Official Newcomer/DLC Speculation Discussion

[TheYungLink]

Just a reminder that Banjo-Kazooie's prototype, Project Dream, was originally going to be an RPG with a sword weilding protagonist. Therefore, Banjo is a generic anime swordfighter and the fighters pass has been nothing but weeb crap

Reminds me of my favorite concept art from that stage in development:

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

I haven't explored Joker's content yet but isn't most of it purely Persona 5?

It's persona 5, but with some songs and stage skins from Persona 3 & 4, and a song from another Persona game.

 

[OrpheusTelos]

Nothing wrong with that!

Just had an idea actually, which potential newcomers (from series with multiple stars and protagonists) do you want to see represent their entire series with its content rather than just their game? I haven't explored Joker's content yet but isn't most of it purely Persona 5?

If we do get Dovahkiin/Dragonborn (which I really hope), then it'd be cool to get some Morrowind and Oblivion content alongside him. Plenty of ideas for spirits but a Delfino Plaza-style Imperial City stage would be legendary.

There's actually a few tracks from P4 and P3 and Mii Costumes from those games. Mementos' whole gimmick is that it changes color depending on which game the song is from, so I'd say those two games are represented decently despite P5 being the focus. P1 and P2 are unfortunately unrepresented because not even Atlus remembers them

 

[Al-kīmiyā']

I count a character's being playable in a fighting game against that character's inclusion in Smash, because I mainly want characters in Smash so that I can play as them in a way that I couldn't before (e.g., competitively). An exception to this is if the fighting game(s) in which that character was playable is really bad or played by almost no one.

 

[Deathcarter]

I have absolutely no problem with more "anime" newcomers but **** only like 7/20 of them don't fall into the standard late teen male hero archetype so I get the animosity. I'm honestly still miffed that made PoR Ike the default because god forbid they don't go out of there way to make the aesthetic problems with the FE lords worse.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Just had an idea actually, which potential newcomers (from series with multiple stars and protagonists) do you want to see represent their entire series with its content rather than just their game?

They're not going to add Amaterasu...But if they did I'd love to see Chibiterasu and all of his friends make an appearance somewhere as well. It'd be so cute. Maybe her Final Smash could have her team up with Chibiterasu and Shiranui for an epic ancestral beatdown.

I count a character's being playable in a fighting game against that character's inclusion in Smash, because I mainly want characters in Smash so that I can play as them in a way that I couldn't before (e.g., competitively). An exception to this is if the fighting game(s) in which that character was playable is really bad or played by almost no one.

Does this include characters that are from a fighting game?

 

[KillerCage]

The theory is so close to being 100% deconfirmed, and its only semantics that keeps it from being dead.

Although they didn't test "Hero", and Nintendo named Erdrick: "Arusu" ... I would think they would've tested Luminary at least once. In addition, I don't see why they WOULDN'T have associated the name Erdrick the the DLC pack since that's a common name for him.

They DID try "Luminary" and "Erdrick" and neither of them triggered the ad. You need to input a very specific name to get the Fighters' Pass ad. We know this because neither Doomguy nor Doom Marine brought up the ad, but "Doom Slayer" succeeded. I don't think "Arusu" would have worked since that is the name of the costume, not the character.

 

[Predictabo]

It's persona 5, but with some songs and stage skins from Persona 3 & 4, and a song from another Persona game.

Too bad it didn't branch into other Atlus games because Let's Go! Onmyoji is one of the most entertaining tracks in gaming.

 

[Al-kīmiyā']

Does this include characters that are from a fighting game?

... Yes?

 

[KillerCage]

The theory is so close to being 100% deconfirmed, and its only semantics that keeps it from being dead.

Although they didn't test "Hero", and Nintendo named Erdrick: "Arusu" ... I would think they would've tested Luminary at least once. In addition, I don't see why they WOULDN'T have associated the name Erdrick the the DLC pack since that's a common name for him.

They DID try "Luminary" and "Erdrick" and neither of them triggered the ad. You need to input a very specific name to get the Fighters' Pass ad. We know this because neither Doomguy nor Doom Marine brought up the ad, but "Doom Slayer" succeeded. I don't think "Arusu" would have worked since that is the name of the costume, not the character.

I believe Google Theory could be right if Artorias was removed. I'll be generous and say that the theory has a 20% to 30% chance of being true, but I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out false.

EDIT: SORRY! Submitting got wonky on my end.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Too bad it didn't branch into other Atlus games because Let's Go! Onmyoji is one of the most entertaining tracks in gaming.

Spoiler: Media

Did I just watch a demon summoning?

I suppose that would be fitting considering what Onmyoji do.

Also,
Lyrics: EEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA
Character: *Multiple lip flaps*

 

[Predictabo]

Did I just watch a demon summoning?

I suppose that would be fitting considering what Onmyoji do.

Also,
Lyrics: EEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA
Character: *Multiple lip flaps*

The lyrics are about the channeller/onmyoji that wards evil spirits, it's just so bizarre and catchy. And what it does have in common with SMT/Persona? Power Instinct has cameos in several Persona games and in turn the boss of Groove on Fight, Bristol-D, is a devil summoner that uses several SMT creatures to fight.

 

[Luc178]

All i ask for Is the Knight from Hollow Knight and another Xenoblade Rep, Having fingers crossed for Elma from Xenoblade X

 

[perfectchaos83]

It's persona 5, but with some songs and stage skins from Persona 3 & 4, and a song from another Persona game.

Eh, to call it a song from another Persona game is disingenuous. While Aria of the Soul did originate from the 1st Persona game it is a theme that has been in every Persona game being the theme of the Velvet Room, a constant and thematic setting for each game.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Eh, to call it a song from another Persona game is disingenuous. While Aria of the Soul did originate from the 1st Persona game it is a theme that has been in every Persona game being the theme of the Velvet Room, a constant and thematic setting for each game.

I didn't remember what game it was said to be from, I just knew it wasn't from Persona 3, 4, or 5.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

I didn't remember what game it was said to be from, I just knew it wasn't from Persona 3, 4, or 5.

But it’s still featured prominently in those games. It’s like how the Pokemon Main Theme technically originated from Red/Blue or the Zelda Main Theme originates from the NES one but both are still listed/considered as the general theme for their series.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

But it’s still featured prominently in those games. It’s like how the Pokemon Main Theme technically originated from Red/Blue but it’s listed as a general theme for the series.

I meant it wasn't classified as being from said games in Smash.

 

[YezenIRl]

Re: Lloyd, I think the whole "anime sword guy" argument is consistently abused from both sides. It's unfair to reduce characters to "anime sword guy," because we don't want them, but it's also unfair to pretend that being an "anime sword guy " s irrelevant.

As someone that was always very pro-Hero (I was also always an advocate for him to have multiple hero's as alts), I thought that when people used the "anime sword guy" argument against him it was always ridiculous. Not only because Hero isn't exclusively a sword user, and not only because the artstyle of Akira Toriyama is legendary and brings it's own unique flavor in contrast to other anime, but because Hero was the original JRPG anime sword guy. Though it doesn't have big popularity in the west, DQ is a legendary JRPG series and having it represented in Smash feels like a big deal, so the "anime swordsman" argument always felt trivial next to that.

But then people take that argument and apply it too far. It becomes "see, Hero got in, so my anime sword guy can get in too. Why not have the rest of the fighter pass be FE characters? Sakurai can make them unique!" I realize I'm being hyperblic, but whether that character in question is Lloyd, or Edelgard or Byleth or whoever, it's like people are trivializing the argument to an extreme.

To me, Hero being added to the fighter pass was always a no brainer. The only reason people had to doubt him or challenge him was only ever feasibility and the competition he had with other big name SE characters (Geno, Sora, Lara Croft). But not only can I not say the same for someone like Lloyd Irving, there is also the legitimate issue of the fighter pass needing to have variety. With the entire scope of gaming to choose from, are we really expecting to have three JRPG anime guys in the fighter pass? Is Lloyd Irving from Tales of Symphonia really popular enough to warrant that? I mean, imagine if the next two fighters were Jin Kazama and then Kyo Kusanagi. Would that really make sense just because one is a 3d fighter and the other is a 2d fighter?

Heck, I even think Crash is probably out of the running due to how similar he is to Banjo.

Anything can happen when it comes to Sakurai, but one reason characters like Jill Valentine, Doomguy, and Phoenix Wright make so much sense is that they are iconic characters who represent corners of the gaming world not particularly saturated in Smash.

 

[GoodGrief741]

I mean, imagine if the next two fighters were Jin Kazama and then Kyo Kusanagi. Would that really make sense because one is a 3d fighter and the other is a 2d fighter?

... Yeah.

 

[YezenIRl]

... Yeah.

Maybe for you it would (even though it's Smash, so they're both 2.5d now). But I'm sure you can see how a lot of people would prefer more variety than that.

 

[GoodGrief741]

Maybe for you it would (even though it's Smash, so they're both 2.5d now). But I'm sure you can see how a lot of people would prefer more variety than that.

I get why people would want more variety in theory, however in practice I don't think there would be much overlap between the two so people complaining about lack of variety would be a vocal minority at best.

 

[Idon]

Maybe for you it would (even though it's Smash, so they're both 2.5d now). But I'm sure you can see how a lot of people would prefer more variety than that.

Well we already have 2 JRPG characters, 2 fighting game characters isn't too far out of left field if it was the case.

 

[CosmicQuark]

You know what we should discuss right now? Literally anything apart from whether the content of mature rated video games should preclude them from being in Smash.

So let's try this. Nintendo announces 2 more passes, one for 5 more 1st party characters and one for 5 echoes. What are your dream picks?

(feel free to make up who the last two pass fighters will be if you want to echoes of them)

I really can’t think of any good echoes, since judging by the echoes we got in Ultimate, the criteria is awfully limited. And it affects my first party choices too. So, assuming everybody that could be seen as an echo can be an echo...

First Party
1. Isaac
2. Bandana Dee
3. Wonder Red
4. Mach Rider
5. Chibi Robo

Echoes:
1. Shadow (Sonic)
2. Zack (Cloud)
3. Dixie (Diddy)
4. Impa (Sheik)
5. Octoling (Inkling)

... tho I’d prefer Dixie to be unique (as much as Isabelle is, anyways), it’s hard to think of workable echoes, that also make sense to the general public and myself.

EDIT:

We're still talking about Google Theory? Thought that was dead dead. Artorias, Doom, and Ryu can't all get in, and I can't see any reason to arbitrarily dismiss a character to make it fit with the remaining slots. I thought it had a low chance of being true back then, and I feel like it's pretty much deconfirmed at this point. Can't say 100%, as I can't be absolutely sure about anything, but pretty close.

 

[Ben Holt]

I really can’t think of any good echoes, since judging by the echoes we got in Ultimate, the criteria is awfully limited. And it affects my first party choices too. So, assuming everybody that could be seen as an echo can be an echo...

First Party
1. Isaac
2. Bandana Dee
3. Wonder Red
4. Mach Rider
5. Chibi Robo

Echoes:
1. Shadow (Sonic)
2. Zack (Cloud)
3. Dixie (Diddy)
4. Impa (Sheik)
5. Octoling (Inkling)

... tho I’d prefer Dixie to be unique (as much as Isabelle is, anyways), it’s hard to think of workable echoes, that also make sense to the general public and myself.

EDIT:

We're still talking about Google Theory? Thought that was dead dead. Artorias, Doom, and Ryu can't all get in, and I can't see any reason to arbitrarily dismiss a character to make it fit with the remaining slots. I thought it had a low chance of being true back then, and I feel like it's pretty much deconfirmed at this point. Can't say 100%, as I can't be absolutely sure about anything, but pretty close.

On the contrary, it got boosted because people searched "Erdrick" to no avail, but no one searched "Hero", as it was too generic of a name, and Banjo was confirmed.
Also, it has been shown that Artorias was a glitch because it was the name of a DLC pack, which made Google associate it with DLC. Watch the whole video.

Quote me later, but I've been calling Google Leak real from day one. So when Doom Slayer and Ryu Hayabusa are confirmed as the final two Fighter's Pass characters, I will happily gloat for being one of the few people that called it.

 

[CosmicQuark]

On the contrary, it got boosted because people searched "Erdrick" to no avail, but no one searched "Hero", as it was too generic of a name, and Banjo was confirmed.
Also, it has been shown that Artorias was a glitch because it was the name of a DLC pack, which made Google associate it with DLC. Watch the whole video.

Quote me later, but I've been calling Google Leak real from day one. So when Doom Slayer and Ryu Hayabusa are confirmed as the final two Fighter's Pass characters, I will happily gloat for being one of the few people that called it.

No clue what video you're referring to, looking around I can't find it. Also searched for Artorias DLC, and haven't found anything. Link? But going by the description of that, it sounds like it's still reaching, but I'd have to hear what the actual evidence is for the counter argument.

 

[DrifloonEmpire]

No clue what video you're referring to, looking around I can't find it. Also searched for Artorias DLC, and haven't found anything. Link? But going by the description of that, it sounds like it's still reaching, but I'd have to hear what the actual evidence is for the counter argument.

Artorias of the Abyss, which is apparently a DLC pack for Dark Souls Remastered.

Also I saw that Doom 2016 also had DLC and Doom Slayer is his name in said game. That could also be part of why he triggered the ad. Not sure about Ryu, though.

Also, what about Banjo? Didn't just "Banjo" trigger the ad but "Banjo & Kazooie" (the website's name for the fighter) didn't? If the names have to be EXACT (judging by Doom Slayer) then it puts a big hole in the theory.

 

[AEMehr]

I will happily gloat for being one of the few people that called it.

How does one "happily" gloat they were right about believing something someone else said online?

 

[Mr.Boo]

Imagine Sakurai comes to you asking for input on the last dlc character. He'll put them in if you do a good job convincing him. What are the top five reasons you'd give to justify your single, most-wanted character? Sell your pick.

 

[Koopaul]

The characters I would want wouldn't make good for good DLC. I am aware of this. The time for secondary Nintendo characters is sadly over.

 

[PeridotGX]

So let's try this. Nintendo announces 2 more passes, one for 5 more 1st party characters and one for 5 echoes. What are your dream picks?

1st Party Pass:

Kamek
Bandana Dee
Grovyle
Fawful
Octoling

Echo Pass:

Octoling ()
Proto Man ()
Shadow/Metal Sonic ()
Ninten ()
Blaziken ()

 

[Opossum]

Imagine Sakurai comes to you asking for input on the last dlc character. He'll put them in if you do a good job convincing him. What are the top five reasons you'd give to justify your single, most-wanted character? Sell your pick.

Okay, I'll try this out.

Edelgard

1) Sakurai has expressed that he wished more video game characters used axes, and she is a very prominent Nintendo character who uses an axe. By adding her, Sakurai would finally get to make a moveset for an axe user, like how he went with Incineroar because he wanted to make a wrestler.

2) Fire Emblem: Three Houses is on track to become the highest selling Fire Emblem title by far if early sales estimates are taken into account. As such, more people would likely be excited for a character from the game. Cross-promotion is an added bonus, as Edelgard being added to Smash would likely drive Three Houses sales even further. The fact that critical and fan reception to Three Houses has been overwhelmingly positive is another added draw.

3) It's fairly easy to adapt some of the more unique key features of Three Houses into Edelgard's moveset, making her true to her home game. Her ultimate personal skill, for example, Flickering Flower, is a strong attack that then prevents the enemy from moving on the next turn. Similar effects are done through the game's newly introduced Gambit system, wherein Battalions could have these sorts of effects on enemies. This would give Edelgard a unique playstyle of holding foes in place or limiting their movement to more easily land an even stronger follow-up attack. This sort of authoritative playstyle would also fit her character.

4) Garreg Mach Monastery would provide a very unique setting for a Smash Bros. stage. It could be a traveling stage that takes the player throughout different parts of the campus, the cathedral, and other areas on the monastery grounds. Three Houses, being a Switch game, could also provide assets to use for this. The fact that the stage wouldn't need to be made from scratch decreases the necessary development time.

5) In many ways, the Smash Bros. roster is a sort of time capsule, holding characters from many different eras of gaming. Edelgard would be the first playable character to debut on the Switch, which is a nice added benefit. It also adds another contemporary character in general, which may be seen as a plus.


There are other benefits as well to her addition, such as having another non-selectable-avatar female character to add some more diversity, as well as the vast array of music they could pull from Three Houses to put on the Fighter Pass, but I think these first five are strong enough for now.

 

[Wyoming]

Imagine Sakurai comes to you asking for input on the last dlc character. He'll put them in if you do a good job convincing him. What are the top five reasons you'd give to justify your single, most-wanted character? Sell your pick.

Phoenix Wright, of course.

1) Nearly two decades of Nintendo exclusivity until the recent ports. Has a strong correlation with Nintendo as a result, andt makes sense to push the series more from both their and Capcom's perspectives.

2) Phoenix would be an unique fighter. An evidence system could be used, as well as his tools such as the Magatama. His grabs and aerials could be fully unique if you utilize the series' style and sprite animations as a base.

3) Visual novels are yet to be represented in Smash, and the Courtroom stage would be the ideal setting to introduce such a stage to the series. A story could be played out in the background, which alters the hazards that appear on the stage. A gavel, a desk slam, a whip, a hawk - you name it. If you want simplicity, then a courtroom remains an unique setting to fight on regardless.

4) Sakurai loves characters with personality - the Ace Attorney series is booming with this. Characters are developed, and have their own mannerisms that range from serious to goofy. They fit Smash to a tee.

5) You may know the composer Noriyuki Iwadere for some Smash remixes, but his Ace Attorney music is top drawer. Cornered is iconic, and the chance to have these remixed by other great composers would be a treat.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Imagine Sakurai comes to you asking for input on the last dlc character. He'll put them in if you do a good job convincing him. What are the top five reasons you'd give to justify your single, most-wanted character? Sell your pick.

There are no logical reasons to add Amaterasu so anything I could say would just boil down to "Okami's my favorite" and "It would be amazing!".

EDIT: Removed a contraction. "It is would be amazing" lol

 

[Renjamin]

Imagine Sakurai comes to you asking for input on the last dlc character. He'll put them in if you do a good job convincing him. What are the top five reasons you'd give to justify your single, most-wanted character? Sell your pick.

The morally correct choice, Gooigi

1. It's Gooigi

2.It is Gooigi

3. It happens to be Gooigi

4. The fighter happens to be Gooigi

5. The fighter in question just so happens to be Gooigi

 

[Door Key Pig]

https://www.dualshockers.com/snk-in...-gender-bent-terry-rebooting-old-series-much/

Of course, I also asked about the possibility of an SNK character in Smash Bros. The answer was not unexpected:

“I’d love that, please Nintendo-san!”​

If Nintendo asked for a character for Smash Bros. he mentioned that a fun idea would be Poppy (Galford’s dog from Samurai Shodown) on his own. A ninja dog would be a cool option.

Welp, it's not looking good for the chances of a Metal Slug character...

Re: Lloyd, I think the whole "anime sword guy" argument is consistently abused from both sides. It's unfair to reduce characters to "anime sword guy," because we don't want them, but it's also unfair to pretend that being an "anime sword guy " s irrelevant.

As someone that was always very pro-Hero (I was also always an advocate for him to have multiple hero's as alts), I thought that when people used the "anime sword guy" argument against him it was always ridiculous. Not only because Hero isn't exclusively a sword user, and not only because the artstyle of Akira Toriyama is legendary and brings it's own unique flavor in contrast to other anime, but because Hero was the original JRPG anime sword guy. Though it doesn't have big popularity in the west, DQ is a legendary JRPG series and having it represented in Smash feels like a big deal, so the "anime swordsman" argument always felt trivial next to that.

But then people take that argument and apply it too far. It becomes "see, Hero got in, so my anime sword guy can get in too. Why not have the rest of the fighter pass be FE characters? Sakurai can make them unique!" I realize I'm being hyperblic, but whether that character in question is Lloyd, or Edelgard or Byleth or whoever, it's like people are trivializing the argument to an extreme.

To me, Hero being added to the fighter pass was always a no brainer. The only reason people had to doubt him or challenge him was only ever feasibility and the competition he had with other big name SE characters (Geno, Sora, Lara Croft). But not only can I not say the same for someone like Lloyd Irving, there is also the legitimate issue of the fighter pass needing to have variety. With the entire scope of gaming to choose from, are we really expecting to have three JRPG anime guys in the fighter pass? Is Lloyd Irving from Tales of Symphonia really popular enough to warrant that? I mean, imagine if the next two fighters were Jin Kazama and then Kyo Kusanagi. Would that really make sense just because one is a 3d fighter and the other is a 2d fighter?

Heck, I even think Crash is probably out of the running due to how similar he is to Banjo.

Anything can happen when it comes to Sakurai, but one reason characters like Jill Valentine, Doomguy, and Phoenix Wright make so much sense is that they are iconic characters who represent corners of the gaming world not particularly saturated in Smash.

Crash would inherently play completely differently from Banjo tho. Plus I don't think people can get too salty about multiple platformer characters/video game icons coming to a platform fighter/huge crossover fighter. And in terms of showcasing variety, we're past the bigger half point of the Pass, advertising a good idea of what the Pass will be like to all, and have only seen two completely different genres represented, and usually in Smash we end on kind of a wet fart of a reveal that was out-prioritised by the much bigger ones anyway, at least in terms of well-received picks.

There is no "later time", this is Smash Ultimate, literally meant to be the definitive edition of Smash for possibly the next decade or so. Whatever newcomer doesn't get into this one, gets into a watered down roster with cuts, or might not even get in at all ever.

Do you think that would contribute to potential saltiness of players rooting for certain characters? People battling (heh) over which character is more "deserving" of a limited number spot of the biggest, most special Smash game ever that may never be topped? I have my big two I really want to see in this big game.

 

[Flyboy]

As much as I'd love Marco and Fio I figured it'd be Terry, Mai, Kyo, or bust. That said, I do hope we see some SNK rep even if one could say that this means that by talking about it it's teetering on the NDA line.

Personally, Terry would be amazing.

 

[Predictabo]

I don't see how those answers would break NDA, refusing to talk or naming certain popular characters rather than escaping by the tangent by talking about one that has no chance in hell would make it more obvious.

Anyway, I'd be ok with Poppy if she brought Galford themes (Tuna, Waterfall of Purification and Fin of Invincibility) with her

 

[YezenIRl]

Well we already have 2 JRPG characters, 2 fighting game characters isn't too far out of left field if it was the case.

This is the false equivalency I was talking about earlier. Kyo Kusanagi and Jin Kazama are two fighting game characters. You can say the same about Chun Li and Nightmare. Or Scorpion and Nakoruru. Or, Akuma and Heihachi. But "fighting game character" is just a label. You have to go beyond the label. I chose Kyo and Jin because they are two similar age/gender/body type fighting game protagonists with a martial arts fighting style.

Obviously Sakurai could make these two characters distinct enough that they share not a single move between them. But that's besides the point. The point is, with all of gaming to choose from, what reason does he have to pick two such similar characters?

I get why people would want more variety in theory, however in practice I don't think there would be much overlap between the two so people complaining about lack of variety would be a vocal minority at best.

Nah, I think in practice people would be somewhere from unimpressed to annoyed. Same goes for Lloyd Irving. Fans of Lloyd would rejoice, but everyone else would be unimpressed.

 

[Sari]

I don't see how those answers would break NDA, refusing to talk or naming certain popular characters rather than escaping by the tangent by talking about one that has no chance in hell would make it more obvious.

Yeah like what else could he have said? It was really just a generic "I'd be down for this!" and nothing else. It's not like he went out of his way to talk about Smash as someone approached him with the question.

 

[DrifloonEmpire]

Imagine Sakurai comes to you asking for input on the last dlc character. He'll put them in if you do a good job convincing him. What are the top five reasons you'd give to justify your single, most-wanted character? Sell your pick.

Let's give this a try!

Prince of All Cosmos

1. A character that stands out and is faithfully reproducable: Katamari is a series like no other that's difficult to catagorize into any conventional genre. The Prince himself has a unique and colorful design and would be a unique character where his weapon is always somewhat active (but can still take damage) and said weapon is bigger than the character, making for a very interesting hitbox and shape. Pizzadudemanguy on youtube uploaded a fantastic moveset concept for the character, where the Katamari is used in unique ways for all of his attacks and comes with a cool gimmick of being able to grow and shrink the Katamari via a special to change character stats on the fly. This is a rare kind of gimmick, only being shared with Shulk's Monado Arts, and would be a fantastic way to implement Katamari's main gameplay gimmick onto the battlefield. Furthermore, said gimmick and the Prince's general moves are simple, being based around different ways to roll the Katamari, which would be easy to reproduce and would result in a faithful adaptation of the Prince, which is one of Sakurai's goals for every character he makes.

2. Unique and fun Katamari content: Anyone who's played the series knows how crazy it can get and the unique content that comes with that. One thing Katamari is really well-known for is it's crazy and cool selection of music. With six games' worth of fun music to pull from, a lot of fun and iconic pieces could join the Smash soundtrack and of course provide great assets for custom stages as well. I mean who doesn't want to hear this or this on the soundtrack? and it only gets wackier from there! Smash could use more of this kind of music and this would be a great way to provide it! Furthermore, with the dashing Prince in green comes a unique and colorful stage! With all sorts of crazy objects appearing and being rolled up with lots of bright color, who wouldn't have fun? The Sunflower Continent (the series setting) provides all sorts of great locales that would create all sorts of interesting venues each time the stage is loaded. There could even be random commentary from the King about the fighters and random happenings during the fight as he does in the source material (the King will make witty commentary when you roll certain things up, especially in the first game). There's so much potential for something fun and unique!

3. A dark horse iconic character that balances the ticket well: Even if you've never played a Katamari game it's likely you've heard of the Prince or the series' iconic theme song. During the 2000's the Katamari series was one of Namco's big franchises that got a lot of exposure after the first game's sleeper success and is even featured in the Museum of Modern Art. And during the series' popularity the Prince got featured in a lot of crossover Namco products (much in the vain of KOS-MOS), often times alongside Pac-Man. This ranged from silly costumes in Idolm@ster (along with the Prince making several cameos in the intro for the first game "Live for You!" and several of the Prince's cousins being up and front appearing) to being a playable racer with his own course in Pac Man World Rally. Furthermore, if the 4th slot ends up being a more gritty realistic human (Dragonborn/Dovahkiin, Doomguy, Ryu Hayabusa, Scorpion, etc), having a cartoony character would further balance out the pass. The Prince and Banjo would be the cartoony, more kid friendly characters, 4th slot and Joker being the cool, more mature characters, and then the DQ Heroes who are a nice middle ground between the two.

4. A character coming back into prominence who would sell very well: Katamari hit a kind of hiatus after the 2000's were over. After Touch My Katamari underperformed in 2011 due to the Vita's lack of success early on, the series would see no new entries for awhile. However, like Crash and Doomguy, the Prince had a main series game bring him back into the spotlight with Katamari Damacy Reroll. And this is no small footnote either. Reroll was 4th or better on the eShop's sales when it was released (keep in mind, it was released on the SAME DAY as Smash Ultimate everywhere but Japan), and remained in the top 10 for at least a month. And it even continued to sell well. Gamestop sold out of its' physical copies yet demand was to the point that the physical copies were being scalped until a restock. That alone shows Namco that there's a lot of interest in the series, and Reroll was planned likely early in 2018 (judging by the September 2018 announcement), with plenty of time before the November 2018 DLC cutoff. And finally, the Prince is a character who would appeal to both sides of the marketing. He's well-known to long time gamers as a returning icon from the 2000's with a wacky and unique kind of game, while new gamers and kids are discovering the series through Reroll and bringing a Katamari Rennaisance of sorts. Plus he's cartoony and colorful so kids would like him!

Not only that, but the companies themselves seem to be doing a lot to advertise the game and bring Katamari back into the spotlight. Nintendo put Reroll's announcement in their main direct and even did a Nintendo Minute special dedicated to the game (which similar Namco games, such as Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition, did not get). Most importantly, Namco themselves seem to be pushing and promoting the series well. It's getting more merchandise than ever, and much MUCH more than it got even during the series' heyday, said merchandise selling enough to need dedicated restocks. He's also being used as extra content in other Namco games again, such as a recent SAO game, showing that they have more confidence in the character. Furthermore Bandai Namco worked with JapanCrate to produce a special Katamari-themed box, but it was no cash-grab. It featured a couple of exclusive items and the box had a gold and purple ornate design, complete with lots of custom art of the characters and even a special 15th anniversary logo for the franchise. Clearly Namco has a lot of interest in the franchise again, and what better way to further bring the series back into the spotlight and celebrate the anniversary than with a Smash character?

5. A non-controversial character that everyone can enjoy: I know Sakurai does what he wants for the most part and doesn't really make considerations based on complaints of fans, but the Prince would be a very safe pick that I doubt would bring the ire of fans. Unless someone was really dedicated to wanting a series like Tales or Tekken represented, who would be upset about having The Prince be in the game? He's well-known, fun, and would be able to bring a lot to the table! Furthermore, he's a character that would require no toning down whatsoever to be in the game. A lot of other newcomers people are predicting come from M-rated games. While a character from an M-rated fantasy like Dragonborn would require little to none, popular picks like Doomguy or a Resident Evil character would be much more difficult (especially the former). Even Joker had to be toned down from the original, with his blood effects and some others being replaced with stars. With the Prince, Skaurai would have an easy character to market without having to make any compromises to keep the rating and would be able to represent The Prince faithfully. I can't imagine many complaints coming the Prince's way.


Some would argue that the Prince wouldn't be fitting since he spent most of his life on Sony systems, but then again, so did Crash and yet he's one of the most requested characters! The Prince has had his fair share of Nintendo outings, even if small until recently. Pac Man World Rally was on PS2 and Gamecube, and featured the Prince as a playable racer with his own course. DSiWare recieved a Pac Attack-esque Katamari puzzle game. Beautiful Katamari was originally going to be multiplatform and had a Wii port in the works before being cancelled. But most importantly, the Prince's newest game, Katamari Damacy Reroll, has found a new home on the Switch (I know it's on PC as well but the Switch version is where a lot of the attention and marketing went), and as of now is not on Sony systems. Alongside Pac Man's taunt showing that Namco is willing to use the character in a Smash setting (and said taunt is not stopping people from speculating Heihachi), and the Prince has a main series game on Nintendo systems, which is more than can be said for other DLC characters . Going by these standards, the Prince has plenty of qualification to be in the game, and I believe would be a fantastic addition to the roster! :3