Official Newcomer/DLC Speculation Discussion

[Rie Sonomura]

Hey

what if square Kirby had different sound effects for his walk, jump, squat animation???

 

[RawkHawk2010]

Xenoblade got shafted in terms of music. Only 3 songs for XC2, and absolutely nothing from X when both games are full of bangers.

Not to mention the fact that Ultimate has the three XC2 tracks play at a bafflingly low volume.

 

[Inue Houji]

No Tokyo Daylight is downright criminal.

 

[7NATOR]

I Missed the Interesting Discussion about Parts of FP2 being decided earlier than even let on

And I don't want to be that guy...but I did make a theory about that even before Steve got in, based of that Comment Sakurai made in byleth's Presentation about how "1 or 2 Extra Fighters could have sufficed". I Personally thought that those characters could have meant Ryu and Reimu, due to Rumors

Steve does bring in interesting Discussion though. I do think Steve was sought after first, and then Banjo came along since it was a Perfect moment to Snag him. I think also that Steve was Too Complicated to Implement at first, which is why He's in FP2

I think if any characters were Extra DLC though, I think they would be unique 3rd Party universes though, like Ryu or Reimu.

I think Some of the characters probably were discussed on anywhere from November of 2018 (When FP1 Finalization began), to April 2019, Where i believe some of the characters probably was geared up to be Separate DLC. I think Steve could have fit into this role. I don't think Min-Min didn't come in until a Full FP2 was decided though, and I think that's true for other characters in FP2 as well

One thing that could be troubling is how Open they left considerations. ARMS having no music compared to Xenoblade 2 getting 3 tracks and Rex being the Bonus of FP1 could be a sign that perhaps they considered Rex Shortly after Base game was Completed, but decided that he wasn't gonna be an option in any manner. on Xenoblade note, the fact that X didn't get any Music could mean Elma was left on the table even if Rex wasn't

In terms of Mii Costumes, I'm gonna asume that all the Veteran Costumes like Geno and Lloyd would have returned anyway, and I think with Joker being only FP1 Pack to have 6 Costumes, compared to Hero's 4, is the Perfect Moment that shows the Bridge where a Full FP2 was decided

I'm worried for Activision. there really wasn't any Rumor about Activison during Base game, and rumors only started appearing around E3 2019 apprantly. I think with Activision also being a Western Company, It could take a while to Discuss Characters, especially since Activision is Apprantly not the easiest Comapny to Work with. Nintendo Might pull a fast one out us So who knows. at the least. An Activison Charcater would have had to been Finalized in 2019, so unless Activison really kept things under wraps (but apprantly they are known for leaking), I honestly worry about a Playable character from them

 

[Godzillathewonderdog]

This is the biggest song omission, and you all know it.

 

[latsmash]

I'm convinced Capcom isn't happening this pass, Resident Evil was the only viable character. Street Fighter could get Chun Li, and Dante could happen, Monster Hunter might just get a spirit event and Ace Attorney isn't important enough in any way to beat out the previous franchises.

 

[Shroob]

I'm convinced Capcom isn't happening this pass, Resident Evil was the only viable character. Street Fighter could get Chun Li, and Dante could happen, Monster Hunter might just get a spirit event and Ace Attorney isn't important enough in any way to beat out the previous franchises.

.....contradiction much?

 

[7NATOR]

.....contradiction much?

Well he's probably convinced Capcom isn't in the pass, but he's at least keeping an Open mind to the idea, even if he Called RE the only Viable character

 

[Idon]

.....contradiction much?

I love this thread sometimes.

 

[DarthEnderX]

That's how i feel about Guest characters in fighting games nowadays mostly, including Smash.

Personally, I've always hated guest characters in non-crossover fighting games. They're great in things like Smash or a Capcom Vs. But if it's a normal fighting game, unless the roster already has everyone, I'd always rather the game add another game from it's own series, rather than some other series. If I wanted to play as a character from another series, I'd just play THAT series instead.

On the topic of Castlevania

Can I just ***** about how Bloody Tears isn't its own track? That's up there as one of my favorite songs in the series and I hate how it's tacked on with the Simon's Quest Night theme.

A-****ING-MEN!

To me, Hayabusa is legitimately one of the last few NES Icons of his time, with, IMO the only ones left after him being Arthur from Ghosts n Goblins and the Contra dudes

And Kunio!

 

[Deleted member]

Elma's only chance is if we get an X port sometime next year, which could happen considering it's the only major Wii U game to not get put on Switch thus far. Otherwise X lacking music is probably just a weird copyright thing or Sakurai ignoring it for some unknown reason. But on the topic of Xenoblade, Rex is honestly the jankiest character to speculate about. On the one hand there's a plethora of content to pull from XC2 & Torna to make a challenger pack of him + he doesn't have an icon online despite Pyra and Mythra having one, but he is a Mii Costume and there is music in the base game, however little. I'm never quite sure how to feel about him and go back and forth between the door being left open for his inclusion ala ARMs, or just conceding that he's a victim of poor timing. I'd be extremely happy with either Xeno protag though, however much I doubt their inclusion.

Monster Hunter on the other hand? I think they're the likeliest newcomer aside from Hayabusa. If FP2 really is going to consist mostly or entirely of characters or series that are being revisited in some fashion, MH is the elephant in the room. We already have Rathalos in the game but the Mii Costumes are taking literal years to get rereleased. It's akin to Dragon Quest in the sense it's more culturally relevant in Japan, and Rise parallels DQ11 as an upcoming 3rd party title that Nintendo has been pushing heavily.

 

[NonSpecificGuy]

I don’t really think either Rex nor Elma are happening to be completely honest but if a Xenoblade X DE is really happening and it’s within the next year I would say that Elma is more likely. Honestly I would prefer Elma but if Rex is in I won’t be too mad. His character is a bit of a stinker but at least his gameplay will be cool and he will most certainly bring at least one really like-able character into the fray.

Honestly, the only reason I don’t really like Rex is because he was an attempt to rehash Shulk but Shulk has a much bigger reason to carry his journey forward but the only reason Rex really has is Pyra told him too. I dunno. Pyra is fine but I think Rex is a very shallow character. He could have a fun moveset though. But then so could Elma what with dual blades, dual machine guns, and acrobatic and magical arts.

 

[BlondeLombax]

I've been thinking about it high and low, and I think that people who think Ryu is the most likely KT rep might want to look at this article (forgive the fact that it's in French).

I'm curious to see how off the rails speculation would go if Kasumi actually got in over Ryu. Imagine; it's another, in the Smash fanbase's terms, "literal who" beating out one of the most speculated characters in the history franchise. The aftermath would be hard to imagine.

 

[SharkLord]

Hey guys, remember when I offered to do some big introductory writeups?

No?

Makes sense. That was a while ago and I've been preoccupied with other stuff for a while. Anyways, time to officially start!... Well, technically this is mostly a copypaste from RTC, but this when I officially make it part of the writeups.

To start off my writeups, we'll be focusing on Bandai-Namco's sorely overlooked dream traveller, Klonoa!

A lot of you are probably wondering, "What the **** is a Klonoa?!" And honestly... That's a pretty reasonable question.

Klonoa is a series of 2.5D platformers, taking place on a 2D plane but branching out into multiple different paths, rendered in 3D. Gameplay revolves around Klonoa's Wind Ring, which he uses to shoot Wind Bullets. Despite the name, they're more of a grab than anything. They inflate enemies and Klonoa holds them above his head; After that, he can throw them to either side, the background, or the foreground.

Klonoa stars the eponymous Klonoa, a floppy-eared cat-rabbit thing (Canonically he's supposed to be a cat). Other important characters include the Ring Spirit Heupow, the priestess-in-training Lolo, and the bounty hunter Guntz. Klonoa seems to have the same character, but different settings, a la Ys. This is because Klonoa is a dream traveler, destined to travel across different worlds in danger. This is something he might not even know, though we'll never known at the rate because of the franchises' dormancy. More on that later.

While only the first game is set in Phantomile, Klonoa is referred to as a Phantomilian and so is the language everyone speaks. Yep, the games have their own language. Heck, they even sang a song in that language.

They gave an option for standard English in the Wii remake of Door to Phantomile, but uh... I feel like they could've found a more fitting VA for Klonoa.

Regardless of the setting, Klonoa is also known for being quite tragic. This is first showcased in the especially cruel twists in the first game, Door to Phantomile. His grandpa gets bombed to death, it turns out all his memories are faked so that he can stop the villain Ghadius and the monster Nahatomb, and at the end he's sucked into a portal without warning, with the heavy implication that he won't ever see Huepow again.

Yeah, cute and cuddly, amirite?

It should also be noted that the Wind Ring requires an energy source to function, usually a friend who inhabits it. In the first game, this was Huepow, while in the second, it was Lolo. Seems like pretty good taunt material to me. Beyond that, he can float a little by flapping his ears, giving a bit of extra height to his jump. He also has a few extra weapons, such as the Wind Sword (Which is really an extension of the Wind Ring), the Hammer, the Arm Cannons, the Boomerang, and the Beam Gnome (Actually a shield on a stick, basically).

Klonoa is a beloved and charming series. Despite that, it was a flop, in no small part because Bandai Namco refused to advertise their own product. Yes, everyone's sure to buy the game they don't know exists, brilliant marketing strategy, guys. As such, he barely lasted more than a decade. Despite this, Klonoa has had a couple appearances outside his home games. He's appeared in Namco X Capcom (Though he didn't come back for Project X Zone), he got a webcomic in 2014 (Which was sadly cancelled as the website went down), and an anime that was announced in 2016... Which was also cancelled after three years of radio silence.

Pain

Regardless of the suffering, we might just have a spark of hope. Recently, a trademark for "Klonoa Encore" was filed, alongside Mr. Driller and Splatterhouse. This matches up with Katamari Damacy REROLL, which had the Encore subtitle in Japan. In fact, Mr. Driller Encore has actually released, giving more credence to Klonoa Encore. As of current, the trademark has been given a Japanese registration certificate, as seen here:

(Reposting for pinned tweet)
On Sept. 25th 2020, the Klonoa Encore trademark has once again updated stating, "Record of Registration - Registration Certificate (登録記録 登録証)"
For most trademarks with Bandai Namco this is typically the final step. Announcement is unknown. pic.twitter.com/Gt9yYIrE75

— KLONOA ARCHIVES (@klonoa_archives) September 26, 2020

The last step after this would be an American/European certificate. If the Mr. Driller trademark is any indication, that should come in about four months, followed by an announcement two months after that. Then again, COVID has fricked us all, so I'm setting my projections for 2021 and waiting to see what happens.

Unfortunately, his series' obscurity means that Klonoa in Smash is a very slim possibility. A darn shame, because he's among my most wanted characters. Just looking at the games gives me a flash of nostalgia for a game I didn't know about until a couple years ago. I see gameplay and go, "Why couldn't I have grown up with this?" Here's some gameplay of the Wii version, for some perspective.

I'm mainly hoping for Encore to release, so that I can finally try out the series for myself. Then we can talk about Smash.

And to cap it all off, here's a moveset I whipped up for him:

Spoiler

KLONOA Blows Through!

Klonoa is a light-middleweight fighter built around racking up damage through a multitude of hits. He mainly fights with his Wind Ring, though he pulls out some other weaponry for a couple attacks.

Klonoa's biggest asset is his grab, which can be done in the air and while moving forward without any effect on his momentum. In addition, Klonoa can pick up large objects without slowing down and carry opponents above his head, much like Donkey Kong. This gives him a more heavyweight-esque trait that contrasts with his small size and weight.

Klonoa is a strong contender for Smash' king of grappling, but he's a tad too reliant on his grabs. The majority of his attacks tend to lack in raw power, making his grabs one of his few reliable moves for offense. However, Klonoa has great mobility and defensive options to make up for his lack of brute strength, backed up by his Hover ability. By holding the jump button/control stick, Klonoa will rapidly flap his ears, keeping him afloat for a short amount of time. This allows him to extend his recovery by just a smidge, but that small amount could be highly valuable.

• Jab - Klonoa jabs the Wind Ring forward, then throws a spin kick and follows up with a burst of wind.
  • Flurry Attack - A series of rapid wind blasts.
• Forward Tilt - Klonoa shoots a Wind Bullet from the Wind Ring.
• Up Tilt - Klonoa swings the Wind Sword above his head.
• Down Tilt - A crouching kick.
• Dash Attack - Klonoa charges forward with the Beam Gnome, deflecting any projectiles that hit it.
• Forward Smash - Klonoa swings the Wind Sword downward.
• Up Smash - Klonoa creates a small whirlwind from the Wind Ring.
• Down Smash - Klonoa spins the Wind Sword around himself.
  
  
• Neutral Aerial - Klonoa spins his ears around himself.
• Forward Aerial - Klonoa swings the Wind Sword downward.
• Back Aerial - A backwards dropkick.
• Up Aerial - Klonoa creates a small vortex from the Wind Ring.
• Down Aerial - Klonoa fires a small burst from the Wind Ring below himself.
  
  
• Grab - Klonoa fires a Wind Bullet. As mentioned above, Klonoa can grab in the air and while moving forward without stopping. If Klonoa grabs an opponent, he will carry them over his head, and can move around while holding his opponent.
• Pummel - Klonoa generates a small burst of wind from the Wind Ring.
• Forward Throw - Klonoa throws the opponent forward.
• Back Throw - Klonoa throws the opponent behind himself.
• Up Throw - Klonoa throws the opponent above his head.
• Down Throw - Klonoa jumps into the air and throws the opponent below himself. Uniquely, this throw will send Klonoa into the air, allowing for aerial followups. When used in the air, it can also act as a form of recovery.
  
  
• Neutral Special - Spike Cannon: Klonoa equips the Spike Cannons and fires off a shot. Pressing the button again fires a shot from the other cannon. A good shield popper, zoning tool, and high-damage move, making it valuable to Klonoa's kit.
• Side Special - Boomerang: Klonoa throws a boomerang, which flies in a circle in front of Klonoa before flying back to him. Holding the button allows for up to three boomerangs to be thrown.
• Up Special - Tornado Attack: Klonoa spins around, forming a tornado around himself as he rises. While it doesn't travel the best distance, it can be aimed fairly well and deals multiple hits to anyone caught in the attack.
• Down Special - Hammer: Klonoa brings out the Hammer and swings hit down. Due to his small stature, Klonoa is unable to swing the Hammer properly, and relies on gravity to do the heavy lifting. A powerful attack with long range, but is the slowest attack in Klonoa's moveset.
• Final Smash - Thunder Hurricane: Klonoa grits his teeth and raises the Wind Ring over his head, creating an electricity-laced tornado that covers the stage. While it can't be moved around, it deals massive damage to anyone caught in it. Bolts of lightning will spark from the tornado, dealing high damage to anyone hit by it, giving the Final Smash some extra reach.

And that's a wrap! Have I convinced you yet? Or were you already a believer in the first place?

 

[Shroob]

I've been thinking about it high and low, and I think that people who think Ryu is the most likely KT rep might want to look at this article (forgive the fact that it's in French).

I'm curious to see how off the rails speculation would go if Kasumi actually got in over Ryu. Imagine; it's another, in the Smash fanbase's terms, "literal who" beating out one of the most speculated characters in the history franchise. The aftermath would be hard to imagine.

I see you, but I bring a counter point

 

[SneakyLink]

I've been thinking about it high and low, and I think that people who think Ryu is the most likely KT rep might want to look at this article (forgive the fact that it's in French).

I'm curious to see how off the rails speculation would go if Kasumi actually got in over Ryu. Imagine; it's another, in the Smash fanbase's terms, "literal who" beating out one of the most speculated characters in the history franchise. The aftermath would be hard to imagine.

Interview happened sometime around January 2019.
Could mean Kasumi is out... or nothing at all.
I don’t know any French so apologies if I don’t understand anything from the article.

 

[Shroob]

I've been thinking about it high and low, and I think that people who think Ryu is the most likely KT rep might want to look at this article (forgive the fact that it's in French).

I'm curious to see how off the rails speculation would go if Kasumi actually got in over Ryu. Imagine; it's another, in the Smash fanbase's terms, "literal who" beating out one of the most speculated characters in the history franchise. The aftermath would be hard to imagine.

Also, I feel like it's important to notice they asked which DOA character they'd want, not Ninja Gaiden.

 

[BlondeLombax]

I see you, but I bring a counter point

View attachment 288895

Considering it's an assist character for another character in a lesser fighting game compared to the mascot of a company's breadwinner franchise, this seems more like an in-joke to me, but you make a pretty valid case regardless.

 

[Idon]

The only thing this tells us is he's no Kosuke Yabuki.

 

[RawkHawk2010]

Honestly, the only reason I don’t really like Rex is because he was an attempt to rehash Shulk

Despite being a sword-wielding protagonist of the numbered sequel, Rex isn't at all intended to be a Shulk-esque male power fantasy. He's centered around bringing out the best in other characters, an archetype completely different from that of the former which helps to provide XC2 with an amazing supporting cast while XC1's mostly exists for Shulk's benefit.

For that reason, it would indeed be a serious transgression if Pyra and/or Mythra weren't adequately represented alongside him. But that's not because Rex requires compensation -- it's because that's the whole point of his character in the first place. In story and gameplay alike.

 

[SnowClaws]

I've been thinking about it high and low, and I think that people who think Ryu is the most likely KT rep might want to look at this article (forgive the fact that it's in French).

I'm curious to see how off the rails speculation would go if Kasumi actually got in over Ryu. Imagine; it's another, in the Smash fanbase's terms, "literal who" beating out one of the most speculated characters in the history franchise. The aftermath would be hard to imagine.

I mean I post a reply to your question yesterday, and I think people needs to paid attention to this Fatal Frame interview as well. Since it acknowledged that Nintendo pick a Dead or Alive characters and they chose Ayane:

Well, I found a interview where Nintendo made a request for a Dead or Alive character to appears in Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water and they chosen Ayane. Who knows if history will repeated as Nintendo once asked again for a DOA fighter to shows up in Smash, and they may choose Ayane like last time.

How did Ayane come into the Fatal Frame universe? Her gameplay is quite different since she doesn’t have a Camera Obscura and needs to sneak past ghosts. Why did the team pick Ayane out of all of Tecmo’s characters and how was designing her levels different from other stages?

TO: We wanted to emphasize the collaboration aspect more between us and Koei Tecmo Games, so Nintendo suggested having a DOA character make a guest appearance. Most characters in DOA are highly seasoned fighters, but having that strength be rendered meaningless by these otherworldly ghosts is something that I think will seem pretty fresh to DOA fans.

MS: Nintendo was the one who suggested having Ayane as a guest character. I think the intention here, as discussed earlier, was to create a stronger action-oriented impression.

Source: How Fatal Frame's Creator Scares Players and His Real Life Ghost Stories (Nov 3, 2015)

With this French interview (2019), the Fatal Frame (2015) interview and the Koei Temco Smash rumor, the following Koei Temco characters are:

Kasumi: The Koei Temco choice
Ayane: The possible Nintendo choice
Ryu Hayabusa: The fan-favorite choice

 

[Idon]

I mean I post a reply to your question yesterday, and I think people needs to paid attention to this Fatal Frame interview as well. Since it acknowledged that Nintendo pick a Dead or Alive characters and they chose Ayane:



With this French interview (2019), the Fatal Frame (2015) interview and the Koei Temco Smash rumor, the following Koei Temco characters are:

Kasumi: The Koei Temco choice
Ayane: The possible Nintendo choice
Ryu Hayabusa: The fan-favorite choice

I'd hardly call Kasumi the KT choice when that interview asked which DoA character they'd put in Smash.

 

[SneakyLink]

I mean I post a reply to your question yesterday, and I think people needs to paid attention to this Fatal Frame interview as well. Since it acknowledged that Nintendo pick a Dead or Alive characters and they chose Ayane:



With this French interview (2019), the Fatal Frame (2015) interview and the Koei Temco Smash rumor, the following Koei Temco characters are:

Kasumi: The Koei Temco choice
Ayane: The possible Nintendo choice
Ryu Hayabusa: The fan-favorite choice

Wait... who is Ayane and why would they be considered the possible Nintendo choice?

 

[Shroob]

....this may be a scathing hot take, but I don't have a whole lot of.... well respect isn't the word I'd use but.... I'm really indifferent towards Dead or Alive?


Like, I dunno what it is but the series.... seems kinda like a joke to me? Is that like, super controversial or something? And then there's the spin offs and.... hoo boy that's a lot of boobs.

 

[NonSpecificGuy]

Despite being a sword-wielding protagonist of the numbered sequel, Rex isn't at all intended to be a Shulk-esque male power fantasy. He's centered around bringing out the best in other characters, an archetype completely different from that of the former which helps to provide XC2 with an amazing supporting cast while XC1's mostly exists for Shulk's benefit.

For that reason, it would indeed be a serious transgression if Pyra and/or Mythra weren't adequately represented alongside him. But that's not because Rex requires compensation -- it's because that's the whole point of his character in the first place. In story and gameplay alike.

His character having a purpose that is only present to make other characters more appealing is one of the main reasons I consider him a shallow character. He doesn’t really have any traits or motivation besides “I want to help!!” Which he reminds you of time and time again.

Shulk has a responsibility to not only avenge someone he loved, not only to take up where Dunban couldn’t, not only to push Sharla forward despite her troubles, and not only to help Melia confront the challenge of leading her people but also for his own destined connection to other powers. There’s a lotta facets to Shulks “male power fantasy”.

I don’t hate Rex by any means but all he basically is is a vessel to push the story of Xenoblade 2 forward and that’s often by encouraging others. And encouraging is about as much of a personality as I have seen from him.

 

[ZelDan]

....this may be a scathing hot take, but I don't have a whole lot of.... well respect isn't the word I'd use but.... I'm really indifferent towards Dead or Alive?


Like, I dunno what it is but the series.... seems kinda like a joke to me? Is that like, super controversial or something? And then there's the spin offs and.... hoo boy that's a lot of boobs.

Dead or Alive is a series that I sometimes remember exists.

DoA is weird in that I feel like the spinoffs are more remembered or recognized than the main games for...well...obvious reasons.

I should say I'm not really that into the fighting genre myself though so I'm not exactly the best to judge. Smash is the only fighting game franchise I care about (and yes I consider Smash fighting games). Only other fighting game franchise I used to be into was Soul Calibur (played 2-4), but that was a while ago.

 

[Idon]

Wait... who is Ayane and why would they be considered the possible Nintendo choice?

Ninja girl from the Dead or Alive series. Has a rivalry with Kasumi, the face of the franchise, and sometimes appears in Ninja Gaiden as well.

As for why she'd be the Nintendo pick, Nintendo apparently requested that they put her in Fatal Frame V, another game KT makes as it was a spin on how DoA characters are usually seasoned fighters but now she's put in a powerless position and has to sneak around. Don't exactly think it means anything for Smash, personally.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

While only the first game is set in Phantomile, Klonoa is referred to as a Phantomilian and so is the language everyone speaks. Yep, the games have their own language. Heck, they even sang a song in that language.
They gave an option for standard English in the Wii remake of Door to Phantomile, but uh... I feel like they could've found a more fitting VA for Klonoa.

Eh. I like this version better.

 

[PSIGuy]

You know... I’m hoping the lack of X music could mean an X character later. ARMS’s base game content was the Spring Man AT, the Spring Man and Ribbon Girl costumes and a handful of spirits. The music didn’t come until Min Min

heres hoping

I think it's just a case of it being a game Japanese players don't really care about and as a result getting neglected by the Japanese dev team. Compare with how Sakurai himself wanted XB2 stuff in and ended up putting it in the story mode (as one of the final map spirit fights, even) or how someone REALLY liked Fire Emblem on the sound team so it got multiple tracks from Echoes, Codename Steam (!!!!!) and several new map arrangements.

 

[Droodle]

Elma's only chance is if we get an X port sometime next year, which could happen considering it's the only major Wii U game to not get put on Switch thus far. Otherwise X lacking music is probably just a weird copyright thing or Sakurai ignoring it for some unknown reason. But on the topic of Xenoblade, Rex is honestly the jankiest character to speculate about. On the one hand there's a plethora of content to pull from XC2 & Torna to make a challenger pack of him + he doesn't have an icon online despite Pyra and Mythra having one, but he is a Mii Costume and there is music in the base game, however little. I'm never quite sure how to feel about him and go back and forth between the door being left open for his inclusion ala ARMs, or just conceding that he's a victim of poor timing. I'd be extremely happy with either Xeno protag though, however much I doubt their inclusion.

Monster Hunter on the other hand? I think they're the likeliest newcomer aside from Hayabusa. If FP2 really is going to consist mostly or entirely of characters or series that are being revisited in some fashion, MH is the elephant in the room. We already have Rathalos in the game but the Mii Costumes are taking literal years to get rereleased. It's akin to Dragon Quest in the sense it's more culturally relevant in Japan, and Rise parallels DQ11 as an upcoming 3rd party title that Nintendo has been pushing heavily.

I don't think XCX is getting a remake, at least next year. Takahashi has said multiple times that he wants something to do something new, and even confirmed that they could have made Future Connected bigger by adding more resources, but it would have impacted the development for the new game that they are making.

Monolith Soft's Takahashi Tetsuya Talks Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition In This Translated Famitsu Interview

Casual mode, 20 hour epilogue and more!

www.nintendolife.com

Considering that XC:DE and probably Torna have been done by smaller teams compared to XC: 2, I imagine that the next "Xeno" game is probably coming out/or at the very least was planned to come out next year (though COVID probably delayed it). To note is that in the middle of 2018, Monolith had big hiring sprees twice; once for whatever the new Fantasy IP thing they've hinted at, and the other relating to more Xenoblade.

So assuming that Xenoblade 3 or whatever, started development in the middle of 2018; 2021 is a good estimation of it's "probable" release pre-COVID. Though granted the Fantasy IP that they've been working on has been in development since like 2017 (assuming it is real); but that isn't Takahashi's team.

Now if the hypothetical Xenoblade 3 releases next year, would they get in Smash? I dunno. But Nintendo loves ending off DLC with the main character of their recent "big" game, and I expect that trend to continue with this pass too.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

I don't think XCX is getting a remake, at least next year. Takahashi has said multiple times that he wants something to do something new, and even confirmed that they could have made Future Connected bigger by adding more resources, but it would have impacted the development for the new game that they are making.

Monolith Soft's Takahashi Tetsuya Talks Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition In This Translated Famitsu Interview

Casual mode, 20 hour epilogue and more!

www.nintendolife.com

Considering that XC:DE and probably Torna have been done by smaller teams compared to XC: 2, I imagine that the next "Xeno" game is probably coming out/or at the very least was planned to come out next year (though COVID probably delayed it). To note is that in the middle of 2018, Monolith had big hiring sprees twice; once for whatever the new Fantasy IP thing they've hinted at, and the other relating to more Xenoblade.

So assuming that Xenoblade 3 or whatever, started development in the middle of 2018; 2021 is a good estimation of it's "probable" release pre-COVID. Though granted the Fantasy IP that they've been working on has been in development since like 2017 (assuming it is real); but that isn't Takahashi's team.

Now if the hypothetical Xenoblade 3 releases next year, would they get in Smash? I dunno. But Nintendo loves ending off DLC with the main character of their recent "big" game, and I expect that trend to continue with this pass too.

What about a Xenoblade X2? It could happen since X's story isn't over yet.

 

[Droodle]

What about a Xenoblade X2? It could happen since X's story isn't over yet.

I dunno, that's possible too. It depends on what Takahashi think's is "new". Though I would have imagined an XCX Definitive Edition would be a higher priority than XC DE if they had a sequel to it planned next.

 

[GoodGrief741]

I'm convinced Capcom isn't happening this pass, Resident Evil was the only viable character. Street Fighter could get Chun Li, and Dante could happen, Monster Hunter might just get a spirit event and Ace Attorney isn't important enough in any way to beat out the previous franchises.

Resident Evil isn't a character you goober, it's a series.

And calling the franchise that proved visual novels are commercially viable worldwide unimportant... Yikes.

 

[SnowClaws]

Wait... who is Ayane and why would they be considered the possible Nintendo choice?

Ayane is one of many Koei Temco mascots and most recognizable Ninja girl in video gaming media. When people often stated that Ryu Hayabusa have the most crossover appearance in KT, it actually Ayane that does shows up more than any other KT characters in a crossover. She have appeared in Ninja Gaiden, three Senran Kagura games, Dynasty Warriors, Warriors Orochi, Fatal Frame (Nintendo's request/suggestion), and Destiny Child.

For Ninja Gaiden, Ayane have shown up from the very beginning of the reboot NG modern story and becomes the spotlight throughout the continuity of the reboot. In fact, she was even given her very own expendable story in Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge edition. Reminder Razor's Edge was a Wii U game first and the very first trailer of the game shows Ayane way before showing off Ryu Hayabusa.

The only reason for why I listed Ayane as a possible Nintendo choice is that Nintendo is aware of Dead or Alive (the fighting game) and out of the DOA characters, why did they choose Ayane, and not Kasumi, the obvious main heroine/cover star of DOA. Between Razor's Edge (2012) and Fatal Frame V (2014), she manage to overall have a bigger presence than Ryu Hayabusa. Ninja Gaiden is kinda died after Yaiba (2014) killed the series.

Anyways, I looking forwards to the three possible Mii costumes title card due to the M rating:
Smash Ultimate X Hayabusa or Smash Ultimate X Ninja Gaiden (Ryu Hayabusa's costume)
Smash Ultimate X Ayane (Ayane's costume)
Smash Ultimate X Kasumi (Kasumi's costume)

Note: all three characters did have their outfits used in other Koei Temco games and other crossover. So, I ain't surprised if either of one them end up as Mii costume.

 

[PSIGuy]

To note is that in the middle of 2018, Monolith had big hiring sprees twice; once for whatever the new Fantasy IP thing they've hinted at, and the other relating to more Xenoblade.

Pretty sure that was just a way to hire for Breath of the Wild 2 without saying Breath of the Wild 2.
I mean, really...

Monolith Soft Is Hiring Employees For A New Fantasy Action RPG

Monolith Soft, the company behind Xenoblade Chronicles, is hiring “action game staff” to work on an upcoming project. This project looks really different from anything they’ve wor…

nintendosoup.com

According to the company’s website, they are looking for battle planners who have an interest in medieval fantasy and “western gaming trends”. They’re also seeking out action part programmers who have experience in “action game experience” and “enemy AI”.

A medieval fantasy game... that uses western gaming trends... and enemy AI of some complexity? You mean like some kind of... open world game where you play as a knight elf and fight monsters who use their environment against you, maybe?

 

[Eremurus]

Everytime I lurk this thread, I learn something new.

You nerds.

 

[P.Kat]

I've been thinking about it high and low, and I think that people who think Ryu is the most likely KT rep might want to look at this article (forgive the fact that it's in French).

I'm curious to see how off the rails speculation would go if Kasumi actually got in over Ryu. Imagine; it's another, in the Smash fanbase's terms, "literal who" beating out one of the most speculated characters in the history franchise. The aftermath would be hard to imagine.

I wouldn't if we got either Kasumi or Ayane, I wouldn't mind more ninja's in general.

 

[I.D.]

Honestly, the only reason I don’t really like Rex is because he was an attempt to rehash Shulk but Shulk has a much bigger reason to carry his journey forward but the only reason Rex really has is Pyra told him too. I dunno. Pyra is fine but I think Rex is a very shallow character. He could have a fun moveset though. But then so could Elma what with dual blades, dual machine guns, and acrobatic and magical arts.

Shulk is a nerdy aspiring engineer driven by revenge while Rex is a blue collar worker driven by altruism, what do they even have in common other than "young male"

 

[Freduardo]

Best ninja for smash:

Kat & Ana -wario ware characters that used to be an assist trophy and now are just spirits.

Impa - sheikah is ninja and we all know it

Ryu Hayabusa - Ninja Gaiden

Ninji - Honestly doesn’t have the moveset potential of pirahna plant as there haven’t been many ninji offshoots. Damn adorable though

Master Kohga - Breath of the Wild has a sequel and a spin off, the Yiga clan head is pretty neat, and could have a trailer where his love of bananas shows him a certain banana hoard.

Any ninja turtle - western non video game origins immediately disqualify, but their gaming history is totally radical. And Smash Up was one of the first non smash bros platform fighters to not suck.

Koga - We already have a pokemon ninja so we probably don’t need a pokemon trainer ninja

Saizo, Kaze. or anyone else from Fire Emblem Fates - only lords and avatars need apply it seems and we have enough of them.

Ninja Kirby - Not unless you’ve already drained every character out of Kirby Fighters 2.

Strider Hiryu - Once again non video game origin disqualifies, but a great gaming history and design certainly makes for a tempting pick.

Scorpion - Apparently only makes sense in the west. But it certainly makes a lot of sense in the west.

 

[Captain Shwampy]

Best ninja for smash:

Kat & Ana -wario ware characters that used to be an assist trophy and now are just spirits.

Impa - sheikah is ninja and we all know it

Ryu Hayabusa - Ninja Gaiden

Ninji - Honestly doesn’t have the moveset potential of pirahna plant as there haven’t been many ninji offshoots. Damn adorable though

Master Kohga - Breath of the Wild has a sequel and a spin off, the Yiga clan head is pretty neat, and could have a trailer where his love of bananas shows him a certain banana hoard.

Any ninja turtle - western non video game origins immediately disqualify, but their gaming history is totally radical. And Smash Up was one of the first non smash bros platform fighters to not suck.

Koga - We already have a pokemon ninja so we probably don’t need a pokemon trainer ninja

Saizo, Kaze. or anyone else from Fire Emblem Fates - only lords and avatars need apply it seems and we have enough of them.

Ninja Kirby - Not unless you’ve already drained every character out of Kirby Fighters 2.

Strider Hiryu - Once again non video game origin disqualifies, but a great gaming history and design certainly makes for a tempting pick.

Scorpion - Apparently only makes sense in the west. But it certainly makes a lot of sense in the west.

Didn't even say Hotsuma or Musashi or any Oboro clan ninja for that matter

Yikes