Official Newcomer/DLC Speculation Discussion

[Michael the Spikester]

I always took Terry as someone Sakurai wanted and convinced Nintendo in adding him.

 

[SharkLord]

That is true. To be honest, it's kinda hard to say what Nintendo wants given the current character choices. Joker and Hero were likely chosen due to their popularity, as Persona 5 was the talk of the town at the time, and Dragon Quest is Dragon Quest, and Banjo & Kazooie were likely chosen because they wanted a character from Microsoft (so why not pick the one fans have been asking for for a while now), Terry gives me a big question mark, and while Byleth was a promotional character in the same vein as Corrin, Min Min doesn't seem to be since ARMS is 3 years old now, there's no evidence of an ARMS 2 (unless it's getting shadowdropped later, but that's too late to capitalize on anything), and all they did to try and push the game aside from Min Min was a short free trial.

Joker and Terry make me wonder how much influence Sakurai has, since they're pretty clearly characters he likes a lot. I believe he stated around Joker's release that Nintendo gave him a list of characters to choose? Still, Byleth and Hero were pretty heavy pushes, and Min Min was as well, to a lesser degree. I think Sakurai might have some wiggle room, but Nintendo has the final say and can push some characters that Sakurai didn't want or choose.

 

[Playstation Guy 1000]

I should of said this yesterday but tbh at this point I wouldn't be surprise if Nintendo shadowdrop more game announcements in the upcoming weeks/even days.

 

[osby]

I always took Terry as someone Sakurai wanted and convinced Nintendo in adding him.

That never felt like a realistic possibility to me.

Honestly people go "it's a Sakurai pick" about every third party they can't justify with huge sales numbers (except Banjo, who gets a pass for being a "fan favorite"). They said the same thing with Bayonetta and Joker, too.

Rather than all smaller third parties being personal favorites of Sakurai which he sneaked into the game, it would make more sense for recognize that certain franchises can have merits beyond "THE SAKURAI BIAS" even if Smash speculation doesn't care about their popularity, influence or history.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

I always thought it was entirely possible that Nintendo didn't mind, and perhaps even preferred a wide range of fighters for the DLC, even if individual ones may not have sold as well as more popular picks. They aren't really a company that necessarily goes for a maximized profit for every single piece of downloadable content from popular games (if that was the case Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe would be drowning in them). There might even be a marketing strategy in mind to highlight that there's characters from all sorts different games and periods in Smash.

 

[osby]

Joker and Terry make me wonder how much influence Sakurai has, since they're pretty clearly characters he likes a lot. I believe he stated around Joker's release that Nintendo gave him a list of characters to choose? Still, Byleth and Hero were pretty heavy pushes, and Min Min was as well, to a lesser degree. I think Sakurai might have some wiggle room, but Nintendo has the final say and can push some characters that Sakurai didn't want or choose.

It doesn't have to be as black-and-white as you're making up to be.

Sakurai can like characters that Nintendo chooses and Nintendo can pick characters that Sakurai is fond of. Fighters are picked for various reasons, after all.

 

[Michael the Spikester]

That never felt like a realistic possibility to me.

Honestly people go "it's a Sakurai pick" about every third party they can't justify with huge sales numbers (except Banjo, who gets a pass for being a "fan favorite"). They said the same thing with Bayonetta and Joker, too.

Rather than all smaller third parties being personal favorites of Sakurai which he sneaked into the game, it would make more sense for recognize that certain franchises can have merits beyond "THE SAKURAI BIAS" even if Smash speculation doesn't care about their popularity, influence or history.

I just assume this given how passionate he is of Fatal Fury and being the inspiration for Smash which is why it surprised me Terry hadn't gotten in sooner.

 

[Schnee117]

"Too new" really doesn't apply when over the years we've had a character from a game that wasn't even out at the time as well as several characters that were under 5 years old at the time of their inclusion, including Joker and Hero's default.

The age of a character or their franchise really doesn't matter. Splatoon and Undertale released in the same year, why is it "too soon" for Undertale but not Splatoon? Arms released two years after Undertale, is it still "too soon" for Undertale? It's not like Undertale has to "prove itself" either.

That never felt like a realistic possibility to me.

Honestly people go "it's a Sakurai pick" about every third party they can't justify with huge sales numbers (except Banjo, who gets a pass for being a "fan favorite"). They said the same thing with Bayonetta and Joker, too.

Rather than all smaller third parties being personal favorites of Sakurai which he sneaked into the game, it would make more sense for recognize that certain franchises can have merits beyond "THE SAKURAI BIAS" even if Smash speculation doesn't care about their popularity, influence or history.

It's like people forget that Nintendo are the reason Bayonetta 2 even exists and have had good relationships with Platinum making several exclusive titles for them, Atlus making several exclusive titles for them including an FE crossover and SNK constantly supporting the eShop and Virtual Console with their old games.

 

[CapitaineCrash]

I think Sakurai still had some choice because he mentionned that when he talked to Square about hero he was also open to Slime. Maybe Nintendo gave Sakurai some franchises and he chose characters based on that.

 

[Cosmic77]

Reimu could happen, but I think people are relying too much on her popularity in Japan alone.

Touhou isn't very well-known overseas, and while some might consider that an incentive for Nintendo to choose her, I sort of feel the opposite. Reimu would easily be the most obscure character added in Ultimate, and arguably the most obscure third-party in Smash so far. The push for promotion can get a lot of unexpected characters in Smash, but those characters have usually been from franchises that are either very new or have become somewhat well-known across the globe.

Personally, unless Reimu has Banjo levels of support in Japan, I think it'd be in Nintendo's best interest to focus on promoting the characters who have more ground covered outside Japan.

 

[Scoliosis Jones]

I feel like the quote from the Terry presentation is used in ways that suggest certain popular characters aren't going to get in over my most wanted because "it doesn't matter that people know them" when that's not the point of the comment.

The point is more, "If you're popular but not fun, why would I add you?". For example, while I think a Resident Evil character would be great, Sakurai may not have considered a potential concept "fun", and to be honest it might not be fun. Terry on the other hand, while not an "extremely popular character" is considered "fun". I'd even argue that the personality of the character also plays a role in this, because Terry has personality in abundance.

This allows wiggle room for who gets added. That said, it's a mascot crossover. The team is likely always looking for ways to excite the fans, but also bring new things into the series. To use that quote to suggest for example that popular characters like Dante or Crash won't get in just because they're popular, but Reimu or somebody would, I think is again, selective in nature and defeats itself. Would Dante be fun? Probably, his game is based on beating things up and it would translate easily to Smash. Would Crash be fun? Probably, he's another wacky wahoo cereal mascot with silly things to bring in. That's all you need to know at that point. Would Reimu be fun? I don't know much about her, but it would probably depend on the gameplay from Touhou itself.

It's probably going to be seen as conjecture with me labeling two of my most wanted picks as "fun", but this is for the sake of argument with the quote in question. That quote is usually taken out of context and misinterpreted, and really I think it was actually a dig at the Smash fanbase in a way. Not to say Sakurai dislikes the Smash fanbase, but let's face the facts: Many characters get met with "literally who" when they aren't really a "literal who" outside of the Smash fanbase, and when that happens it's not based on gameplay. I don't mean this as a dig toward Smash fans, but Smash fans have an extreme bias in knowledge toward Nintendo/Nintendo-related series to an extent, but an apparent lack of knowledge outside of that spectrum. Ironically, this line gets used to argue that certain characters can't get in, which I think was the point Sakurai was making:

Popularity is a factor, but not the only factor in selecting character that people will eventually play as. The picks have to look fun to the consumer, mainly because these are selling outside of the main product. People are spending $5 on each pack, so there's gotta be something compelling, and fun looking, about them.

 

[CapitaineCrash]

I just assume this given how passionate he is of Fatal Fury and being the inspiration for Smash which is why it surprised me Terry hadn't gotten in sooner.

I don't see how Terry could have been in Smash before that. Brawl only had 2 third party and Smash 4 had more third party, but they wanted Ryu first to represent the versus fighting genre.

 

[Michael the Spikester]

If anything I see Reimu bring a Mii costume at most.

If Shovel Knight at most only made it as an assist who is massively popular I just don't see any Indie reps making the roster.

I don't see how Terry could have been in Smash before that. Brawl only had 2 third party and Smash 4 had more third party, but they wanted Ryu first to represent the versus fighting genre.

Fair point.

 

[zumaddy]

At this point while I'd like my most wanteds, I think I'd actually take someone I don't know well with a fun and non-annoying to fight moveset over anything else.

 

[Shinuto]

I feel like the quote from the Terry presentation is used in ways that suggest certain popular characters aren't going to get in over my most wanted because "it doesn't matter that people know them" when that's not the point of the comment.

The point is more, "If you're popular but not fun, why would I add you?". For example, while I think a Resident Evil character would be great, Sakurai may not have considered a potential concept "fun", and to be honest it might not be fun. Terry on the other hand, while not an "extremely popular character" is considered "fun". I'd even argue that the personality of the character also plays a role in this, because Terry has personality in abundance.

This allows wiggle room for who gets added. That said, it's a mascot crossover. The team is likely always looking for ways to excite the fans, but also bring new things into the series. To use that quote to suggest for example that popular characters like Dante or Crash won't get in just because they're popular, but Reimu or somebody would, I think is again, selective in nature and defeats itself. Would Dante be fun? Probably, his game is based on beating things up and it would translate easily to Smash. Would Crash be fun? Probably, he's another wacky wahoo cereal mascot with silly things to bring in. That's all you need to know at that point. Would Reimu be fun? I don't know much about her, but it would probably depend on the gameplay from Touhou itself.

It's probably going to be seen as conjecture with me labeling two of my most wanted picks as "fun", but this is for the sake of argument with the quote in question. That quote is usually taken out of context and misinterpreted, and really I think it was actually a dig at the Smash fanbase in a way. Not to say Sakurai dislikes the Smash fanbase, but let's face the facts: Many characters get met with "literally who" when they aren't really a "literal who" outside of the Smash fanbase, and when that happens it's not based on gameplay. I don't mean this as a dig toward Smash fans, but Smash fans have an extreme bias in knowledge toward Nintendo/Nintendo-related series to an extent, but an apparent lack of knowledge outside of that spectrum. Ironically, this line gets used to argue that certain characters can't get in, which I think was the point Sakurai was making:

Popularity is a factor, but not the only factor in selecting character that people will eventually play as. The picks have to look fun to the consumer, mainly because these are selling outside of the main product. People are spending $5 on each pack, so there's gotta be something compelling, and fun looking, about them.

This is why I think Bandanna Dee can never be in this pass, cause outside of fans of him, he just does not look fun to play. he's shortlimbed, short borb with a long pointy stick...thats it.

 

[Cosmic77]

This is why I think Bandanna Dee can never be in this pass, cause outside of fans of him, he just does not look fun to play. he's shortlimbed, short borb with a long pointy stick...thats it.

"Doesn't look fun to play" is subjective.

One man's trash is another man's treasure, and clearly quite a few people consider BWD to be a treasure.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

This is why I think Bandanna Dee can never be in this pass, cause outside of fans of him, he just does not look fun to play. he's shortlimbed, short borb with a long pointy stick...thats it.

Well I'll have you know that the Spear ability (Bandana Waddle Dee's base moveset) is one of the most fun abilities in the Kirby series. Besides, basic != not fun.

 

[Shinuto]

"Doesn't look fun to play" is subjective.

One man's trash is another man's treasure, and clearly quite a few people consider BWD to be a treasure.

Why though..every other Kirby chracter has more to them then "spear user"

Adeleine is a paintbrush user/summoner
Dark Matter is dark energy swordsman that is actually an abomination
Marx is a psycho cosmic jester.
What about BWD makes him more interesting?

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Plus Smash is filled with characters that don't necessarily look like they'd be great to play that ended up with fun movesets.

Pac-Man's a joy to play as, I don't think I would have thought that back in 2013.

 

[PLANTMAN]

"Doesn't look fun to play" is subjective.

One man's trash is another man's treasure, and clearly quite a few people consider BWD to be a treasure.

And as mr krabs says, all trash is treasure

 

[CapitaineCrash]

To be fair "fun" is very subjective. Some people are saying that Banjo isn't fun, others like him that way. Some people think that Joker's gauge is fun, others don't. I think that every fighter have the potential to be fun if done correctly. I agree that Bandana waddle dee don't really appeal to me, but I'm sure others thinks he would be fun.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Really, the entire concept of being fun to play is useless for speculation. Anything can be fun to play if it's designed well enough.

Why though..every other Kirby chracter has more to them then "spear user"

Adeleine is a paintbrush user/summoner
Dark Matter is dark energy swordsman that is actually an abomination
Marx is a psycho cosmic jester.
What about BWD makes him more interesting?

It's probably just "he cute" + fun Copy Ability + lots of exposure = resonates with people more than most of the other older and/or one-off characters (excluding their appearance in Kirby Star Allies).

There's also the fact that the Waddle Dee as a species is pretty iconic for the Kirby series much like Toads in the Super Mario series. Adding their notable member just makes sense.

 

[SharkLord]

Why though..every other Kirby chracter has more to them then "spear user"

Adeleine is a paintbrush user/summoner
Dark Matter is dark energy swordsman that is actually an abomination
Marx is a psycho cosmic jester.
What about BWD makes him more interesting?

He doesn't need to be subjectively more interesting, he just has to be fun. He's a spear user, and a small fighter who doesn't have pitiful range for once. That's pretty unique on it's own.
If "fun" was the sole basis, why do we have some boring, gimmickless bear with a bird club over a blockman with a massive supply of mechanics and tools? Why do we have some street dude over a girl with ice powers, a priestess with a bird, or a wrestler in a dinosaur suit? Why was some ramen girl chosen over blobman, or the girl with a mech, or Aztec STAR PLATINUM with spirits?
Honestly, the "fun" thing is taken as a "I don't like this fighting style so it's deconfirmed" way too often. Everyone's so hyperfocused on gimmicks that they forget about Banjo and Byleth.

 

[waddledeeonredyoshi]

This is why I think Bandanna Dee can never be in this pass, cause outside of fans of him, he just does not look fun to play. he's shortlimbed, short borb with a long pointy stick...thats it.

I get that this is another "Dee boring" post but I do hope people don't legitimately think that being round with stubby arms is something that severely limits a character's moveset potential.

 

[SKX31]

That is true. To be honest, it's kinda hard to say what Nintendo wants given the current character choices. Joker and Hero were likely chosen due to their popularity, as Persona 5 was the talk of the town at the time, and Dragon Quest is Dragon Quest, and Banjo & Kazooie were likely chosen because they wanted a character from Microsoft (so why not pick the one fans have been asking for for a while now), Terry gives me a big question mark, and while Byleth was a promotional character in the same vein as Corrin, Min Min doesn't seem to be since ARMS is 3 years old now, there's no evidence of an ARMS 2 (unless it's getting shadowdropped later, but that's too late to capitalize on anything), and all they did to try and push the game aside from Min Min was a short free trial.

It's also worth pointing out that Terry (or at least his home series - series in plural) is relatively popular / considered a classic in regions not often considered. Namely Japan, LatAm and China. FF / KOF might not have the pure sales numbers (SNK machines were commonly pirated - that's not explaining it entirely, but it's a major factor) - but when SNK was bought out in 2015 the new owner explicitedly mentioned KOF as a main reason. KOF 97 especially - that one took off in China, just as the entries around that time were very popular in Latin America.

Now Terry is very much connected to Smash's infancy, and that's probably the bigger reason why he's in. But it's worth taking into account: there's a "Latinos react to Terry" video just as there are "Japanese react to Hero / Terry" videos - and SNK's new owner (primarily 37 Games) is Chinese.

Plus Smash is filled with characters that don't necessarily look like they'd be great to play that ended up with fun movesets.

Pac-Man's a joy to play as, I don't think I would have thought that back in 2013.

Agreed - personally my only gripe with his moveset is that Hydrant is a bit too central to his playstyle (what with it giving a lot of space for Pac-Man to charge Bonus Fruit, control space etc.) but it's not a deal-breaker. He's a fun mind-games character overall.

 

[Shinuto]

I get that this is another "Dee boring" post but I do hope people don't legitimately think that being round with stubby arms is something that severely limits a character's moveset potential.

It doesnt but it makes him boring relative to OTHER KIRBY PICKS.

 

[Professor Pumpkaboo]

you know who would be really fun to play in smash? Don-Chan

no I wont shut up about him

 

[Arcane Jill]

*Looks at thread*
Didn't expect this big of an updraft from this subject. I don't think being new means you are out, just that execs are going to be more comfortable signing off on an IP if it is directly under the big N's control or if it shows it has staying power.
On the subject of BND, I honestly want Marx or Magalor more, but I feel "he doesn't seem to have moveset potential" to be a poor reason to count him out. If Sakurai feels he needs a bit more, he can give him other tools from the Kirby universe to give him more spice, like how Simon got moves from other protags and byleth got the 3 house leader's relics. Even without doing that, I feel some people are selling the Dee short on what he can do.

 

[Evil Trapezium]

Why though..every other Kirby chracter has more to them then "spear user"

Adeleine is a paintbrush user/summoner
Dark Matter is dark energy swordsman that is actually an abomination
Marx is a psycho cosmic jester.
What about BWD makes him more interesting?

It's because he's been the official player 4 of the Kirby series since Kirby's Return to Dreamland. That's what really influences his popularity over other characters in the series. It's kind of the same deal with Waluigi with him being the fourth "Mario brother". People just like to have a complete set and I can't really blame them.

 

[BernkastelWitch]

I saw Reimu get brought up as well as possible decision making on the DLC roster. I personally feel like Sakurai has been trying to diversify the rosters DLCs to attract even more people and to represent various parts of gaming. There's various genres, regions, and companies that many people would love to have in the game and obviously not all of them can make it. He and Nintendo are aware of the most wanted characters but I wouldn't be surprised if they withhold from dropping too many of the most requested, big names in to either make them feel special or if there is a new Smash game and want a big name to sell the new game.

Reimu wasn't taken very seriously as a pick until Ultimate when people realized she is still a possibility. Even though other indies like Shovel Knight, Sans, and Shantae are more known to the English speaking world, what Reimu has is legacy and age. I can't think of many Indie series that started in the 90's and continued to this day. Obviously she'd be a Japanese catered pick but given how Smash is, it can be a trojan horse to open the series up to a wider audience.

Dragon Quest had big Western sales when Hero came out, there is huge interest for Persona to be on Switch since Joker debut, and there's been a lot of talk on SNKs own games post-Terry. While a big name will make the roster feel more "Complete" and be huge fanservice, giving some love to the lesser requested or more niche characters can benefit people due to the big boost when they get introduced.

This is why I firmly believe we may get a Reimu, Ryza, Monokuma, Arle, etc etc pick in this pass: Someone who is like Terry that they may have a legacy, whether by the company they're in or their game but is either not known outside of the hardcore gaming crowd or more popular in a specific region. And honestly, it helps widen and diversify the roster than if we went with "Oh it's just gonna be Sora, Geno, Doom Guy, Crash Hayabusa, etc and that's it".


I do believe we will get one or two Niche picks and maybe one hugely requested character in the pass.

 

[cashregister9]

It is true that a lot of people want certain characters because they fill out a checklist and that is the only reason they want that character. But there are people who want those characters for more reasons than just "They have a spear" or "They have grass based moves".

 

[Goombaic]

Why though..every other Kirby chracter has more to them then "spear user"

Adeleine is a paintbrush user/summoner
Dark Matter is dark energy swordsman that is actually an abomination
Marx is a psycho cosmic jester.
What about BWD makes him more interesting?

Maybe being a spear user is just that much more interesting and enough for plenty of people to want him over those other characters? Besides, you're really downplaying Bandana Dee by calling him just a spear user. It'd be like if I said "Adeleine is just a painter, what's there to like about her over every other Kirby character?" You also are saying "spear user" as if there's already a plethora of spear users in the roster that Bandana Dee would struggle to differentiate himself from, which there aren't.

 

[SharkLord]

It's because he's been the official player 4 of the Kirby series since Kirby's Return to Dreamland. That's what really influences his popularity over other characters in the series. It's kind of the same deal with Waluigi with him being the fourth "Mario brother". People just like to have a complete set and I can't really blame them.

Kirby is a series where there is 100% completion. I need the complete set, no way around it.
But yeah, it's also partially because he's the most prominent character of the modern games, so he's the most likely character from Kirby. The fact that he's got more popularity by a large margin helps. It also doesn't hurt that I've come to like his underdog, "I wanna be great like my friends" position.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

As var as Bandanna Waddle Dee vs. the other Dream Friends goes, my preferred pick is Bandanna Waddle Dee. In terms of importance to the series, Dark Matter is the only character that can even touch him (and Dark Matter isn't even a Dream Friend unless Gooey counts), along with Archer, Water, and Copy (because the fact that this Copy Ability exists is hilarious to me), Spear is one of my favorite Copy Abilities, the idea of a character that uses the best qualities of the Spear (long range pokes), Beam (AoE), and Parasol (defense) sounds really cool to me, and he's just generally the Kirby character that resonates with me the most (and that's a pretty big achievement considering he's competing with a cool mouse dude and the cutest hamster I've ever seen).

I do acknowledge that other characters would bring more unique ideas to the table. For example, Adeline & Ribbon would probably be a cool trap character that isn't also a zoner like Snake or a...whatever Bowser Jr. is supposed to be, and Marx would be absolutely bonkers. Daroach could have some cool abilities using the Squeak Squad as well, and Rick & Kine & Coo could have some cool moves too. Even so, I wouldn't pick any of them over Bandanna Waddle Dee. At most, I'd pick Bandanna Waddle Dee, and someone else, which I personally think would be justifiable.

 

[Shinuto]

Kirby is a series where there is 100% completion. I need the complete set, no way around it.
But yeah, it's also partially because he's the most prominent character of the modern games, so he's the most likely character from Kirby. The fact that he's got more popularity by a large margin helps. It also doesn't hurt that I've come to like his underdog, "I wanna be great like my friends" position.

I hate him cause he's propped up on a pedstal by the Kirby staff without him having done anything to earn it. He's just there.

 

[SharkLord]

I hate him cause he's propped up on a pedstal by the Kirby staff without him having done anything to earn it. He's just there.

According to Kumazaki, he was added because they wanted a character who was recognizable. Waddle Dees are pretty much the closest we've got to a fourth pillar of the series, therefore a representative of the Waddle Dees should be added. I know there was the interview floating around back when we rated him; Can someone bring that up?
Anyways, bottom line: Kumazaki likes Waddle Dees, and you can't really blame him for it. Just look at the little guys.

What's not to like?

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Alright guys, I've found the definitive argument for Bandana Waddle Dee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-pVzmYOzpQ
Ok maybe not, but I love this video anyway.

I hate him cause he's propped up on a pedstal by the Kirby staff without him having done anything to earn it. He's just there.

He's a bit more than just there.

• He started out as just a recognizable Waddle Dee for a minigame, but then became a joke boss, and got a speaking role in Kirby Super Star Ultra.
• He's a secondary protagonist in Kirby's Return to Dreamland and hasn't really skipped a game since which is rare for any character that isn't Kirby, Meta Knight, or King Dedede.
  • And to be honest, he's only a secondary protagonist because player 1 can't not be Kirby for whatever reason. The story itself treats the characters equally.
  • Also, I think King Dedede and Meta Knight have skipped Kirby: Planet Robobot (unless you count Dedede Clones) and Kirby Triple Deluxe respectively, which would mean he has a better track record than those two.
• He's got a support role in Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kriby: Planet Robobot.
• He's the multiplayer character of Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
• He's the first character you speak to in Team Kirby Clash Deluxe and Super Kirby Clash.
• He's got a prominent role in Kirby Battle Royale's story.
• He's the only Dream Friend that doesn't need to be unlocked, and he, Meta Knight and King Dedede, were the only Dream Friends available at the launch of Kirby Star Allies.

Granted, he is a bit more of a mascot, but he does generally contribute to the games that he's in.

 

[Scoliosis Jones]

My issue with Bandanna Waddle Dee has never been appearances or what not. It's just the simple fact that the gameplay ideas folks suggest just aren't that interesting.

Whenever there's a concept of what I call "the kitchen sink", as in, throwing together a bunch of different references, it loses me a bit. I've played a number of Kirby games with the guy in it, but beyond poking with his spear, throwing the spear, and using the spear like a helicopter, everything else involved that fans suggest turns into throwing things together haphazardly.

 

[SharkLord]

https://www.ndw.jp/kirby_02/
Here's the interview I was talking about. Aside from being a representative of the Waddle Dees, he was also going to have his own Extra Mode, but that got expanded to everyone because of Star Allies being an anniversary title. I think that's at least a good indicator of how the staff feel about him.

 

[Shinuto]

According to Kumazaki, he was added because they wanted a character who was recognizable. Waddle Dees are pretty much the closest we've got to a fourth pillar of the series, therefore a representative of the Waddle Dees should be added. I know there was the interview floating around back when we rated him; Can someone bring that up?
Anyways, bottom line: Kumazaki likes Waddle Dees, and you can't really blame him for it. Just look at the little guys.

What's not to like?

He's blank stupid ball with no mouth.