Official Newcomer/DLC Speculation Discussion

[A.G.L.]

Thinking in terms of 3rd parties, what companies would you say Nintendo is close with? And on the flip-side, what ones do you think they're unlikely to partner with?

On the likely side, Nintendo made two Warriors games with Koei Tecmo and partnered a lot with Ubisoft.
On the unlikely side, EA never forgave Nintendo for cutting them out of WiiU online.

Seems Nintendo's closest allies lately have been Koei Tecmo and Bandai Namco, Ubisoft has also been a close ally.

Koei Tecmo has been partnered with Nintendo in a ton of projects lately. They did both Warriors games, Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors. They worked on Fire Emblem Three Houses and their Team Ninja division worked on Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3. I wouldn't be surprised to see Koei Tecmo partnered more with Nintendo down the road. Also fun fact Koei Tecmo is in the credits of Smash Ultimate.

Bandai Namco is the next big hitter, they worked on the Smash bros series and are working on the next Pokemon Snap. Im sure theres other projects they have worked on, I just cant remember at this time.


Id say if there is a company Nintendo doesn't have the greatest relationship with its either EA or Sony.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

Seems Nintendo's closest allies lately have been Koei Tecmo and Bandai Namco, Ubisoft has also been a close ally.

Koei Tecmo has been partnered with Nintendo in a ton of projects lately. They did both Warriors games, Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors. They worked on Fire Emblem Three Houses and their Team Ninja division worked on Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3. I wouldn't be surprised to see Koei Tecmo partnered more with Nintendo down the road. Also fun fact Koei Tecmo is in the credits of Smash Ultimate.

Bandai Namco is the next big hitter, they worked on the Smash bros series and are working on the next Pokemon Snap. Im sure theres other projects they have worked on, I just cant remember at this time.


Id say if there is a company Nintendo doesn't have the greatest relationship with its either EA or Sony.

KT co-owns the Fatal Frame IP so they're probably credited for the Yuri Kozukata AT.

 

[A.G.L.]

KT co-owns the Fatal Frame IP so they're probably credited for the Yuri Kozukata AT.

Its really interesting that they have a character (assist trophy) represented in Smash, but its not their poster boy Ryu Hayabusa and we don't have Ninja Gaiden spirits. Considering how much Koei Tecmo partners with Nintendo, if they wanted to they could have easily given Ryu Hayabusa as an Assist trophy or give Ninja Gaiden spirits. Gives me hope he might be part of Fighter Pass 2.

 

[Droodle]

I still find it super weird that Koei Tecmo has 0 IPs that are playable in Smash considering that they are still one of Nintendo's closest supporters and have supported them through things like the Wii U. I guess a part of it has to do with Ninja Gaiden being inactive for a huge amount of time and Hayabusa himself not having Banjo tier support helping him out either. Dynasty Warriors would be weird to add into Smash, so apart from Ninja Gaiden; there's really only Atelier as an active series that could get a playable character (I don't consider DOA as even on the table).

I just find it weird that both Namco and Koei Tecmo are still some of Nintendo's closest partners and yet still would be considered "under represented" in terms of Smash. Both should get 1 more character imo; but it just goes to show how unpredictable Nintendo can be with deciding the characters both for good and bad.

Regarding Crash. He's one of those picks I can see Nintendo choosing not just for his popularity and demand but for his legacy and the icon he is given how big he was in the 90s with Mario and Sonic. This is the biggest gaming crossover in history, doesn't seem like something Nintendo would like to pass up.

Crash is one of the most likely Western characters for sure, but at the same time he is a Western character and Nintendo seems to still prefer focusing on Japanese devs before Western ones. He doesn't have the same level of vocal support as Banjo either. That said, I'd still say the two most likely Western characters at this point are definitely Steve and Crash, as weird as that sounds. But again, Nintendo is super unpredictable in terms of Smash and often times the obvious characters miss out/get costumed/spirited.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Its really interesting that they have a character (assist trophy) represented in Smash, but its not their poster boy Ryu Hayabusa and we don't have Ninja Gaiden spirits. Considering how much Koei Tecmo partners with Nintendo, if they wanted to they could have easily given Ryu Hayabusa as an Assist trophy or give Ninja Gaiden spirits. Gives me hope he might be part of Fighter Pass 2.

Not entirely that interesting. Pass 2 was decided upon wayyyyyyyyyy later, after the base game itself. Only Pass 1 was decided during the base game's development. And even then, the base roster was fully decided in 2015.

So they probably just weren't interested in a playable representation from that company at the time. This could've easily changed anyway, so he's in great shape to get in. But just as many potential options.

 

[SnowClaws]

Thinking in terms of 3rd parties, what companies would you say Nintendo is close with? And on the flip-side, what ones do you think they're unlikely to partner with?

On the likely side, Nintendo made two Warriors games with Koei Tecmo and partnered a lot with Ubisoft.
On the unlikely side, EA never forgave Nintendo for cutting them out of WiiU online.

Likely side:
* Spike Chunsoft (Mystery Dungeon)
* Mages (starting at the beginning of the Switch era, known for Visual Novel)
* GungHo Online Entertainment
* Nippon Ichi Software/NIS America
* Natsume
* Imagineer
* Inti Creates
* Kemco
* Arika
* Embracer Group
* Thunderful Group

Unlikely side:
* EA
* Sony
* NetherRealm Studios
* Rockstar

 

[A.G.L.]

I still find it super weird that Koei Tecmo has 0 IPs that are playable in Smash considering that they are still one of Nintendo's closest supporters and have supported them through things like the Wii U. I guess a part of it has to do with Ninja Gaiden being inactive for a huge amount of time and Hayabusa himself not having Banjo tier support helping him out either. Dynasty Warriors would be weird to add into Smash, so apart from Ninja Gaiden; there's really only Atelier as an active series that could get a playable character (I don't consider DOA as even on the table).

I just find it weird that both Namco and Koei Tecmo are still some of Nintendo's closest partners and yet still would be considered "under represented" in terms of Smash. Both should get 1 more character imo; but it just goes to show how unpredictable Nintendo can be with deciding the characters both for good and bad.


Crash is one of the most likely Western characters for sure, but at the same time he is a Western character and Nintendo seems to still prefer focusing on Japanese devs before Western ones. He doesn't have the same level of vocal support as Banjo either. That said, I'd still say the two most likely Western characters at this point are definitely Steve and Crash, as weird as that sounds. But again, Nintendo is super unpredictable in terms of Smash and often times the obvious characters miss out/get costumed/spirited.

There's technically the Dead or Alive series, I say technically because as Sakurai said Smash is for good boys and girls and well Dead or Alive is usually more about fan service. The great thing about Ryu Hayabusa is he technically represents both Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. While the Ninja Gaiden series has been weirdly quiet. Dead or Alive has continued to go strong. Not to mention Koei Tecmo is always having Ryu Hayabusa guest appear in their other games ( Warriors Orochi, Warriors All Stars and Nioh). Also it seems Koei Tecmo and Bandai Namco are no strangers to working together or at least sharing characters. Sophitia from Soul Calibur guest appeared in Warriors Orochi 3.

That said agree, Koei Tecmo and Bandai Namco should be guaranteed a spot in Smash or in Bandai Namco's case another rep, but thats not how Nintendo works, they are really unpredictable at times.

 

[Garteam]

The only thing that makes somewhat nervous about Koei Tecmo's chances at Smash is how much Namco has given to Nintendo recently and how little they've gotten out of Smash. In spite of developing Pokken and helping to develop ARMS and Smash, Namco has the least amount of content (next to Microsoft) in Ultimate. Even SNK was able to get more in a single wave of DLC than Namco has thus far.

That being said, I really hope I'm wrong. Ryu Hayabusa would be awesome in Smash.

 

[AugustusB]

I still find it super weird that Koei Tecmo has 0 IPs that are playable in Smash considering that they are still one of Nintendo's closest supporters and have supported them through things like the Wii U. I guess a part of it has to do with Ninja Gaiden being inactive for a huge amount of time and Hayabusa himself not having Banjo tier support helping him out either. Dynasty Warriors would be weird to add into Smash, so apart from Ninja Gaiden; there's really only Atelier as an active series that could get a playable character (I don't consider DOA as even on the table).
costumed/spirited.

Not gonna lie, deep down, I would lose my mind/**** if Lu Bu showed up in Smash Bros. Also, what party does Lu Bu fall under? I mean...a real person from history...4th party? Is there a 5th? I am curious.

 

[Jomosensual]

This just reminds me of the person who leaked Smash Ultimate, but nobody believed them. Man, I'm glad it basically went unnoticed.

Reminds me of how someone actually leaked Ken, Incineroar, and Plant like a week before the final direct but everyone ignored them to fight over the Grinch Leak

 

[Perkilator]

So, how many and which songs do you want for your most wanted? I'll go:

Axel Stone

1. Series Opening - Streets of Rage (New Remix)
2. Go Straight (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
3. In the Bar (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
4. Never Return Alive (Streets of Rage 2)
5. Spin on the Bridge (Streets of Rage 2)
6. Dreamer (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
7. Under Logic (Streets of Rage 2)
8. Slow Moon (Streets of Rage 2)
9. Wave 131 (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
10. Revenge of Mr. X (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
11. Fighting in the Street (Streets of Rage)
12. Moon Beach (Streets of Rage; New Remix)
13. Violent Breathing (Streets of Rage; New Remix)
14. Fuze (Streets of Rage 3)
15. Dub Slash (Streets of Rage 3; New Remix)
16. The Poets 1 (Streets of Rage 3; New Remix)
17. They’re Back (Streets of Rage 4)
18. The Streets (Streets of Rage 4)
19. Call the Cops (Streets of Rage 4)
20. Funky HQ (Streets of Rage 4; New Remix)
21. Ghost Fair (Streets of Rage 4)
22. Shiva (Streets of Rage 4)
23. An Exhibition (Streets of Rage 4; New Remix)
24. 25 Years Ago (Streets of Rage 4)

 

[Jomosensual]

Not gonna lie, deep down, I would lose my mind/**** if Lu Bu showed up in Smash Bros. Also, what party does Lu Bu fall under? I mean...a real person from history...4th party? Is there a 5th? I am curious.

4th party is anything that doesn't originate in a video game. He falls in a grey area close to Lee and Clem from Telltale Walking Dead or Geralt from Witcher. Probably need a new word for someone like them

Also wondering if 2nd party is actually a thing or not now.

 

[Garteam]

Not gonna lie, deep down, I would lose my mind/**** if Lu Bu showed up in Smash Bros. Also, what party does Lu Bu fall under? I mean...a real person from history...4th party? Is there a 5th? I am curious.

I mean, Dr. Kawashima shows that Smash can include characters based on real people provided it's a depiction of them from a video game, so I don't see any issues with Lu Bu (or another Dynasty Warriors character) joining the battle.

 

[RileyXY1]

4th party is anything that doesn't originate in a video game. He falls in a grey area close to Lee and Clem from Telltale Walking Dead or Geralt from Witcher. Probably need a new word for someone like them

Also wondering if 2nd party is actually a thing or not now.

Lee and Clementine actually did debut in a video game. They're more like Cal Kestis.

 

[AugustusB]

I mean, Dr. Kawashima shows that Smash can include characters based on real people provided it's a depiction of them from a video game, so I don't see any issues with Lu Bu (or another Dynasty Warriors character) joining the battle.

Ahh that is very true. Thank you all for that!

 

[Animegamingnerd]

Seems Nintendo's closest allies lately have been Koei Tecmo and Bandai Namco, Ubisoft has also been a close ally.

Koei Tecmo has been partnered with Nintendo in a ton of projects lately. They did both Warriors games, Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors. They worked on Fire Emblem Three Houses and their Team Ninja division worked on Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3. I wouldn't be surprised to see Koei Tecmo partnered more with Nintendo down the road. Also fun fact Koei Tecmo is in the credits of Smash Ultimate.

Bandai Namco is the next big hitter, they worked on the Smash bros series and are working on the next Pokemon Snap. Im sure theres other projects they have worked on, I just cant remember at this time.


Id say if there is a company Nintendo doesn't have the greatest relationship with its either EA or Sony.

Square is very close to them as well, arguably more so then Ubisoft. Since Square has been putting out far more games for the Switch both new and old including more exclusives for the system.

Crash is one of the most likely Western characters for sure, but at the same time he is a Western character and Nintendo seems to still prefer focusing on Japanese devs before Western ones. He doesn't have the same level of vocal support as Banjo either. That said, I'd still say the two most likely Western characters at this point are definitely Steve and Crash, as weird as that sounds. But again, Nintendo is super unpredictable in terms of Smash and often times the obvious characters miss out/get costumed/spirited.

Another factor against Crash is Nintendo's relationship with Activision being kind of weird. Activision at best barely supports the Switch, while the Blizzard side of the company has ported over Diablo 3 and Overwatch, the only day and date port we have gotten from Activsion though is Crash Nitro Fuel. Spyro came to Switch a year later and the Switch isn't getting either Crash 4 or the Tony Hawk remakes, they haven't put their by far biggest and most popular franchise, Call of Duty on the Switch. Nintendo's relationship with Activision these days feels borderline non-existent at times due to how little Activsion supports Nintendo systems, which is kinda of why I don't see us getting an Activision rep.

 

[Nesysli]

I think I remember Square saying they wanted to dig up some of there old RPG's from back in the SNES days, like how they did with Trials of Mana;
Seiken Densetsu 3. It would be a dream if they redone Chrono Trigger with DQXI like graphics.

 

[A.G.L.]

Not gonna lie, deep down, I would lose my mind/**** if Lu Bu showed up in Smash Bros. Also, what party does Lu Bu fall under? I mean...a real person from history...4th party? Is there a 5th? I am curious.

As crazy as that would be, if were getting anyone from the Dynasty Warriors series its definitely Koei Tecmo's second poster boy Zhao Yun. That said I dont't see either Koei Tecmo or Nintendo going for it. Zhao Yun would be a super crazy spear user though, it is fun to think of the possibilities if he were in Smash.

Square is very close to them as well, arguably more so then Ubisoft. Since Square has been putting out far more games for the Switch both new and old including more exclusives for the system.

Square is definitely closer to Nintendo than where they used to be, but that has been very recently. Also unlike Ubisoft, Square hasn't been lent Nintendo characters to make a game or add to a game like Koei Tecmo, Bandai Namco and Ubisoft. When Square accomplishes this they'll definitely be closer than Ubisoft.

 

[SnowClaws]

Its really interesting that they have a character (assist trophy) represented in Smash, but its not their poster boy Ryu Hayabusa and we don't have Ninja Gaiden spirits. Considering how much Koei Tecmo partners with Nintendo, if they wanted to they could have easily given Ryu Hayabusa as an Assist trophy or give Ninja Gaiden spirits. Gives me hope he might be part of Fighter Pass 2.

In the back of my mind, I fear that Koei Tecmo might picks Ayane over Hayabusa. She became well known in the reboot Ninja Gaiden, and has appeared in Dead or Alive, Warriors Orochi, Fatal Frame, and Senran Kagura. Heck, they might even picks Hayabusa's apprentice Momiji, another character who is a big hit as she appears in the base version of Ninja Gaiden 3 (Ayane only appears in the Razor's Edge edition), has a small role in NG Z (the only NG girls to appear in that game), and a reference to Momiji can be seen in For Honor when that character shares the same name as her and uses the same weapon as well.

According to this Interview, Hayabusa only got in Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate due to the user feedback from the west. So, a similar situation may happen in Smash where he only got in due to western outcry. Basically, Hayabusa might be fighting against other western characters for the spot.

 

[Evil Trapezium]

I think I remember Square saying they wanted to dig up some of there old RPG's from back in the SNES days, like how they did with Trials of Mana;
Seiken Densetsu 3. It would be a dream if they redone Chrono Trigger with DQXI like graphics.

I hope so. I'd really love to play a remastered version of Chrono Trigger. Maybe even add Chrono Cross to the mix. I really want to play that game.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

I hope so. I'd really love to play a remastered version of Chrono Trigger. Maybe even add Chrono Cross to the mix. I really want to play that game.

CC was one of my favorite games in middle school and it bums me we still haven’t seen a remaster. It’s so criminally underrated

 

[SirCamp]

Likely side:
* Natsume

Surely you mean Marvelous?

 

[cj.]

Chrono Trigger with DQXI like graphics.

Instabuy, i need it!

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

I think I remember Square saying they wanted to dig up some of there old RPG's from back in the SNES days, like how they did with Trials of Mana;
Seiken Densetsu 3. It would be a dream if they redone Chrono Trigger with DQXI like graphics.

While the obvious stuff is remade versions of stuff like FFVI or Mario RPG, something that would be a nice start is Switch ports/localizations of the better RPG's that never made it to the US. Live a Live, Terranigma, Gun Hazard, etc would be cool to have outside roms with fan patches.

 

[SnowClaws]

Surely you mean Marvelous?

No, Natsume and Marvelous ends their partnership in 2015 and that why there is a Harvest Moon vs Story of Seasons. Natsume owns the brand Harvest Moon and Marvelous owns the brand Story of Seasons.

Edit: To clarity, Story of Seasons is the original Harvest Moon while the current Harvest Moon is something else.

 

[Koopaul]

I'll admit the only reason I'd want Geno is because there's a chance we'd finally get a Bowser Castle stage. Bowser's Castle is probably the most iconic location in that game. It's the first place you go to and it's shown on the title screen and box.

 

[TriggerX]

As crazy as that would be, if were getting anyone from the Dynasty Warriors series its definitely Koei Tecmo's second poster boy Zhao Yun. That said I dont't see either Koei Tecmo or Nintendo going for it. Zhao Yun would be a super crazy spear user though, it is fun to think of the possibilities if he were in Smash.




Square is definitely closer to Nintendo than where they used to be, but that has been very recently. Also unlike Ubisoft, Square hasn't been lent Nintendo characters to make a game or add to a game like Koei Tecmo, Bandai Namco and Ubisoft. When Square accomplishes this they'll definitely be closer than Ubisoft.

Idk it’s weird hearing the relationship of Square and Nintendo being downplayed when in reality they’ve always supported Nintendo with exclusive titles, just not for the N64. Mario characters were even utilized in fortune street as well as mario hoops.

Personally I just think we feel like we are seeing more support from them simply because Nintendo’s handheld and consoles are one in the same now.

Nintendo has always been Square’s go to platform for lower budget projects. Which seems to be the case for most 3rd party developers anyways.

 

[A.G.L.]

In the back of my mind, I fear that Koei Tecmo might picks Ayane over Hayabusa. She became well known in the reboot Ninja Gaiden, and has appeared in Dead or Alive, Warriors Orochi, Fatal Frame, and Senran Kagura. Heck, they might even picks Hayabusa's apprentice Momiji, another character who is a big hit as she appears in the base version of Ninja Gaiden 3 (Ayane only appears in the Razor's Edge edition), has a small role in NG Z (the only NG girls to appear in that game), and a reference to Momiji can be seen in For Honor when that character shares the same name as her and uses the same weapon as well.

According to this Interview, Hayabusa only got in Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate due to the user feedback from the west. So, a similar situation may happen in Smash where he only got in due to western outcry. Basically, Hayabusa might be fighting against other western characters for the spot.

I don't see Ayane, Kasumi, or Momiji being picked over Ryu Hayabusa. Ryu Hayabusa and Zhao Yun are Koei Tecmo's poster children. They are always chosen to represent their brand. Zhao Yun is the only real competition to Ryu Hayabusa in term of a cross promotion rival. And he wouldn't work in Smash due to being based on a real life person. Also as you have stated Ryu Hayabusa is popular in both West and East. Where as the other characters are mostly popular in the East. Throw in the fact that he is the last main character from the NES era to not be in Smash and it just makes sense. Seeing Samus, Simon and Ryu Hayabusa all in one game will be crazy to see as they were rivals at one time.

Idk it’s weird hearing the relationship of Square and Nintendo being downplayed when in reality they’ve always supported Nintendo with exclusive titles, just not for the N64. Mario characters were even utilized in fortune street as well as mario hoops.

Personally I just think we feel like we are seeing more support from them simply because Nintendo’s handheld and consoles are one in the same now.

Nintendo has always been Square’s go to platform for lower budget projects. Which seems to be the case for most 3rd party developers anyways.

Square has been a supporter of Nintendo like you said, but the same could be said that they are a supporter of Sony. They have never leaned more toward a strong ally of Nintendo like Bandai Namco, Koei Tecmo and Ubisoft. Yes Nintendo let them use their characters at one point, but that was a long time ago. Im talking about more recently on how Nintendo has been with their close allies, where its almost like they are an extension of Nintendo. Also we can't forget that at one point Square and Nintendo did have bad blood between them (FF7). They have worked through it over the years and are much closer now. That said I think their closeness right now is more due to how recently they've grown close. Like I said, I do believe their relationship will continue to grow. However I do think Nintendo is closer to Ubisoft than Square right now, and they are definitely closer to Bandai Namco and Koei Tecmo.

 

[SharkLord]

I don't see Ayane, Kasumi, or Momiji being picked over Ryu Hayabusa. Ryu Hayabusa and Zhao Yun are Koei Tecmo's poster children. They are always chosen to represent their brand. Zhao Yun is the only realy competition to Ryu Hayabusa in term of a cross promotion rival. And he wouldn't work in Smash due to being based on a real life person. Also as you have stated Ryu Hayabusa is popular in both West and East. Where as the other characters are mostly popular in the East. Throw in the fact that he is the last main character from the NES era to not be in Smash and it just makes sense. Seeing Samus, Simon and Ryu Hayabusa all in one game will be crazy to see as they were rivals at one time.





Square has been a supporter of Nintendo like you said, but the same could be said that they are a supporter of Sony. They have never leaned more toward a strong ally of Nintendo like Bandai Namco, Koei Tecmo and Ubisoft. Yes Nintendo let them use their characters at one point, but that was a long time ago. Im talking about more recently on how Nintendo has been with their close allies, where its almost like they are an extension of Nintendo. Also we can't forget that at one point Square and Nintendo did have bad blood between them (FF7). They have worked through it over the years and are much closer now. That said I think their closeness right now is more due to how recently they've grown close. Like I said, I do believe their relationship will continue to grow. However I do think Nintendo is closer to Ubisoft than Square right now, and they are definitely closer to Bandai Namco and Koei Tecmo.

Ahem

 

[DuskFleur]

So, how many and which songs do you want for your most wanted? I'll go:

Axel Stone

1. Series Opening - Streets of Rage (New Remix)
2. Go Straight (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
3. In the Bar (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
4. Never Return Alive (Streets of Rage 2)
5. Spin on the Bridge (Streets of Rage 2)
6. Dreamer (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
7. Under Logic (Streets of Rage 2)
8. Slow Moon (Streets of Rage 2)
9. Wave 131 (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
10. Revenge of Mr. X (Streets of Rage 2; New Remix)
11. Fighting in the Street (Streets of Rage)
12. Moon Beach (Streets of Rage; New Remix)
13. Violent Breathing (Streets of Rage; New Remix)
14. Fuze (Streets of Rage 3)
15. Dub Slash (Streets of Rage 3; New Remix)
16. The Poets 1 (Streets of Rage 3; New Remix)
17. They’re Back (Streets of Rage 4)
18. The Streets (Streets of Rage 4)
19. Call the Cops (Streets of Rage 4)
20. Funky HQ (Streets of Rage 4; New Remix)
21. Ghost Fair (Streets of Rage 4)
22. Shiva (Streets of Rage 4)
23. An Exhibition (Streets of Rage 4; New Remix)
24. 25 Years Ago (Streets of Rage 4)

I’d kill to have some Streets of Rage representation in Smash, if only for the awesome music. Ah, brings back memories of playing Streets of Rage 2 on my 3DS...

 

[A.G.L.]

Ahem

Ah true, I stand corrected. He’s one of the last ones from the NES era.

 

[SNEKeater]

Sony is the most resistant to collaboration overall. Seems to be because they're on top of the food chain right now and they don't wanna share that pie.

I mean. It isn't strange. Historically speaking collaborations of any type between console manufacturers are incredibly minimal.

Especially when you're in a good position. Microsoft has been changing recently as part of a new strategy, but them being a bit more friendly and nicer with their competition isn't what you can regularly see through videogame history. And even with that Microsoft is only being somewhat friendly with Nintendo. Games such as Cuphead or Ori aren't on PS4, for example.

What I mean is: it isn't surprising that Sony's almost impossible option when it comes to Smash or any collaboration with Nintendo. Same thing the other way around.
If Sony announced All Stars 2 no one here would expect Nintendo to put Mario in their game.

 

[TriggerX]

I don't see Ayane, Kasumi, or Momiji being picked over Ryu Hayabusa. Ryu Hayabusa and Zhao Yun are Koei Tecmo's poster children. They are always chosen to represent their brand. Zhao Yun is the only realy competition to Ryu Hayabusa in term of a cross promotion rival. And he wouldn't work in Smash due to being based on a real life person. Also as you have stated Ryu Hayabusa is popular in both West and East. Where as the other characters are mostly popular in the East. Throw in the fact that he is the last main character from the NES era to not be in Smash and it just makes sense. Seeing Samus, Simon and Ryu Hayabusa all in one game will be crazy to see as they were rivals at one time.





Square has been a supporter of Nintendo like you said, but the same could be said that they are a supporter of Sony. They have never leaned more toward a strong ally of Nintendo like Bandai Namco, Koei Tecmo and Ubisoft. Yes Nintendo let them use their characters at one point, but that was a long time ago. Im talking about more recently on how Nintendo has been with their close allies, where its almost like they are an extension of Nintendo. Also we can't forget that at one point Square and Nintendo did have bad blood between them (FF7). They have worked through it over the years and are much closer now. That said I think their closeness right now is more due to how recently they've grown close. Like I said, I do believe their relationship will continue to grow. However I do think Nintendo is closer to Ubisoft than Square right now, and they are definitely closer to Bandai Namco and Koei Tecmo.

Fortune Street was like wii era I believe? Idk maybe that is a long time ago.
That aside idk, I guess how relatively close they are up in the air. Depends on how you look at it too.
Sure they’ve helped develop some games, or was allowed to use some of their Ips at one point, but both studios don’t seem to support the switch as much as the other consoles.

On a side note, I do believe the best way for Nintendo to compete with Sony and Microsoft is to offer developers something that they can’t. A chance to work with Nintendo properties. Could be why we are seeing this happen more often now.

I just have This feeling developers are hesitant to want to work with the switch because it probably takes too much additional work to get their games to port over when your base line is Sony and Microsoft. It’s just the odd man out.

Unfortunately the ps5 and XbsX is going to place an even wider gap between the switch hardware so who knows, we may see some more unique partnerships down the road.

 

[Guybrush20X6]

I mean. It isn't strange. Historically speaking collaborations of any type between console manufacturers are incredibly minimal.

Especially when you're in a good position. Microsoft has been changing recently as part of a new strategy, but them being a bit more friendly and nicer with their competition isn't what you can regularly see through videogame history. And even with that Microsoft is only being somewhat friendly with Nintendo. Games such as Cuphead or Ori aren't on PS4, for example.

What I mean is: it isn't surprising that Sony's almost impossible option when it comes to Smash or any collaboration with Nintendo. Same thing the other way around.
If Sony announced All Stars 2 no one here would expect Nintendo to put Mario in their game.

Sharing games and franchises is a relatively recent thing (baring Sony hedging their bets at the start of the PS1 generation by bringing Wipeout to multiplatform) but Sony was at the point of locking Fortnite accounts to Playstation platforms only because they didn't even want their users interacting with other consoles. More than a little possessive.

 

[Michael the Spikester]

I'll admit the only reason I'd want Geno is because there's a chance we'd finally get a Bowser Castle stage. Bowser's Castle is probably the most iconic location in that game. It's the first place you go to and it's shown on the title screen and box.

Good chance Forest Maze would be Geno's stage if anything.

 

[SpectreJordan]

Crash is one of the most likely Western characters for sure, but at the same time he is a Western character and Nintendo seems to still prefer focusing on Japanese devs before Western ones.

I definitely think this is changing. In the past year after Banjo was announced we’ve gotten:
Undertale, Assassin’s Creed, Rabbids, Cuphead, Warframe & Fallout. They’re much more open to representing western IPs now & I suspect we’ll see atleast one more western fighter before Ultimate ends.

 

[SNEKeater]

Sharing games and franchises is a relatively recent thing (baring Sony hedging their bets at the start of the PS1 generation by bringing Wipeout to multiplatform) but Sony was at the point of locking Fortnite accounts to Playstation platforms only because they didn't even want their users interacting with other consoles. More than a little possessive.

True. But that's what you do when you're in the strong position. During the previous gen Microsoft was the one who didn't wanted crossplay, for example.

Also, it depends on the game. Before all the crossplay drama that took place the last year, you could already find some games with crossplay on PS4, such as Rocket League, which back then (now, I don't know) had crossplay with PC. Of course, Fortnite is a big game so that move from Sony isn't surprising. It isn't consumer friendly at all, but I doubt Microsoft or Nintendo would have done differently if they were in Sony's position, to be honest.

 

[Guynamednelson]

They’re much more open to representing western IPs now

Yeah, in minor ways.

 

[Perkilator]

Yeah, in minor ways.

Hey, baby steps still help.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Yeah, in minor ways.

I mean, got a character, stage, remixes and spirits.

I wouldn't call that minor.