Official Newcomer/DLC Speculation Discussion

[Michael the Spikester]

Remember once Vergeben speaks out his peace. Its all over for debating and speculation.

 

[Deleted member]

Remember once Vergeben speaks out his peace. Its all over for debating and speculation.

so speculation lasts until the day before the next direct happens.

 

[Sour Supreme]

Hayabusa's the only one making headway with leakers (IamShifty and Drew) so it's difficult to argue against him. I'd say he's the most likely because he's the only one who we've been hearing.

Now if you don't buy into the leaker market like I do, then it's an open basket (at least until Vergeben says who's next).

Brew and Shifty have the same source, keep in mind. So, it's kinda just the reliability of one person.

 

[Deleted member]

Verg's the word, that's what they say. I'm surprised he hasn't said anything yet. Or is it because he prefers to leak when the direct is near? I don;t know the guy. But still, yeah, anyone's up for grabs.

I've seen so many fake Hayabusa leaks I dunno what to believe anymore. This is one of those times I must keep my mind wide open.

Verge is definitely the word when it comes to Smash fighters. That being said, he's become more cautious these days because he took some hits post-Incineroar.

And I agree that a lot of anonymous leaks on Hayabusa are jack ****, like 5chan. I'm just curious about Drew and IamShifty. They're vaguely credible (guessing PPlant) and they're both saying the same thing (Hayabusa).

 

[Curious Villager]

Verg's the word, that's what they say. I'm surprised he hasn't said anything yet. Or is it because he prefers to leak when the direct is near? I don;t know the guy. But still, yeah, anyone's up for grabs.

I've seen so many fake Hayabusa leaks I dunno what to believe anymore. This is one of those times I must keep my mind wide open.

He seems to prefer to stay quiet until the last minute these days, at least as far as DLC characters go, so yeah, we probably won't be hearing anything from him until we are closer to the next character reveal.

 

[Deleted member]

Remember once Vergeben speaks out his peace. Its all over for debating and speculation.

Though if he knew that if it were Haya, Doomguy, or Crash he would've spoken out already. Guess we're all left in the dark here.

so speculation lasts until the day before the next direct happens.

At this rate that's not wrong either.

*yawn* gotta go to sleep. Then I wake up the next day and find more leaks. And there's that 35% chance Verg's broken the silence. See, this is why I still wake up everyday.

Brew and Shifty have the same source, keep in mind. So, it's kinda just the reliability of one person.

I still have doubts on that.

Verge is definitely the word when it comes to Smash fighters. That being said, he's become more cautious these days because he took some hits post-Incineroar.

And I agree that a lot of anonymous leaks on Hayabusa are jack ****, like 5chan. I'm just curious about Drew and IamShifty. They're vaguely credible (guessing PPlant) and they're both saying the same thing (Hayabusa).

Trust rating fo rVerg's at around 85%, and that's still big.

 

[ChronoBound]

In regards to most hype worthy unveils, I have quite a bit to say.

I know this particular topic was done a long time ago, but as someone that has been following Smash Bros. even before it was released in North America, I think I might have an unique perspective on things.

The Melee unveil, Brawl unveil, the Ultimate unveil, and the August 2018 Direct are particular standouts. In regards to individual confirmations (not tied to full game unveils), the standouts for me personally were Roy's return, Sonic. and Ike.

For an actual game unveil, Smash 4 did the least for me.

Melee's unveil:

It was absolutely incredible. We got this amazing cinematic that showed off all the characters from their various worlds. Seeing Ridley fighting Samus in 3D was such a beautiful sight for someone that had been wishing for a new Metroid title all through the late 90's. The game graphics were amazing to me at the time and really impressed me, especially coming off of Smash 64. All the new modes, the much larger selection of stages, the potential newcomer selection (Ridley, Ganondorf, Wolf, and Samurai Goroh all being in the trailer as well as Bowser being one of the first newcomers made many believe that this game was going to bring in villains from various franchises). It really was the game that set the stage for the speculation and character support scene. Melee's unveil dazzled me with endless fantasies for months to come.

Ice Climbers were a weird choice to me, as was Sheik (I thought Ganondorf would be the next Zelda character, as he was by far the most popular Zelda character after Link). However, aside from that, the rest of the unveil amazed me completely. Samus fighting Ridley in the trailer was what made me think that Ridley actually had a shot of being playable in Smash Bros., and the impetus for me even joining the Smash Bros. speculation and character support community. To think it would not be for another 17 years before he actually would be confirmed.

The thing with the Melee unveil is that it was not really the newcomer confirmations that hyped me (I did not personally care for any of the four newcomers that were confirmed), but rather an assortment of things such as the presentation (the trailer), the particularity of Samus vs. Ridley, the massive graphics boost, the enormous selection of stages (already rivaling Smash 64 from the getgo), the new game modes (particularly trophies and Adventure Mode). This game seemed set to be a game that massively expanded upon what Smash 64 introduced.

I was already someone that daydreamed about the roster for the next title before, but Melee's unveil made me think about it every day.

It was a combination of being hyped about what was shown, and what it could potentially be.


Brawl's unveil:

I ended up enjoying Melee even more than Smash 64, and it became one of my favorite games of all time. At this point, even before Brawl's unveil, I would constantly fantasize about what the roster for Smash 3 would be. While Ridley was far away my most wanted character, there were also other characters I greatly desired such as Pit and Wario. I also thought Smash 3 would be the game to finally add in other big names like King Dedede, Diddy Kong, and Meta Knight. I thought Smash 3 would be the game to finally add the characters I wanted the most (Melee already satisfied what I was dreaming about in terms of game modes).

When Brawl was unveiled, I was really happy about three of the confirmations. Wario and Pit in particular were two of my most wanted characters in the first half of the 2000's, and Meta Knight was another choice I was very glad to see (Meta Knightmare mode in Nightmare in Dream Land made me think he was very well suited for Smash Bros.). The actual cutscene was incredible, but it did not amaze to the extent Melee's trailer did. The graphics were also not as big a jump as they were from Smash 64 to Melee (understandable), and there did not seem to be much unveiled in terms of new modes and stages.

However, there were two characters that I had mixed feelings about. While Snake made everyone go wild, personally I was not keen on him because I felt the character seemed out of place in the game and had little history with Nintendo in general. As a big Castlevania fan, I felt Konami should have went with someone from the Castlevania series instead especially considering that series had a long history with Nintendo and was still receiving new titles for their consoles into the present (Portrait of Ruin was even announced for DS that year).

However, Snake's confirmation also opened the door for non-Nintendo characters I personally really loved and cared about to join the roster, particularly Sonic and Mega Man. Sonic in particular was someone I really wanted to see, especially after recently playing through Sonic CD on Sonic Gems Collection, which reminded me why I was such a fan of the character and the series. Sonic became my next most wanted character for Brawl after Ridley.

However, there was also Zero Suit Samus. That inclusion right there really irked me as Metroid fan for many reasons. One is that it was the beginning of Samus being seen as a sex icon by the internet (while the Zero Suit existed since 2004, it really did not explode in artwork popularity until the confirmation of Zero Suit Samus), and as someone who cherished Samus from childhood, it hurt seeing Samus now joining the ranks of Morrigan, Mai Shiranui, and Felicia as a video game sex icon. Her only purpose seemed to give Smash Bros. its own Mai Shiranui, which seemed dumb (especially since it was not a series aimed at teens/young adults like most other fighters), as well as considering how the Metroid series had two very important characters not yet on the roster at that point, Ridley and Dark Samus. I felt Zero Suit Samus making it in, made it less likely for both Ridley and Dark Samus to make it in who were truly deserving. However, I felt Ridley still had very strong prospects considering how Melee added multiple characters for Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, and Fire Emblem, as well as that Meta Knight being confirmed early on meant a good chance that Dedede was probably be saved for a later date.

So while my feelings regarding Brawl's unveil were more mixed than Melee, I was really hyped a new Smash Bros. title had been announced, that several of my most wanted characters got confirmed, as well as the possibility for some of my favorite non-Nintendo characters to join the franchise. I eagerly awaited any new information for Brawl (which was a massive drought, there was barely anything after the E3 unveil for months on end), and I thought this would finally be Ridley's time, as well as the opportunity for Sonic and Mega Man to join in what was now one of my favorite franchises ever.

Ultimate's unveil:

The thing is I came into the Ultimate period barely caring about Smash Bros. anymore. I basically "retired" from the community after Roy's confirmation (something I really hoped for, and was a miracle for all sorts of reasons), as well as the realization that Ridley would likely never make it onto the roster for an official Smash Bros. title (Sakurai's own thoughts on the topic in November 2014 basically made be pessimistic about his prospects going forward).

I only made two posts after June 2015 until April 2018, and with the teaser for the next title on the Switch, I was more like "let's wait and see". There was little for me to personally look forward to, aside from possibly Dixie Kong. Unlike previous epochs, I simply cared little about the next title.

The rumblings about Ridley had me skeptical especially considering that Vergeben was someone who only had a 50/50 track record at best at that point, as well as all the fake Ridley leaks that existed throughout the years.

My expectation was that they were going to cut quite a few characters on the roster (including Roy and Lucas), add in a lot of fresh faces like Smash 4 was, and maybe bring back Wolf and Ice Climbers.

What actually ended up happening was the realization of two long running dreams I had. The characters being confirmed with various numbers got me very intrigued. When I saw Pokemon Trainer was confirmed to return (something I did not expect), I was pleasantly surprised. I was then wondering if they would confirm the rest of Smash 4's veterans. When it got to "everyone is here" after Snake's confirmation, I literally gasped. Seeing my boy Roy confirmed shortly afterward, as well as Pichu (a character whom I thought unlikely to ever return due to how he was deemed a "joke" character), I was in hype shock. I could not believe it was real. The music score accompanying the trailer also helped complete it. It was both triumphant and melancholy, celebrating that everyone throughout the series had finally come back for this installment, but at the same time a bit sorrowful because it was a sort of "curtain call", the last act. Building towards the end of the "everyone is here" trailer and seeing even Young Link was brought back, someone I never ever thought would ever return in the series as long as Toon Link was on the roster, made it truly seem like this game really was about bringing back EVERYONE.

I was blown away. As a big Roy supporter, I felt the pain of not having one of your favorite characters return for the next installment, as well as various people saying your character did not deserve to come back given with various excuses. Mewtwo and Roy were both very popular so there was many supporting their return, but I felt sympathy for the fans of other characters that had been cut from Melee to Brawl (Dr. Mario, Pichu, and Young Link). I saw just like Roy, Dr. Mario had a fanbase too, and like Roy's did not often speak up when detractors were mouthing off. While I thought Mewtwo, Roy, and Dr. Mario had plausible prospects of returning based on various factors (Mewtwo due to his overwhelming popularity and the intention to bring him back for Brawl, Roy with his high popularity and the intention to bring him back for Brawl, and with Dr. Mario being a very easy character to bring back as well as him being planned for Brawl), there did not seem to be such hope for Pichu and Young Link. Pichu was maligned as the most hated addition to the series ever (up until some Smash 4 additions) due to him being implemented as a joke fighter in Melee, and with Young Link there were already two Links on the roster with one filling the quick, light Link clone role.

I felt a lot of sympathy for fans of those characters as it seemed unlike the former three (Mewtwo, Roy, and Dr. Mario) there did not seem to be plausible hope they would ever return. After Smash 4's cuts, there seemed to be more characters added to the list of "likely to never return", namely Squirtle, Ivysaur, and possibly Snake. The former two (and Pokemon Trainer as a whole) seemed to strangely have few requests to come back, while the latter had very bad blood going on between Hideo Kojima and Konami that made his return seem unlikely going forward.

When Roy actually did return, it was something triumphant. It felt like a homecoming similar to what protagonists in the Fire Emblem series feel upon reclaiming their invaded homeland. It was so miraculous coming off of the expectations that he had almost no chances for DLC due to Smash 4's Fire Emblem representation (four characters and Lucina being a Marth clone) as well as the fact that other cut characters were seen as a priority over Roy.

This miraculous feeling, I wanted everyone to have it, and I personally hoped and dreamed that there would come a time where somehow they would manage to bring back every single veteran in the series for a single installment, but I knew that would be unlikely ever to happen for a wide variety of reasons. Many of Smash 4's newcomers (though I did not personally care for most of them) seemed like one-offs doomed to only have their only home console Smash appearance on a console that sold far worse than the GameCube.

"Everyone is here" was a miracle. For once, there would be no debates in the speculation period about who should/would be cut and who is coming back. For once, it focused entirely on who had yet to make it in at all.

It was beautiful.

However, it did not end there. Seeing the trailer play out for Ridley was absolutely incredible. It had been the one thing I had been hoping for the most in regards to Smash Bros. ever since the first installment to the franchise. Moreover, Ridley had very nice design and even a Meta Ridley alt (something I hoped for, but doubt was going to happen). Ridley being added in truly singled to me that this game was a culmination of the entire series. Ridley was a character that went from background cameo, to opening trailer shoutout and trophy, to two boss fights, and to a boss fight/stage hazard that could become your ally and had elements of a fighter. Ridley had finally made it onto the actual roster itself. Moreover, it happened at a point where I had given up most hope of it ever happening.

For weeks and months afterward, it still felt surreal to no longer be dreaming about whether Ridley would be on the roster, and instead to be seeing him as part of the cast. It was the end of something that I had been wishing for nearly 20 years, and not just that, but I would be able to enjoy him alongside all the other characters that existed in prior installments that I had been hoping he would be a part of.

Ridley and Everyone is Here literally sold a Switch to me. I had little intention of getting a Switch (Wii U was the only Nintendo home console I never bought), and I only owned the 3DS version of Smash 4. I never could have thought a title like Ultimate could actually happen even a day prior to its formal unveil.

It was here that I started to become a lot more active in speculation and character support again like I had been in prior epochs.

I was very eager to see what lie ahead even with Sakurai's warning there would only be a few newcomers this time. Especially, with the rumors from Vergeben that Simon would also be part of the roster, as well as the conspicuous absence of Samus's Dark Samus palette and Assist Trophy. I was VERY eager to see from this point forward where Sakurai and his team would take Ultimate.

Absolutely incredible.


August 2018 Direct:

As said before, I did not know how Sakurai and his team could continue momentum after the E3 unveil, but the August Direct did. Not only was Simon confirmed, but he looked the best he ever has (his Ultimate design is very underrated and captures him perfectly), and there managed to be a second Castlevania newcomer as well, Richter (Rondo of Blood being the one game I was hoping for on the Virtual Console the most throughout the late 2000s). There was also a confirmation of a plethora of Castlevania content from the stage that featured lots of cameos of classic Castlevania bosses, to the very massive song selection, to Alucard's confirmation as an Assist Trophy, and a boss fight with Dracula himself. As a Castlevania fan, I never could have imagined that not only would the series would someday feature in Smash Bros. (especially considering the Smash Bubble barely talked about it), but that it would be given such a generous amount of content. The 12 years of waiting after Snake's confirmation were worth it.

It just continued from there. I was not expecting Sakurai to confirm additional newcomers after Simon and Richter. However, I was not surprised about who ended up being confirmed (since Ike and Samus were missing their Chrom and Dark Samus palettes respectively in the E3 demo, as well as the conspicuous absence of Robin's Final Smash not being shown off). While not personally a fan of Chrom, it felt satisfying for the character to make the roster after the harsh treatment he received in Smash 4, and that he indeed did got his chance another day.

However, the next confirmation literally made me gasp. I knew Dark Samus had good prospects, but I was expecting her to be kept hidden until the game's release. She was a character I thought whose chances of ever becoming playable were shot after Brawl's release for a multitude of reasons (such as her dying for good at the end of Prime 3 thus making it very unlikely she would ever have any future appearances, as well as the fact Ridley still had not made it in, thus making her overshadowed by him for yet another title). Seeing Dark Samus fighting alongside Ridley to fight Samus was something I had dreamed about over a decade, ago, and thought it was unlikely to ever happen as a result of Zero Suit Samus making it in (I thought there was no way Metroid was going to get three newcomers in Brawl). Seeing Metroid finally become "complete" again shocked me in a good way. Dark Samus is a character whose chances were virtually seen as negligible, and just a few months ago, it seemed as though Metroid would probably not even get a newcomer in the Switch Smash title.

So there were two dreams I had going back over 10 years ago that were fulfilled with this direct and it was not even finished.

I was filled with ever more excitement seeing all the stages that were confirmed to come back. Brinstar Depths in particular was something I really wanted to see come back. This game truly was a culmination of the Smash Bros. series. This was the title I never even thought I could dream of, yet it was somehow made possible.

The direct ended up with confirmation of K. Rool. While I did not personally care for K. Rool, I personally was glad to see that the last remaining "titan" from pre-Smash 4 period was finally confirmed with Ultimate. Ultimate now seemed legendary.

After the August Direct, again it was surreal. It closed multiple long running things that I had personally hoped for as well as the Smash community as a whole. The only thing left I still wanted to see at that point was Dixie Kong (whom I felt had good prospects for after that Direct, especially considering even Dark Samus was confirmed).

However, only two weeks after the Direct I became privy to inside information saying that there were only three more characters on the base roster (Isabelle, Incineroar, and Ken). I believed it due to the quality of the source, and thus my hopes for Dixie on the base roster were dashed. However, I still felt immense hype for Ultimate, and it exceeded the hype and anticipation I had for Smash 4 and even Brawl (Melee was such a long time ago I cannot judge whether I felt more hype for that one or not).

Ultimate was truly special. Heck, I was probably among the few that was hyped by the final pre-release Ultimate Direct in early November. I just wanted the game in my hands, and that was a feeling I had not felt since the 2000's.



As said before there are a few individual confirmations that do stand out to me personally:

Ike's confirmation:

Enjoying Roy in Melee made me want to explore the Fire Emblem series, and the first game I played was Path of Radiance. I really liked the actual game and Ike's character as a whole. I personally hoped that he would be the next game's Fire Emblem newcomer. However, there was an extreme amount of competition for that slot. Lyn, Hector, Ephraim, Sigurd, Eliwood, Eirika, and later Micaiah all had sizable fanbases, and it was a truly massive war (I believe I made a big write up on this during pre-Smash 4). There was a great deal of uncertainty about which character would be chosen but the consensus it would be most likely Ike, Lyn, or Micaiah for various reasons.

Also, frankly, when Ike was actually confirmed it came out of nowhere. The Dojo (the official Brawl website) had very late updates before, and I (and the rest of the Smash fanbase) was not expecting newcomers to be announced on the website up until this point. I was in shock to refresh the page and see a "warning challenger approaching" banner and to scroll down and see Ike confirmed. I literally shouted in excitement at that.


Sonic's confirmation:

As I said earlier, after Brawl's unveil, Sonic shot up to be my second most wanted newcomer for the title. Sonic was a character I really liked during my childhood (I especially loved the Genesis titles), and the idea of him being in a game alongside all my other favorite game characters (who are mostly Nintendo owned) was really incredible.

While Sonic was one of the highest demanded characters, there was still an uncertainty as to whether he would make it in. Sonic in many ways were the first mega star requested character (at this point I do not think there are any characters left that fill the kind of position that the likes of Sonic, Mega Man, Ridley, Diddy Kong, K. Rool, and King Dedede had), and it was a really exciting to see this massive amount of support happening for him.

Sonic being confirmed really made me think that Brawl was really going to be the Smash Bros. game I always hoped and dreamed of. Brawl in general had an incredible newcomer selection (and stage selection). Ironically, with Brawl, the opposite happened with what happened with Melee. With Melee, I did not care for most of the newcomers selected, yet I ended up absolutely loving the game, while with Brawl, much of the newcomers were characters I personally wanted to see in, but the actual game was something I did not like to play.

But still, Sonic making it in was the first time a megastar potential newcomer was ever confirmed, and you could actually see all the excitement and hype posts. It was beginning of a new era for Smash speculation, because at that point because it was there that people really believed that massive campaigns could drive character inclusion in Smash Bros.


Roy's confirmation:

As I said before, Roy is a character I really like. I really enjoyed using him in Melee, to the point where I used him just as much as my traditional Smash Bros. main, Samus. Enjoying Roy as much as did, is what lead me to trying out the Fire Emblem series (and really enjoying it), and later importing the Japan-only titles (namely FE6, FE5, FE4, and FE3). For Roy, I noticed no one else stood up for him even though he seemed popular and widely used. I decided to become the one to actively champion Roy (the only other character to which I had put in as much support and effort in regards to their inclusion is none other than Ridley).

For my Roy support, I was constantly attacked and belittled by various factions for wanting to see "fire marf" return. However, it was also warming to see a gradual movement building over time, with various Roy fans learning not to let the various detractors bully them for liking and enjoying a character they spent a lot of time with. With Roy, there was a whole community built up supporting a character whom we felt whose prospects for a long time were "50/50".

With Roy fans, we shared artwork and stories about the fond memories we had playing Melee (and later Project M) as well as FE6. We were never at the forefront like many other fanbases during pre-Smash 4, but we still had a large and active fanbase that gradually snowballed over the course of pre-Smash 4. Developments like Roy being added to Project M served to show just what Roy could bring to Smash Bros. even as a Marth semiclone.

However, after the confirmation of Robin and Lucina (who was shown to be a Marth clone), I became pessimistic about Roy's prospects, and thought the only possibility for him being part of the roster was as DLC (and this was if DLC was even going to happen). When Smash 4 was released, with a bunch of popular veterans being cut, and those veterans now getting more focus than Roy, it seemed even his prospects for DLC were dire.

Yet somehow, the Roy fanbase became even stronger. I was completely worn out of speculation and character support by the end of 2014, yet seeing Roy fans rally even further somehow was what gave me the drive to deliver those "rally speeches" that Roy fans fondly remember. They were making websites, drawing fan comics, doing everything that I was hoping the Roy fanbase would do throughout those seven years. It was miraculous.

Later when the Smash Ballot was announced, Roy fans went in with swords blazing (heh) creating popular comics and art on Miiverse, and lots of people speaking up about how cool it would be see to Roy return in Smash. However, what happened shortly afterward was something I was never expecting.

Leftover files from Mewtwo's update, seemed to show Roy and Ryu were going to be DLC. Much of the "Smash Bubble" was naturally upset that two of the upcoming DLC characters were not their own personal characters of choice, but for Roy fans and most Smash fans in general, they were excited at the prospect of his return.

However, for myself, I did not count it as a victory. The "war" was not over until Roy was actually confirmed. I felt, like the detractors, that the files could have possibly have been scrapped plans, much like his leftover files in Brawl. For the next several months, myself and other Roy fans continued to push back against the detractors who made claims like Roy would simply be a straight port of his Melee self or that no one would be hyped for him.

When the E3 2015 Smash Direct opened with all the Fire Emblem characters clashing, my heart jumped. But hearing Jun Fukuyama's Roy cry out, "Don't forget about me!", made me jump for excitement, with Roy's new awesome design being shown and Roy exclaiming, "I've returned at last" being something that made me feel more hype for in regards to any individual character unveil up until that point. Little touches like Roy attacking Roy Koopa (of which was used by detractors as a sort of claim for why he could not return since two characters with the same name could not be part of the roster, as well as the dumb joke, "We already have Roy in the game, har har".) made the trailer even more enjoyable.

Roy's return ended up being extremely well received. It was an incredible miracle that it even happened considered everything stacked against it happening, but I am grateful it did. It was from Roy's confirmation that I felt I had the closure necessary to move on from Smash speculation and character support, especially considering Ridley no longer seemed like a realistic prospect going forward. I only made two more posts on SmashBoards after June 2015 and prior to April 2018.

Afternotes:

I know this was a very long post, but as someone that had been there for every epoch of the Smash speculation fanbase, it might offer an unique perspective on things. Going forward, I am not sure what is left that could personally hype me like the above. I now have 95% of everything I ever hope for in regards to Smash Bros. I even managed to somehow get little things like my favorite character from F-Zero (Pico) having a role beyond spirit/trophy/sticker (where you get to outright control his F-Zero machine, the Wild Goose, in World of Light).

This title was as beautiful a sendoff for longtime fans such as myself could hope for. Overall, the two most memorable unveils for me were Melee's and Ultimate's. Melee's was what got me into the Smash speculation fanbase and character support, while Ultimate's was the realization of long held dreams and culmination of everything the franchise had been building into, and something to which I thought was unlikely to ever happen.

I think probably there won't be anymore unveils that manage to move me to the extent the above ones did. I personally really liked Banjo-Kazooie's confirmation though as the 64 titles (especially Kazooie) were among my favorite Nintendo 64. I did enjoy the NES Ninja Gaiden games so I might also like Ryu Hayabusa's confirmation assuming it actually does happen (especially if they make references in his unveil to the frustrating difficulty of the NES titles). The big three in terms of third-parties for me personally were Sonic, Mega Man, and Castlevania, so there are not any third-party announcements left that could personally really excite me (or at least what I think plausible to actually happen).

The last real big character for me personally is Dixie Kong, but I don't think Nintendo characters will happen as DLC (the closest to a Nintendo character that will be announced is Geno).

At this point, I just waiting to see what happens with this game, and just who ends up getting added out of sheer curiosity.

 

[Deleted member]

Good night y'all. And don'f forget to page me in case I might find something interesting.

 

[OrpheusTelos]

On the topic of Hayabusa, was there any particular reason people chose to gravitate towards the 5chan characters after that leak happened, especially Doomabusa in particular? From what I understand it was just another inconsequential fake text leak, but it seemed to have influenced the speculation community quite a bit. Even after that leak was disproven with Banjo making it in over Steve, people still held on to the idea that Doomguy and Hayabusa were totally gonna be next and latched onto any fake leak that mentioned one or both of them. The Google leak was basically just the 5chan leak but with Hero and Steve swapped with Banjo and Artorias, but people bought into that one and still tried to defend it with faulty reasoning after Hero and Banjo were both revealed. I'm just trying to figure out why people latched on to the idea of these two in particular despite no other evidence for their inclusion. Did people really like the idea of both of them that much? Was there something about the 5chan leak that I missed? This whole thing is such an anomaly to me and I'm not sure if I'll ever understand it.

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

Heres a real well made video on what Nightmare and Soul Calibur content might look like in Smash, ranging from move set, stage, music, classic mode route, and Mii costumes, and spirits!

 

[3BitSaurus]

It's just as I mentioned.

Fake leaks are merely advertisements. However, sometimes, it goes on and on up until the point when "can we talk about any other character for like one day"? I mean, why use that as a strategy? It's quite curious to me in fact. You're basically taking the concept that "this character could be in Smash". Soon enough, despite the illegitimacy of the leak, people will flock over and get to know the character more, and eventually, people would want to ask Sakurai to just put the character in the game. If said character didn;t make it, they'll clamor to Sakurai. That's how I see it.

I'm not a fan of this system. It seems to disappoint more than appease. That's all me.

I mean, that's certainly one way to gain support, but I don't think it's... that, uh...

...

... One second, I'll go make a fake leak with Ahri. Be right back.

In all seriousness, though, It's a similar situation to other characters: they were possible before, but they make the jump from "possible" to "expected" or even "wanted".

I mean, we're at a point where the possibilities are more insane than they've ever been. Kinda anecdotal, but I realized the other day that, if we don't get an AT/Spirit/Mii Costume promotion, I can barely make a Top 8 most wanted list for myself.

 

[lady_sky skipper]

Gotta admit that I would love to see Akari Hayami from 1080 Snowboarding as a sports game rep in Smash Ultimate or any of the human characters from the GBC/N64/GBA Mario Golf games.

 

[Sour Supreme]

Snowboarding

a sports game rep in Smash Ultimate

Run D.M.C.'s "It's Tricky" begins echoing through my mind

 

[Deleted member]

On the topic of Hayabusa, was there any particular reason people chose to gravitate towards the 5chan characters after that leak happened, especially Doomabusa in particular? From what I understand it was just another inconsequential fake text leak, but it seemed to have influenced the speculation community quite a bit. Even after that leak was disproven with Banjo making it in over Steve, people still held on to the idea that Doomguy and Hayabusa were totally gonna be next and latched onto any fake leak that mentioned one or both of them. The Google leak was basically just the 5chan leak but with Hero and Steve swapped with Banjo and Artorias, but people bought into that one and still tried to defend it with faulty reasoning after Hero and Banjo were both revealed. I'm just trying to figure out why people latched on to the idea of these two in particular despite no other evidence for their inclusion. Did people really like the idea of both of them that much? Was there something about the 5chan leak that I missed? This whole thing is such an anomaly to me and I'm not sure if I'll ever understand it.

Its just two characters that make sense to a lot of people, due to the dlc characters we have right now. Two legacy franchises don't seem too farfetched and people tend to skip on some content we have () to fit a pattern, so they keep repeating it.

 

[GKMLTTSB]

Eh, I sort of just hold Little Mac as being a sports-game rep as it stands. >_>

Oh my goodness! The match of the century! Who will be given the title of the Ryu king and who will be left as the nameless fool?

Breath of Fire's Ryu wins. Obviously.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Eh, I sort of just hold Little Mac as being a sports-game rep as it stands. >_>



Breath of Fire's Ryu wins. Obviously.

I thought Breath of Fire's protag was called Nina?

Its just two characters that make sense to a lot of people, due to the dlc characters we have right now. Two legacy franchises don't seem too farfetched and people tend to skip on some content we have () to fit a pattern, so they keep repeating it.

God that reminds me of people saying Google Theory was still possible until Terry happened and not, y'know, Hero

 

[Flik]

Sports rep? I can't see anyone better than Allejo from International Superstar Soccer.

 

[SneakyLink]

If we get a Sports character, can I recommend the player character from the Konami classic "Rack 'em Up"?

 

[Aerospherology]

so speculation lasts until the day before the next direct happens.

One day of peace.

 

[PeridotGX]

Here's something fun: If X character gets in smash, what is one very inconsequential thing they must have?

Example: If Knuckles gets in smash then his hit and/or death quote must be "Oh no".

If Fawful gets in, I want him to speak entirely through dialog boxes. Other than maybethe laugh, he'll have no actual lines, but if (for example) he gets hit hard, a textbox saying "OW" or "I HAVE PAIN!" would appear.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

It's just as I mentioned.

Fake leaks are merely advertisements. However, sometimes, it goes on and on up until the point when "can we talk about any other character for like one day"? I mean, why use that as a strategy? It's quite curious to me in fact. You're basically taking the concept that "this character could be in Smash". Soon enough, despite the illegitimacy of the leak, people will flock over and get to know the character more, and eventually, people would want to ask Sakurai to just put the character in the game. If said character didn;t make it, they'll clamor to Sakurai. That's how I see it.

I'm not a fan of this system. It seems to disappoint more than appease. That's all me.

I disagree, there are cases in which people merely didn't consider it. Again, my favourite example is Dante, who a lot of people here never considered until a fake leak, to which they felt "Oh I never considered Dante! I love Devil May Cry so he'd be cool!". Same with mariotehplumber's Google Theory making Dark Souls fans go "Oooh Artorius would be perfect for a Dark Souls rep!"

 

[DarthEnderX]

In regards to most hype worthy unveils, I have quite a bit to say.

Understatement of the century.

I thought Breath of Fire's protag was called Nina?

No. Ryu is the mc, Nina is the second most prominent character.

 

[KatKit]

I'd like a character that heavily relies on movement/mobility for attacking. Think Lilica from Arcana Hearts. Like... pure, unadulterated rushdown.

Spoiler

In regards to most hype worthy unveils, I have quite a bit to say.

I know this particular topic was done a long time ago, but as someone that has been following Smash Bros. even before it was released in North America, I think I might have an unique perspective on things.

The Melee unveil, Brawl unveil, the Ultimate unveil, and the August 2018 Direct are particular standouts. In regards to individual confirmations (not tied to full game unveils), the standouts for me personally were Roy's return, Sonic. and Ike.

For an actual game unveil, Smash 4 did the least for me.

Melee's unveil:

It was absolutely incredible. We got this amazing cinematic that showed off all the characters from their various worlds. Seeing Ridley fighting Samus in 3D was such a beautiful sight for someone that had been wishing for a new Metroid title all through the late 90's. The game graphics were amazing to me at the time and really impressed me, especially coming off of Smash 64. All the new modes, the much larger selection of stages, the potential newcomer selection (Ridley, Ganondorf, Wolf, and Samurai Goroh all being in the trailer as well as Bowser being one of the first newcomers made many believe that this game was going to bring in villains from various franchises). It really was the game that set the stage for the speculation and character support scene. Melee's unveil dazzled me with endless fantasies for months to come.

Ice Climbers were a weird choice to me, as was Sheik (I thought Ganondorf would be the next Zelda character, as he was by far the most popular Zelda character after Link). However, aside from that, the rest of the unveil amazed me completely. Samus fighting Ridley in the trailer was what made me think that Ridley actually had a shot of being playable in Smash Bros., and the impetus for me even joining the Smash Bros. speculation and character support community. To think it would not be for another 17 years before he actually would be confirmed.

The thing with the Melee unveil is that it was not really the newcomer confirmations that hyped me (I did not personally care for any of the four newcomers that were confirmed), but rather an assortment of things such as the presentation (the trailer), the particularity of Samus vs. Ridley, the massive graphics boost, the enormous selection of stages (already rivaling Smash 64 from the getgo), the new game modes (particularly trophies and Adventure Mode). This game seemed set to be a game that massively expanded upon what Smash 64 introduced.

I was already someone that daydreamed about the roster for the next title before, but Melee's unveil made me think about it every day.

It was a combination of being hyped about what was shown, and what it could potentially be.


Brawl's unveil:

I ended up enjoying Melee even more than Smash 64, and it became one of my favorite games of all time. At this point, even before Brawl's unveil, I would constantly fantasize about what the roster for Smash 3 would be. While Ridley was far away my most wanted character, there were also other characters I greatly desired such as Pit and Wario. I also thought Smash 3 would be the game to finally add in other big names like King Dedede, Diddy Kong, and Meta Knight. I thought Smash 3 would be the game to finally add the characters I wanted the most (Melee already satisfied what I was dreaming about in terms of game modes).

When Brawl was unveiled, I was really happy about three of the confirmations. Wario and Pit in particular were two of my most wanted characters in the first half of the 2000's, and Meta Knight was another choice I was very glad to see (Meta Knightmare mode in Nightmare in Dream Land made me think he was very well suited for Smash Bros.). The actual cutscene was incredible, but it did not amaze to the extent Melee's trailer did. The graphics were also not as big a jump as they were from Smash 64 to Melee (understandable), and there did not seem to be much unveiled in terms of new modes and stages.

However, there were two characters that I had mixed feelings about. While Snake made everyone go wild, personally I was not keen on him because I felt the character seemed out of place in the game and had little history with Nintendo in general. As a big Castlevania fan, I felt Konami should have went with someone from the Castlevania series instead especially considering that series had a long history with Nintendo and was still receiving new titles for their consoles into the present (Portrait of Ruin was even announced for DS that year).

However, Snake's confirmation also opened the door for non-Nintendo characters I personally really loved and cared about to join the roster, particularly Sonic and Mega Man. Sonic in particular was someone I really wanted to see, especially after recently playing through Sonic CD on Sonic Gems Collection, which reminded me why I was such a fan of the character and the series. Sonic became my next most wanted character for Brawl after Ridley.

However, there was also Zero Suit Samus. That inclusion right there really irked me as Metroid fan for many reasons. One is that it was the beginning of Samus being seen as a sex icon by the internet (while the Zero Suit existed since 2004, it really did not explode in artwork popularity until the confirmation of Zero Suit Samus), and as someone who cherished Samus from childhood, it hurt seeing Samus now joining the ranks of Morrigan, Mai Shiranui, and Felicia as a video game sex icon. Her only purpose seemed to give Smash Bros. its own Mai Shiranui, which seemed dumb (especially since it was not a series aimed at teens/young adults like most other fighters), as well as considering how the Metroid series had two very important characters not yet on the roster at that point, Ridley and Dark Samus. I felt Zero Suit Samus making it in, made it less likely for both Ridley and Dark Samus to make it in who were truly deserving. However, I felt Ridley still had very strong prospects considering how Melee added multiple characters for Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, and Fire Emblem, as well as that Meta Knight being confirmed early on meant a good chance that Dedede was probably be saved for a later date.

So while my feelings regarding Brawl's unveil were more mixed than Melee, I was really hyped a new Smash Bros. title had been announced, that several of my most wanted characters got confirmed, as well as the possibility for some of my favorite non-Nintendo characters to join the franchise. I eagerly awaited any new information for Brawl (which was a massive drought, there was barely anything after the E3 unveil for months on end), and I thought this would finally be Ridley's time, as well as the opportunity for Sonic and Mega Man to join in what was now one of my favorite franchises ever.

Ultimate's unveil:

The thing is I came into the Ultimate period barely caring about Smash Bros. anymore. I basically "retired" from the community after Roy's confirmation (something I really hoped for, and was a miracle for all sorts of reasons), as well as the realization that Ridley would likely never make it onto the roster for an official Smash Bros. title (Sakurai's own thoughts on the topic in November 2014 basically made be pessimistic about his prospects going forward).

I only made two posts after June 2015 until April 2018, and with the teaser for the next title on the Switch, I was more like "let's wait and see". There was little for me to personally look forward to, aside from possibly Dixie Kong. Unlike previous epochs, I simply cared little about the next title.

The rumblings about Ridley had me skeptical especially considering that Vergeben was someone who only had a 50/50 track record at best at that point, as well as all the fake Ridley leaks that existed throughout the years.

My expectation was that they were going to cut quite a few characters on the roster (including Roy and Lucas), add in a lot of fresh faces like Smash 4 was, and maybe bring back Wolf and Ice Climbers.

What actually ended up happening was the realization of two long running dreams I had. The characters being confirmed with various numbers got me very intrigued. When I saw Pokemon Trainer was confirmed to return (something I did not expect), I was pleasantly surprised. I was then wondering if they would confirm the rest of Smash 4's veterans. When it got to "everyone is here" after Snake's confirmation, I literally gasped. Seeing my boy Roy confirmed shortly afterward, as well as Pichu (a character whom I thought unlikely to ever return due to how he was deemed a "joke" character), I was in hype shock. I could not believe it was real. The music score accompanying the trailer also helped complete it. It was both triumphant and melancholy, celebrating that everyone throughout the series had finally come back for this installment, but at the same time a bit sorrowful because it was a sort of "curtain call", the last act. Building towards the end of the "everyone is here" trailer and seeing even Young Link was brought back, someone I never ever thought would ever return in the series as long as Toon Link was on the roster, made it truly seem like this game really was about bringing back EVERYONE.

I was blown away. As a big Roy supporter, I felt the pain of not having one of your favorite characters return for the next installment, as well as various people saying your character did not deserve to come back given with various excuses. Mewtwo and Roy were both very popular so there was many supporting their return, but I felt sympathy for the fans of other characters that had been cut from Melee to Brawl (Dr. Mario, Pichu, and Young Link). I saw just like Roy, Dr. Mario had a fanbase too, and like Roy's did not often speak up when detractors were mouthing off. While I thought Mewtwo, Roy, and Dr. Mario had plausible prospects of returning based on various factors (Mewtwo due to his overwhelming popularity and the intention to bring him back for Brawl, Roy with his high popularity and the intention to bring him back for Brawl, and with Dr. Mario being a very easy character to bring back as well as him being planned for Brawl), there did not seem to be such hope for Pichu and Young Link. Pichu was maligned as the most hated addition to the series ever (up until some Smash 4 additions) due to him being implemented as a joke fighter in Melee, and with Young Link there were already two Links on the roster with one filling the quick, light Link clone role.

I felt a lot of sympathy for fans of those characters as it seemed unlike the former three (Mewtwo, Roy, and Dr. Mario) there did not seem to be plausible hope they would ever return. After Smash 4's cuts, there seemed to be more characters added to the list of "likely to never return", namely Squirtle, Ivysaur, and possibly Snake. The former two (and Pokemon Trainer as a whole) seemed to strangely have few requests to come back, while the latter had very bad blood going on between Hideo Kojima and Konami that made his return seem unlikely going forward.

When Roy actually did return, it was something triumphant. It felt like a homecoming similar to what protagonists in the Fire Emblem series feel upon reclaiming their invaded homeland. It was so miraculous coming off of the expectations that he had almost no chances for DLC due to Smash 4's Fire Emblem representation (four characters and Lucina being a Marth clone) as well as the fact that other cut characters were seen as a priority over Roy.

This miraculous feeling, I wanted everyone to have it, and I personally hoped and dreamed that there would come a time where somehow they would manage to bring back every single veteran in the series for a single installment, but I knew that would be unlikely ever to happen for a wide variety of reasons. Many of Smash 4's newcomers (though I did not personally care for most of them) seemed like one-offs doomed to only have their only home console Smash appearance on a console that sold far worse than the GameCube.

"Everyone is here" was a miracle. For once, there would be no debates in the speculation period about who should/would be cut and who is coming back. For once, it focused entirely on who had yet to make it in at all.

It was beautiful.

However, it did not end there. Seeing the trailer play out for Ridley was absolutely incredible. It had been the one thing I had been hoping for the most in regards to Smash Bros. ever since the first installment to the franchise. Moreover, Ridley had very nice design and even a Meta Ridley alt (something I hoped for, but doubt was going to happen). Ridley being added in truly singled to me that this game was a culmination of the entire series. Ridley was a character that went from background cameo, to opening trailer shoutout and trophy, to two boss fights, and to a boss fight/stage hazard that could become your ally and had elements of a fighter. Ridley had finally made it onto the actual roster itself. Moreover, it happened at a point where I had given up most hope of it ever happening.

For weeks and months afterward, it still felt surreal to no longer be dreaming about whether Ridley would be on the roster, and instead to be seeing him as part of the cast. It was the end of something that I had been wishing for nearly 20 years, and not just that, but I would be able to enjoy him alongside all the other characters that existed in prior installments that I had been hoping he would be a part of.

Ridley and Everyone is Here literally sold a Switch to me. I had little intention of getting a Switch (Wii U was the only Nintendo home console I never bought), and I only owned the 3DS version of Smash 4. I never could have thought a title like Ultimate could actually happen even a day prior to its formal unveil.

It was here that I started to become a lot more active in speculation and character support again like I had been in prior epochs.

I was very eager to see what lie ahead even with Sakurai's warning there would only be a few newcomers this time. Especially, with the rumors from Vergeben that Simon would also be part of the roster, as well as the conspicuous absence of Samus's Dark Samus palette and Assist Trophy. I was VERY eager to see from this point forward where Sakurai and his team would take Ultimate.

Absolutely incredible.


August 2018 Direct:

As said before, I did not know how Sakurai and his team could continue momentum after the E3 unveil, but the August Direct did. Not only was Simon confirmed, but he looked the best he ever has (his Ultimate design is very underrated and captures him perfectly), and there managed to be a second Castlevania newcomer as well, Richter (Rondo of Blood being the one game I was hoping for on the Virtual Console the most throughout the late 2000s). There was also a confirmation of a plethora of Castlevania content from the stage that featured lots of cameos of classic Castlevania bosses, to the very massive song selection, to Alucard's confirmation as an Assist Trophy, and a boss fight with Dracula himself. As a Castlevania fan, I never could have imagined that not only would the series would someday feature in Smash Bros. (especially considering the Smash Bubble barely talked about it), but that it would be given such a generous amount of content. The 12 years of waiting after Snake's confirmation were worth it.

It just continued from there. I was not expecting Sakurai to confirm additional newcomers after Simon and Richter. However, I was not surprised about who ended up being confirmed (since Ike and Samus were missing their Chrom and Dark Samus palettes respectively in the E3 demo, as well as the conspicuous absence of Robin's Final Smash not being shown off). While not personally a fan of Chrom, it felt satisfying for the character to make the roster after the harsh treatment he received in Smash 4, and that he indeed did got his chance another day.

However, the next confirmation literally made me gasp. I knew Dark Samus had good prospects, but I was expecting her to be kept hidden until the game's release. She was a character I thought whose chances of ever becoming playable were shot after Brawl's release for a multitude of reasons (such as her dying for good at the end of Prime 3 thus making it very unlikely she would ever have any future appearances, as well as the fact Ridley still had not made it in, thus making her overshadowed by him for yet another title). Seeing Dark Samus fighting alongside Ridley to fight Samus was something I had dreamed about over a decade, ago, and thought it was unlikely to ever happen as a result of Zero Suit Samus making it in (I thought there was no way Metroid was going to get three newcomers in Brawl). Seeing Metroid finally become "complete" again shocked me in a good way. Dark Samus is a character whose chances were virtually seen as negligible, and just a few months ago, it seemed as though Metroid would probably not even get a newcomer in the Switch Smash title.

So there were two dreams I had going back over 10 years ago that were fulfilled with this direct and it was not even finished.

I was filled with ever more excitement seeing all the stages that were confirmed to come back. Brinstar Depths in particular was something I really wanted to see come back. This game truly was a culmination of the Smash Bros. series. This was the title I never even thought I could dream of, yet it was somehow made possible.

The direct ended up with confirmation of K. Rool. While I did not personally care for K. Rool, I personally was glad to see that the last remaining "titan" from pre-Smash 4 period was finally confirmed with Ultimate. Ultimate now seemed legendary.

After the August Direct, again it was surreal. It closed multiple long running things that I had personally hoped for as well as the Smash community as a whole. The only thing left I still wanted to see at that point was Dixie Kong (whom I felt had good prospects for after that Direct, especially considering even Dark Samus was confirmed).

However, only two weeks after the Direct I became privy to inside information saying that there were only three more characters on the base roster (Isabelle, Incineroar, and Ken). I believed it due to the quality of the source, and thus my hopes for Dixie on the base roster were dashed. However, I still felt immense hype for Ultimate, and it exceeded the hype and anticipation I had for Smash 4 and even Brawl (Melee was such a long time ago I cannot judge whether I felt more hype for that one or not).

Ultimate was truly special. Heck, I was probably among the few that was hyped by the final pre-release Ultimate Direct in early November. I just wanted the game in my hands, and that was a feeling I had not felt since the 2000's.



As said before there are a few individual confirmations that do stand out to me personally:

Ike's confirmation:

Enjoying Roy in Melee made me want to explore the Fire Emblem series, and the first game I played was Path of Radiance. I really liked the actual game and Ike's character as a whole. I personally hoped that he would be the next game's Fire Emblem newcomer. However, there was an extreme amount of competition for that slot. Lyn, Hector, Ephraim, Sigurd, Eliwood, Eirika, and later Micaiah all had sizable fanbases, and it was a truly massive war (I believe I made a big write up on this during pre-Smash 4). There was a great deal of uncertainty about which character would be chosen but the consensus it would be most likely Ike, Lyn, or Micaiah for various reasons.

Also, frankly, when Ike was actually confirmed it came out of nowhere. The Dojo (the official Brawl website) had very late updates before, and I (and the rest of the Smash fanbase) was not expecting newcomers to be announced on the website up until this point. I was in shock to refresh the page and see a "warning challenger approaching" banner and to scroll down and see Ike confirmed. I literally shouted in excitement at that.


Sonic's confirmation:

As I said earlier, after Brawl's unveil, Sonic shot up to be my second most wanted newcomer for the title. Sonic was a character I really liked during my childhood (I especially loved the Genesis titles), and the idea of him being in a game alongside all my other favorite game characters (who are mostly Nintendo owned) was really incredible.

While Sonic was one of the highest demanded characters, there was still an uncertainty as to whether he would make it in. Sonic in many ways were the first mega star requested character (at this point I do not think there are any characters left that fill the kind of position that the likes of Sonic, Mega Man, Ridley, Diddy Kong, K. Rool, and King Dedede had), and it was a really exciting to see this massive amount of support happening for him.

Sonic being confirmed really made me think that Brawl was really going to be the Smash Bros. game I always hoped and dreamed of. Brawl in general had an incredible newcomer selection (and stage selection). Ironically, with Brawl, the opposite happened with what happened with Melee. With Melee, I did not care for most of the newcomers selected, yet I ended up absolutely loving the game, while with Brawl, much of the newcomers were characters I personally wanted to see in, but the actual game was something I did not like to play.

But still, Sonic making it in was the first time a megastar potential newcomer was ever confirmed, and you could actually see all the excitement and hype posts. It was beginning of a new era for Smash speculation, because at that point because it was there that people really believed that massive campaigns could drive character inclusion in Smash Bros.


Roy's confirmation:

As I said before, Roy is a character I really like. I really enjoyed using him in Melee, to the point where I used him just as much as my traditional Smash Bros. main, Samus. Enjoying Roy as much as did, is what lead me to trying out the Fire Emblem series (and really enjoying it), and later importing the Japan-only titles (namely FE6, FE5, FE4, and FE3). For Roy, I noticed no one else stood up for him even though he seemed popular and widely used. I decided to become the one to actively champion Roy (the only other character to which I had put in as much support and effort in regards to their inclusion is none other than Ridley).

For my Roy support, I was constantly attacked and belittled by various factions for wanting to see "fire marf" return. However, it was also warming to see a gradual movement building over time, with various Roy fans learning not to let the various detractors bully them for liking and enjoying a character they spent a lot of time with. With Roy, there was a whole community built up supporting a character whom we felt whose prospects for a long time were "50/50".

With Roy fans, we shared artwork and stories about the fond memories we had playing Melee (and later Project M) as well as FE6. We were never at the forefront like many other fanbases during pre-Smash 4, but we still had a large and active fanbase that gradually snowballed over the course of pre-Smash 4. Developments like Roy being added to Project M served to show just what Roy could bring to Smash Bros. even as a Marth semiclone.

However, after the confirmation of Robin and Lucina (who was shown to be a Marth clone), I became pessimistic about Roy's prospects, and thought the only possibility for him being part of the roster was as DLC (and this was if DLC was even going to happen). When Smash 4 was released, with a bunch of popular veterans being cut, and those veterans now getting more focus than Roy, it seemed even his prospects for DLC were dire.

Yet somehow, the Roy fanbase became even stronger. I was completely worn out of speculation and character support by the end of 2014, yet seeing Roy fans rally even further somehow was what gave me the drive to deliver those "rally speeches" that Roy fans fondly remember. They were making websites, drawing fan comics, doing everything that I was hoping the Roy fanbase would do throughout those seven years. It was miraculous.

Later when the Smash Ballot was announced, Roy fans went in with swords blazing (heh) creating popular comics and art on Miiverse, and lots of people speaking up about how cool it would be see to Roy return in Smash. However, what happened shortly afterward was something I was never expecting.

Leftover files from Mewtwo's update, seemed to show Roy and Ryu were going to be DLC. Much of the "Smash Bubble" was naturally upset that two of the upcoming DLC characters were not their own personal characters of choice, but for Roy fans and most Smash fans in general, they were excited at the prospect of his return.

However, for myself, I did not count it as a victory. The "war" was not over until Roy was actually confirmed. I felt, like the detractors, that the files could have possibly have been scrapped plans, much like his leftover files in Brawl. For the next several months, myself and other Roy fans continued to push back against the detractors who made claims like Roy would simply be a straight port of his Melee self or that no one would be hyped for him.

When the E3 2015 Smash Direct opened with all the Fire Emblem characters clashing, my heart jumped. But hearing Jun Fukuyama's Roy cry out, "Don't forget about me!", made me jump for excitement, with Roy's new awesome design being shown and Roy exclaiming, "I've returned at last" being something that made me feel more hype for in regards to any individual character unveil up until that point. Little touches like Roy attacking Roy Koopa (of which was used by detractors as a sort of claim for why he could not return since two characters with the same name could not be part of the roster, as well as the dumb joke, "We already have Roy in the game, har har".) made the trailer even more enjoyable.

Roy's return ended up being extremely well received. It was an incredible miracle that it even happened considered everything stacked against it happening, but I am grateful it did. It was from Roy's confirmation that I felt I had the closure necessary to move on from Smash speculation and character support, especially considering Ridley no longer seemed like a realistic prospect going forward. I only made two more posts on SmashBoards after June 2015 and prior to April 2018.

Afternotes:

I know this was a very long post, but as someone that had been there for every epoch of the Smash speculation fanbase, it might offer an unique perspective on things. Going forward, I am not sure what is left that could personally hype me like the above. I now have 95% of everything I ever hope for in regards to Smash Bros. I even managed to somehow get little things like my favorite character from F-Zero (Pico) having a role beyond spirit/trophy/sticker (where you get to outright control his F-Zero machine, the Wild Goose, in World of Light).

This title was as beautiful a sendoff for longtime fans such as myself could hope for. Overall, the two most memorable unveils for me were Melee's and Ultimate's. Melee's was what got me into the Smash speculation fanbase and character support, while Ultimate's was the realization of long held dreams and culmination of everything the franchise had been building into, and something to which I thought was unlikely to ever happen.

I think probably there won't be anymore unveils that manage to move me to the extent the above ones did. I personally really liked Banjo-Kazooie's confirmation though as the 64 titles (especially Kazooie) were among my favorite Nintendo 64. I did enjoy the NES Ninja Gaiden games so I might also like Ryu Hayabusa's confirmation assuming it actually does happen (especially if they make references in his unveil to the frustrating difficulty of the NES titles). The big three in terms of third-parties for me personally were Sonic, Mega Man, and Castlevania, so there are not any third-party announcements left that could personally really excite me (or at least what I think plausible to actually happen).

The last real big character for me personally is Dixie Kong, but I don't think Nintendo characters will happen as DLC (the closest to a Nintendo character that will be announced is Geno).

At this point, I just waiting to see what happens with this game, and just who ends up getting added out of sheer curiosity.

Holy Palutena, I thought it was Sari who said they'd write a 10 page essay. Bravo.

 

[Dark Bagel]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to get your takes on this. In light of Papagenos' recent video, how likely would you guys say Crash is as a possible inclusion at some point during Ultimate's DLC cycle (either as the 5th fighters pass character or beyond that). Apart from all the leak speculation concerning him, how likely do you think he is to be recognized and chosen by Nintendo/Sakurai as a third-party fighter with merits in his own right? Do you think his inclusion makes sense and has valid reasons, or do you believe he's not as noteworthy to the Smash scene as some people are propping him up to be?

 

[Garteam]

Here's a Gen 8 Starter Leak from 4Chan. Probably fake, but I thought the designs were cool so it's worth sharing:

Spoiler

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to get your takes on this. In light of Papagenos' recent video, how likely would you guys say Crash is as a possible inclusion at some point during Ultimate's DLC cycle (either as the 5th fighters pass character or beyond that). Apart from all the leak speculation concerning him, how likely do you think he is to be recognized and chosen by Nintendo/Sakurai as a third-party fighter with merits in his own right? Do you think his inclusion makes sense and has valid reasons, or do you believe he's not as noteworthy to the Smash scene as some people are propping him up to be?

No way in hell does Nintendo not know how popular Crash is and no way am I believing another clickbait youtuber

 

[Deleted member]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to get your takes on this. In light of Papagenos' recent video, how likely would you guys say Crash is as a possible inclusion at some point during Ultimate's DLC cycle (either as the 5th fighters pass character or beyond that). Apart from all the leak speculation concerning him, how likely do you think he is to be recognized and chosen by Nintendo/Sakurai as a third-party fighter with merits in his own right? Do you think his inclusion makes sense and has valid reasons, or do you believe he's not as noteworthy to the Smash scene as some people are propping him up to be?

Ok. I'll bite, what was the video about?

Crash just like any other character is fair chance.

 

[Untouch]

Here's something fun: If X character gets in smash, what is one very inconsequential thing they must have?

Example: If Knuckles gets in smash then his hit and/or death quote must be "Oh no".

I'd be upset if DOOMguy does get in and he doesn't have a dynamic portait like the OG DOOM games.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Ok. I'll bite, what was the video about?

Crash just like any other character is fair chance.

El Grande Padre di Jenos claims his source who told him Luminary and Banjo were happening and various mii costumes that Crash is character 5 and that Mallow and Smithy from SMRPG are getting costumes. They didn't get Sans so even if we assume it's real there's a chance they missed Sans and I just do not trust this even if this source called some hard reads with costumes before. Plus, the source seems to be involved with IGN meaning that this means the news should happen VERY soon

 

[Curious Villager]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to get your takes on this. In light of Papagenos' recent video, how likely would you guys say Crash is as a possible inclusion at some point during Ultimate's DLC cycle (either as the 5th fighters pass character or beyond that). Apart from all the leak speculation concerning him, how likely do you think he is to be recognized and chosen by Nintendo/Sakurai as a third-party fighter with merits in his own right? Do you think his inclusion makes sense and has valid reasons, or do you believe he's not as noteworthy to the Smash scene as some people are propping him up to be?

He's like one of the few Western third parties that is popular in Japan, I can see him happening at some point. Probably an E3 reveal or something like BK.

Here's a Gen 8 Starter Leak from 4Chan. Probably fake, but I thought the designs were cool so it's worth sharing:

>Fire starter
>It's on all fours

Its fake.

 

[Sari]

Apart from all the leak speculation concerning him, how likely do you think he is to be recognized and chosen by Nintendo/Sakurai as a third-party fighter with merits in his own right? Do you think his inclusion makes sense and has valid reasons, or do you believe he's not as noteworthy to the Smash scene as some people are propping him up to be?

He has history, is very recognizable, was referred to as a gaming icon by Nintendo themselves, and his reboot games have been very successful. Crash getting into Smash makes a ton of sense.

 

[Deleted member]

El Grande Padre di Jenos claims his source who told him Luminary and Banjo were happening and various mii costumes that Crash is character 5 and that Mallow and Smithy from SMRPG are getting costumes. They didn't get Sans so even if we assume it's real there's a chance they missed Sans and I just do not trust this even if this source called some hard reads with costumes before. Plus, the source seems to be involved with IGN meaning that this means the news should happen VERY soon

Is this VR Plant we are talking about? Plus which were the costumes that the dude got right ooc?

 

[3BitSaurus]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to get your takes on this. In light of Papagenos' recent video, how likely would you guys say Crash is as a possible inclusion at some point during Ultimate's DLC cycle (either as the 5th fighters pass character or beyond that). Apart from all the leak speculation concerning him, how likely do you think he is to be recognized and chosen by Nintendo/Sakurai as a third-party fighter with merits in his own right? Do you think his inclusion makes sense and has valid reasons, or do you believe he's not as noteworthy to the Smash scene as some people are propping him up to be?

Honestly, rumors or no rumors, Crash has a solid chance. I don't think he'd close the Pass, as I feel like he would have been one of the first reveals - maybe even an E3 reveal.

I can certainly see him happening, though. Out of all western characters currently on the table, I feel like Crash has the best chances.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Is this VR Plant we are talking about? Plus which were the costumes that the dude got right ooc?

Not sure, but VRPlant leaks **** a day or two in advance so this would be surprisingly early.
All of them except Sans iirc. Though the lack of SNK costumes is odd
EDIT: Specifically all the Mii costumes shown in the Sans presentation

 

[BZL8]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to get your takes on this. In light of Papagenos' recent video, how likely would you guys say Crash is as a possible inclusion at some point during Ultimate's DLC cycle (either as the 5th fighters pass character or beyond that). Apart from all the leak speculation concerning him, how likely do you think he is to be recognized and chosen by Nintendo/Sakurai as a third-party fighter with merits in his own right? Do you think his inclusion makes sense and has valid reasons, or do you believe he's not as noteworthy to the Smash scene as some people are propping him up to be?

The inclusion of Crash in Smash would remind me of how extremely wasted PSABR's potential was. He probably has the best chances of a western third-party right now.

 

[3BitSaurus]

Is this VR Plant we are talking about? Plus which were the costumes that the dude got right ooc?

He called seven costumes, four of which were revealed last pack (Zero, Proto Man, Goemon and Rocket Grunt). All except Sans, as Gwen said.

The last three were "Mallow/Smithy" - it's specifically formatted that way so it could be either one I guess - and Chocobo.

EDIT: If the post's date is correct and wasn't edited, this was all the way back in July - a good week before Hero's release.

 

[Deleted member]

The inclusion of Crash in Smash would remind me of how extremely wasted PSABR's potential was. He probably has the best chances of a western third-party right now.

He called seven costumes, four of which were revealed last pack (Zero, Proto Man, Goemon and Rocket Grunt). All except Sans, as Gwen said.

The last three were "Mallow/Smithy" - it's specifically formatted that way so it could be either one I guess - and Chocobo.

EDIT: If the post's date is correct and wasn't edited, this was all the way back in July - a good week before Hero's release.

I see, its kinda funny. Dude knows the Mii costumes but from what I understand didn't knew either Sans or Terry were coming which would make me think that the info seems suspicious at best.

 

[Guynamednelson]

I see, its kinda funny. Dude knows the Mii costumes but from what I understand didn't knew either Sans or Terry were coming which would make me think that the info seems suspicious at best.

To be fair, Toby Fox is just...Toby himself. Not a company full of people who can let things slip through the cracks.

 

[Calamitas]

Here's a Gen 8 Starter Leak from 4Chan. Probably fake, but I thought the designs were cool so it's worth sharing:

Spoiler

Clearly fake. Obviously, this one is going to be the real design for Grookey's final evolution.

Spoiler

. . .Nah, but seriously. I'd love that final evolution for Scorbunny.

>Fire starter
>It's on all fours

Its fake.

I know you're probably right, but that doesn't make it any less painful.

 

[krokotopia101]

>Fire starter
>It's on all fours

Its fake.

Yo...I never realized the pattern until you pointed it out...holy-