong. Here, a popularity poll from 2018:

Spoiler: Big Image

View attachment 229604

You're showing me a fan poll among SNK fans. Mai's popularity extends well beyond just SNK. It's why she gets crossed over the most. It's like taking a poll over the Smash community asking who the most popular character is, seing Fox at the top, and then assuming that Fox is more popular than Pikachu or Mario, despite the other two appearing in way more crossovers and moving way more merch.

It's hardly proof of anything m8.

Sure. She has a lot of crossovers... but again, that doesn't exclude other SNK characters. Look at other recent fighting game crossovers. Terry is in EX Layer, not her. Iori is in Million Arthur Arcana Blood, not her. Sure, she has a lot to her name, but it doesn't mean she will absolutely be picked for every single one instead of other characters. Your original point was that "SNK never picked Terry over her". Which, again, is factually wrong.

She has a ton of crossovers where she's the ONLY SNK character to show up. Multiple times. DFO, BDO, list goes on and aon and on... she's the msot crossed over character of all time, surpassing the likes of even Ryu.

My point is: Mai is a strong contender if a character from SNK is chosen, but there's nothing to my knowledge that makes her so much more likely than other SNK characters that they wouldn't even be considered at all. Especially not Terry, Kyo and Nakoruru (the latter of which is in a similar position as her, in fact).

That's cause you're viewing things exclusively from a western lens. You're not aware of just how popular Mai is in Asia, especially outside of Japan. That's why she keeps getting crossed over into Asian exclusive mobile games because she's THAT popular in this part of the world. And that's not even factoring in LatAm, which also lovs KoF more than any other fighting game franchise.

Mai is neither. SNK's mascots are Terry, Nakoruru and Kyo.

Please feel free to show me all the crossovers that they've made it into, and if they even come close to what Mai has achieved.

Mai Shiranui is 19 years old. Kasumi 17. They are probably disqualified.
In some countries, the hyper-sexualization of minor female characters can create controversies that are heavy with influence. In addition, Bayonetta is the only female among the third-party licensing characters, and is already hyper-sexualized. With a hyper-sexy 2nd DLC, minor or not, it's the image of Nintendo that can be affected. I think that a character whose character has been more realistic during his or her evoution is more likely.

This is such a dumb argument I'm hesitant to address it. Mai has already appeared in SNK Heroines on the Switch, and was advertised in a Nintendo Direct iirc. Second, aside from the fact that she's a FICTIONAL CHARACTER, 19 is considered an adult in pretty much every part of the world. I struggle to think what sort of backwards mind would think that sexualizing a 19 year old is immoral. FFS, AoC in most parts of the DEVELOPED world is 16, and that includes Japan itself.

Finally, how is this an issue, when Weekly Shounen Jump sees stuff like this in its pages on a regular basis? WSJ, which is constantly read by Elementary school kids in Japan. Japan has much less of an issue with sexuality than the backwards west, the argument against her on that basis holds very little weight, especially when the western version of her character can simply see, and likely would have her be a bit more covered up.

Spoiler: This is SHOUNEN Jump btw, not Young Jump.

I took this photo btw, I can easily go to the nearby 7Eleven right now, pick up a new issue of WSJ, and show you that this sort of stuff is common over here, and Japan has little to no reservation of showing ecchi and sexy stuff to teens and kids in media.

Edit: Sorry for the Double Post, forgot how slow this board was.

 

[3BitSaurus]

Not quite, especially when you look at her popularity in China, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. With KoF being a massively influential cult hit in Hong Kong for example, that still remains to this day:

https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=HQeRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=mai+shiranui+popularity+asia&source=bl&ots=EDJ_Wum31-&sig=ACfU3U3Y_7bsMoiPqYNyMOTEd61MkYMVXQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjZhaKwmZHjAhU3y4sBHcFYC-4Q6AEwDHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=mai shiranui popularity asia&f=false

She's also, once again the one that appears in all the crossovers, gets cosplayed the most (once again, being the most cosplayed character of all time, with cosplay contests dedicated to her look entirely), and moves the highest amount of merch out of anyone. She's also really popular with girls in Asia, being a fan favorite of not only cosplayers, but also female gamers.

I don't think there's a more quantifiable way of measuring a character's popularity than seeing which one moves the most merch. That one being Mai. Hell the fact that she's a regular pick for crossovers over any other SNK character should be proof enough:

Why is it "the best way", though? Sounds very selective to me. Again, I'm not denying her popularity, but I think you're pretty much treating her as if she's the only viable pick from SNK because of merchandise and her having the most guest appearances. Which is funny because a lot of the games you used as examples are China-only. That's like if westerners were treating Marth as a lock in Melee speculation because of FE's popularity in Japan at the time. Sure, it could happen, as it did in this example, but there is no guarantee. That's my point.

That's cause you're viewing things exclusively from a western lens. You're not aware of just how popular Mai is in Asia, especially outside of Japan. That's why she keeps getting crossed over into Asian exclusive mobile games because she's THAT popular in this part of the world. And that's not even factoring in LatAm, which also lovs KoF more than any other fighting game franchise.

Yeah, I know. I'm Brazilian. People love KOF over here. Even then, people might cosplay her, sell merch of her and whatnot, but if you ask people over here about SNK characters they'd like to see in other games, Mai is nowhere near being an unanimous answer. That's my whole point: Mai is possible, but there are a lot of other viable SNK choices and at least two or three characters as popular/more popular than her.

EDIT: Also, the "Smash fan poll" comparison really doesn't land. Comparing a poll done for a single game's fanbase to another one for all characters and demographics of a whole company is not the same thing. The fan poll is recent and should, by all means, be used as a popularity indicator.

 

[osby]

Mai Shiranui is 19 years old. Kasumi 17. They are probably disqualified.
In some countries, the hyper-sexualization of minor female characters can create controversies that are heavy with influence. In addition, Bayonetta is the only female among the third-party licensing characters, and is already hyper-sexualized. With a hyper-sexy 2nd DLC, minor or not, it's the image of Nintendo that can be affected. I think that a character whose character has been more realistic during his or her evoution is more likely.

I don't see an issue, they can just go for more conservative designs like they did with Corrin and Bayonetta. And none of the fighters we have are hyper-sexualized in Smash itself. I think people are overplaying how much Nintendo avoids being associated with mature content. Also there's no reason to consider Smash 4 DLC while picking characters for Ultimate.

I don't know what "realistic during evolution" means. Can you explain?

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Just wanna put it out there, but I think people are sleeping on Mai Shiranui:

Spoiler: Wasn't originally in a spoiler box but I don't want to bog down the page.

That's Mai Shiranui? The girl who lets it all hang out in her idle animation? That makes me think she's less likely now just because of how much they'd have to sensor her outfit.

 

[Deleted member]

Why is it "the best way", though? Sounds very selective to me. Again, I'm not denying her popularity, but I think you're pretty much treating her as if she's the only viable pick from SNK because of merchandise and her having the most guest appearances. Which is funny because a lot of the games you used as examples are China-only. That's like if westerners were treating Marth as a lock in Melee speculation because of FE's popularity in Japan at the time. Sure, it could happen, as it did in this example, but there is no guarantee. That's my point.

China though? A fresh gaming market, holding 1/6 of the world's population, a place where Smash actually, really isn't that popular, and where the number of people with a disposable income = the entire population of the US? That alone is reason enough to include a character like her. Her popularity in these parts of the world opens Smash to new people who might not have played it otherwise, with the added benefit that once again, Mai is a popular pick in her native country as well.

Yeah, I know. I'm Brazilian. People love KOF over here. Even then, people might cosplay her, sell merch of her and whatnot, but if you ask people over here about SNK characters they'd like to see in other games, Mai is nowhere near being an unanimous answer. That's my whole point: Mai is possible, but there are a lot of other viable SNK choices and at least two or three characters as popular/more popular than her.

That's because you're asking a small section of people who play KoF or play Smash. Once again, the character's popularty extends well beyond both those boundaries given her appearances in other media, and her overall popularity as a gaming icon purely on merch and cosplay alone. It's the same situation as when Smash fans would talk over which Final Fantasy character they wanted to see in Smash before Cloud got in. No one ever considered him, and it was even laughable to mention him. Everyone said Terra, or Black Mage, NO ONE said Cloud, but little did they realize just how popular and high in demand Cloud was in Asia. Square Enix's mascot character and most obvoious pick. Literally the same situation as Mai. Which is exactly why I'm bringing her up as a character that's flying under everyone's radars. Because just like Cloud, Ryu, and Yuusha, and so on... she's a character people are dismissing due to personal biad, despite being the most obvious objective choice for a character pick in Smash. She's more than iconic enough to deserve a spot on the roster.

EDIT: Also, the "Smash fan poll" comparison really doesn't land. Comparing a poll done for a single game's fanbase to another one for all characters and demographics of a whole company is not the same thing. The fan poll is recent and should, by all means, be used as a popularity indicator.

I'm sorry m8, but your poll holds very little weight considering it's got less that 1000 votes. This kanji right here 票 the ones you see next to the numbers, means "votes" with Terry who takes the number 1 spot only having 254 total. This was clearly distributed among only a very small section of hardcore SNK fans in Japan, probably a specific magazine. Hardly representative of the demographics that like Mai Shiranui as a character. Again, her popularity extends well beyond KoF and Final Fight, she's a gaming icon in her own right, and why I keep saying she's basically recognized as SNK's mascot. Because outside of the diehard SNK fandom, she's found significantly MORE popularity from people who don't play the KoF games, or from KoF fans in other parts of the world, most notably, once again, Korea, Hong Kong, China, and Vietnam. To answer your question of why merchandise moved is "the best way" is because that's something that's actually quantifiable, especially over a small poll that gathers less than 1000 votes. Again, the fact that Mai sees the most crossovers out of any other SNK character (and any other videogame cahracter really), speaks for itself on how popular she really is.

 

[Predictabo]

Please feel free to show me all the crossovers that they've made it into, and if they even come close to what Mai has achieved.

Irrelevant since number of crossovers doesn't denote a mascot and as far as SNK published material they consider those three characters their mascots
Terry and Nakoruru are the characters that named SNK's foundation for educational/social purposes
Terry and Nakoruru were the characters front and center of the "goodbye" picture released when SNK went bankrupt for the first time
Terry, Kyo, Kula and G-Mantle are the characters showcased in VIGAMUS, the video game museum of Rome
Aside from SNK Heroines, every other banner on the SNK official site has Kyo, Iori, Terry and Athena with no Mai in sight