Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Oracle Link]

I mean, he's definitely the 2nd most iconic FF villain.

The latest FF when they added Sephiroth was FF7 Remake.

Whatever changes NA made to Kefka in FF6, they're pretty much canon now. Because Kefka is 100% that character in Dissidia. He has Buggy the Clown's Japanese VA!

I do think the changes are intersting although having all Protagonists just shout LOVE at him is pretty dumb especially for gau!
Im atleast pretty sure they talk more diverse on GBA!

 

[Perkilator]

On this topic though, I actually think a Metroidvania style adventure would be really fun in Smash Bros

Think, World of Light meets The Great Maze (which I know most people don't like either lol)


You start off with a super basic character, probably a newcomer dedicated to the role who can't use projectiles or any elemental attacks. As you progress, you unlock characters who can do those stuff, like unlike Mario, suddenly you can burn a plant blocking your path. Unlock Kirby, now you can cross a wide gap. Unlock Pikachu, now you can open doors that need power.


A premise like that I feel would be a fantastic platforming adventure while adhering to Sakurai's dislike of cutscenes.

If not that, how does the idea of a roguelike sound? Think NASB 2’a story mode where you choose different paths and fight a boss at the end of each area.

 

[Garteam]

and On that Note I'm going to go ahead and put a Prediction out there that I'm very confident in

I think we're 100% getting another Kingdom Hearts character in the next Smash game

I could see a second Kingdom Hearts rep, but 100% confidence is pretty bold. Why do you think that?

 

[fogbadge]

If not that, how does the idea of a roguelike sound? Think NASB 2’a story mode where you choose different paths and fight a boss at the end of each area.

no

 

[Gorgonzales]

all I really want out of a story mode at this point is actual cutscenes with character interactions and a lot of levels tailored to specific fighters' kits and abilities

 

[CapitaineCrash]

and On that Note I'm going to go ahead and put a Prediction out there that I'm very confident in

I think we're 100% getting another Kingdom Hearts character in the next Smash game

100% is a pretty bold statement, but genuinely I could see it happening. But the question is... who? I think the one that make the most sense would be either Roxas or Riku, but you could also make a strong case for Aqua, Terra or even Xehanort (or maybe Xemnas) if you want a vilain rep. You could also just go the easy route and add Xion as an echo fighter (Roxas might work as an echo too, but I feel like the gimmick of being a dual Keyblade wielder is too fun to just give him the echo treatment).

Speaking of, I really hope that if the KH universe is back, we have a second stages and it's Traverse town. I really wish more third party could have 2 stages like Sonic and FF.

 

[DarthEnderX]

I do think the changes are intersting although having all Protagonists just shout LOVE at him is pretty dumb especially for gau!

"It's like listening to the world's worst self-help booklet!"

But the question is... who?

Riku seems like he'd be the most likely, by a wide margin. Unless we just get Roxas as an Echo.

 

[Garteam]

I actually like Smash for and Ultimate's de-emphasization on single-player content in favour of maximizing the number of elements that define Smash's core gameplay scenarios (characters, stages, assist trophies, etc.). Subspace was fun because unlocking characters and viewing their interactions in cutscenes was a good reward to keep going, but most of the moment-to-moment gameplay was pretty unremarkable. There was a lot of "go down this hallway while fighting a couple of enemies, fight a hoard of enemies, continue going down hallways". That's not worth losing 5-15 potential fighters over.

Here's what I would ideally want single-player in the next Smash to look like:

• Keep Ultimate's character-specific, themed classic mode routes, but avoid generic themes like "fighting dark fighters" or "fighting duos" and instead focus on creative ways to reference source material. Mega Man's route is the gold standard for what this should look like.
• Include Smash for 3DS' classic mode as a general, replayable arcade mode.
• Merge Spirits and Event Matches into a single mode. I liked how spirits tried to emulate gameplay scenarios from the various games that Smash references and the sheer breadth of characters included through it, but a lot of the spirit battles blend together and become pretty unmemorable. Keeping the number of battles relatively low (maybe about 100 to 150) but creating a greater diversity of objectives would go a long way.
• Obligatory Home-Run Contest and Mob Smash.
• Make All-Star its own thing again. I get the logic behind folding All-Star into Mob Smash for Ultimate when Smash for Wii U had All-Star's launch rate turned up so high, but there's no reason it has to be this way. Go back to the way Melee and Brawl did it, where the challenge was about properly managing resources to get through a large gauntlet of regular battles. Keep the number of fighters fought in each stage low and adjust the amount of healing items given to the player accordingly.
• Bring back Boss Battles. Giving the player no easy way to revisit boss battles made them largely feel like a waste in Ultimate. Shoehorning this mode in as Sephiroth's classic route was also a really dumb idea, especially when Home-Run Contest and Stage Builder's additions shows that adding modes post-release was very possible.

 

[Gengar84]

100% is a pretty bold statement, but genuinely I could see it happening. But the question is... who? I think the one that make the most sense would be either Roxas or Riku, but you could also make a strong case for Aqua, Terra or even Xehanort (or maybe Xemnas) if you want a vilain rep. You could also just go the easy route and add Xion as an echo fighter (Roxas might work as an echo too, but I feel like the gimmick of being a dual Keyblade wielder is too fun to just give him the echo treatment).

Speaking of, I really hope that if the KH universe is back, we have a second stages and it's Traverse town. I really wish more third party could have 2 stages like Sonic and FF.

My vote is for either Xemnas (KH2), Ansem (KH1), or a transformation like Pokemon Trainer that switches between Xehanort’s three major forms (Ansem, Xemnas, and Master Xehanort). That last one would be the most work and I don’t believe he actually ever transforms since they are different entities split off the same origin but it would be fun. I’d be more than happy with solo Ansem or Xemnas. I love both of their designs and I’m always happy to see more playable villains in Smash.

 

[Dukefire]

If by that you mean Smash Run 2 then yeah. If not then keep that **** away from Smash at all costs.

Well, Smash run's concept was based on Sakurai's older game project.

 

[fogbadge]

a transformation like Pokemon Trainer that switches between Xehanort’s three major forms (Ansem, Xemnas, and Master Xehanort)

no

 

[Gengar84]

no

Just saying what I think would be cool, not that they would or should do it. It just gives me a way to play as both Ansem and Xemnas without having to choose between them. Since they’re all connected, there’s at least some basis for it even if it isn’t the most likely option.

 

[Gorgonzales]

Whatever this new Smash game ends up being, if Nintendo hosts a prerelease tournament to advertise the new game like they did with Ultimate in 2018, I hope Sonic and/or Steve are playable in that demo and competitive players straight-up abuse them during the event. I'm talking full-on stalling and not interacting with the opponent by any means necessary, to show the Smash team their flawed designs and serve as a wake-up call to tone them down before release.

It worked for Bayonetta; Sakurai was reportedly shaking his head when he saw her pull off those ladder combos during 2018's invitational, lol

 

[Amornal1]

100% is a pretty bold statement, but genuinely I could see it happening. But the question is... who? I think the one that make the most sense would be either Roxas or Riku, but you could also make a strong case for Aqua, Terra or even Xehanort (or maybe Xemnas) if you want a vilain rep. You could also just go the easy route and add Xion as an echo fighter (Roxas might work as an echo too, but I feel like the gimmick of being a dual Keyblade wielder is too fun to just give him the echo treatment).

Speaking of, I really hope that if the KH universe is back, we have a second stages and it's Traverse town. I really wish more third party could have 2 stages like Sonic and FF.

Most likely riku because he's like the second most iconic character.

 

[Amornal1]

Anyway, we're just less than a week away for knowing about xbox future.

 

[Gengar84]

Anyway, we're just less than a week away for knowing about xbox future.

I’m curious how it might affect Microsoft’s future in Smash if the rumors are true about them dropping out of the console race. A lot of my most wanted characters in Smash are owned by Microsoft but I have no allegiance to Microsoft specifically. I’m a RARE fan because of Nintendo and I loved StarCraft and WarCraft III long before Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision/Blizzard and even before Blizzard’s merger with Activision.

 

[Will]

all I really want out of a story mode at this point is actual cutscenes with character interactions and a lot of levels tailored to specific fighters' kits and abilities

So 64/Melee era BTT as dedicated stages?

Young Link’s stage in Melee taught me that wall jumps were in the game and how to use them. It isn’t a bad idea as a teaching tool for the basics of a character, or for mechanics of the game in general.

 

[Amornal1]

I’m curious how it might affect Microsoft’s future in Smash if the rumors are true about them dropping out of the console race. A lot of my most wanted characters in Smash are owned by Microsoft but I have no allegiance to Microsoft specifically. I’m a RARE fan because of Nintendo and I loved StarCraft and WarCraft III long before Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision/Blizzard and even before Blizzard’s merger with Activision.

I think it could increase the chances of a Microsoft rep a lot, specially Master chief.

 

[Gengar84]

I think it could increase the chances of a Microsoft rep a lot, specially Master chief.

Master Chief would be a pretty huge reveal. I don’t really have any personal experience with Halo so he’s not at the top of my most wanted list but I can’t deny it would be really exciting even for me. Just the history of having the mascots from two major game companies would be awesome. Crash could potentially do the same for Sony given the franchise’s history on PlayStation. Hopefully we can get multiple characters because I’d love to see the Battletoads, Fulgore, Illidan, or Kerrigan as well.

 

[Amornal1]

Master Chief would be a pretty huge reveal. I don’t really have any personal experience with Halo so he’s not at the top of my most wanted list but I can’t deny it would be really exciting even for me. Just the history of having the mascots from two major game companies would be awesome. Crash could potentially do the same for Sony given the franchise’s history on PlayStation. Hopefully we can get multiple characters because I’d love to see the Battletoads, Fulgore, Illidan, or Kerrigan as well.

Personally, i think that both crash bandicoot and dovahkiin would be their best options.

 

[Louie G.]

I think it could increase the chances of a Microsoft rep a lot, specially Master chief.

I think Master Chief's chances will stay about the same as they've been, which are quite good, just now the "hasn't been on Nintendo" shtick is counting its days and people won't be able to deny him anymore. I kinda wish he will have made it in before Halo hits a Nintendo console, just to stick it to everyone, but it seems more likely that we'll see some of the older games ported over onto the Switch successor.

Which hey, that's cool too, but it's just gonna perpetuate the same misconceptions... although we're certainly running out of viable or exciting characters who haven't been on Nintendo at that point. Maybe just like, Kratos or Gordon Freeman? We get into pretty unlikely territory by then.

Although in all honesty yeah, of course having Halo games on Switch (2?) gives Nintendo another incentive to consider him. I just think the scale of the character, his status as Microsoft / Xbox's mascot, the apparent fan demand already puts him squarely on the radar as the most obvious next step for Microsoft. This is just gonna make his case look that much sweeter to everyone speculating about it.

 

[Amornal1]

I think Master Chief's chances will stay about the same as they've been, which are quite good, just now the "hasn't been on Nintendo" shtick is counting its days and people won't be able to deny him anymore. I kinda wish he will have made it in before Halo hits a Nintendo console, just to stick it to everyone, but it seems more likely that we'll see some of the older games ported over onto the Switch successor.

Which hey, that's cool too, but it's just gonna perpetuate the same misconceptions... although we're certainly running out of viable or exciting characters who haven't been on Nintendo at that point. Maybe just like, Kratos or Gordon Freeman?

Although in all honesty yeah, of course having Halo games on Switch (2?) gives Nintendo another incentive to consider him. I just think the scale of the character, his status as Microsoft / Xbox's mascot, the apparent fan demand already puts him squarely on the radar as the most obvious next step for Microsoft. This is just gonna make his case look that much sweeter to everyone speculating about it.

I think that an actual character that would have his chances increased would be chai from hi fi rush and Marcus fenix after master chief joins to Smash bros.

 

[Nabbitfan730]

I actually like Smash for and Ultimate's de-emphasization on single-player content in favour of maximizing the number of elements that define Smash's core gameplay scenarios (characters, stages, assist trophies, etc.).

I wouldn't say de-emphasization but more streamlined but yeah, my experiences will have to agree. I prefer Single-Player in Smash to based around what we have already then something complete new that goes against the grain.

People have gripes with Ultimate's Single Player when ironically for me is the first time I cared for it other than Classic a few times.

One addition they should bring back is Classic Mode from Smash Wii U as seperate mode maybe called Coliseum Mode. I felt that mode would easily taken advantage of the content that there from Ultimate with all the stages and characters. Would've been a fresh experience each time

Merge Spirits and Event Matches into a single mode. I liked how spirits tried to emulate gameplay scenarios from the various games that Smash references and the sheer breadth of characters included through it, but a lot of the spirit battles blend together and become pretty unmemorable.

But this:Nah, contrary to popular belief, the modes are quite different and i really couldn't care less for Event Conditions. Most of the conditions for Wii U version at least very quite tedious

Rather just have improved conditions for Spirits Mode instead.

100% is a pretty bold statement, but genuinely I could see it happening. But the question is... who?

Who? Riku, Roxas or even Xehanort

What as in stages? Radient Garden or The World That Never Was

Would say Destiny Islands but we have already too many stages like it.

 

[Gengar84]

I think Master Chief's chances will stay about the same as they've been, which are quite good, just now the "hasn't been on Nintendo" shtick is counting its days and people won't be able to deny him anymore. I kinda wish he will have made it in before Halo hits a Nintendo console, just to stick it to everyone, but it seems more likely that we'll see some of the older games ported over onto the Switch successor.

Which hey, that's cool too, but it's just gonna perpetuate the same misconceptions... although we're certainly running out of viable or exciting characters who haven't been on Nintendo at that point. Maybe just like, Kratos or Gordon Freeman?

Although in all honesty yeah, of course having Halo games on Switch (2?) gives Nintendo another incentive to consider him. I just think the scale of the character, his status as Microsoft / Xbox's mascot, the apparent fan demand already puts him squarely on the radar as the most obvious next step for Microsoft. This is just gonna make his case look that much sweeter to everyone speculating about it.

I’m of the belief that a character’s history with Nintendo should still be a factor that is taken under consideration when choosing third party newcomers. Essentially, a character with a strong history should have that as a point in their favor but lack of history shouldn’t disqualify a character. If a character like Master Chief is generally iconic and popular, he should still be taken under consideration despite that lack of Nintendo presence. However, comparatively smaller characters like Banjo should still be given the same consideration due to their history with Nintendo despite not being as generally popular. Hopefully that makes sense lol.

 

[Louie G.]

I’m of the belief that a character’s history with Nintendo should still be a factor that is taken under consideration when choosing third party newcomers. Essentially, a character with a strong history should have that as a point in their favor but lack of history shouldn’t disqualify a character. If a character like Master Chief is generally iconic and popular, he should still be taken under consideration despite that lack of Nintendo presence. However, comparatively smaller characters like Banjo should still be given the same consideration due to their history with Nintendo despite not being as generally popular. Hopefully that makes sense lol.

It makes sense, and I think that's a valid way to prefer the roster to be. I'm just convinced that's become less and less of a significant factor in Nintendo's own process, or at least in that process of measuring up certain characters they have opted for the ones with less history and more pull over the less popular, more insular options (Cloud AND Sephiroth > Terra / Black Mage / etc, Persona > Shin Megami Tensei). We also have Bayonetta and Banjo as examples of the opposite, so fair enough, although I think those two ring pretty loudly as exceptional cases who have extremely tight near familial ties to Nintendo.

Granted I don't see any really far reaching pulls like Chief getting brought on for base roster, which will probably remain regulated to the closer knit Nintendo-y series if I had to guess (at least as far as newcomers go). While DLC would probably continue to be more anything goes. Just given the way things have progressed so far it seems like a matter of time until we really breach the unspoken / long assumed Nintendo rule. Even though characters like Cloud or Joker have already challenged it so heavily.

I understand why people still clutch their pearls about this, and maybe treat it as more of a believe it when I see it scenario, so I hope in that case they hurry up and put Halo on Nintendo so we can move past this conversation. That won't automatically make Halo more Nintendo-relevant than say, Doom, but at least the one perceived hurdle that always muddles this discussion will be removed.

 

[fogbadge]

I think I better keep my opinions on master chief to myself

 

[Gengar84]

I think I better keep my opinions on master chief to myself

Mamma always said if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.

 

[fogbadge]

Mamma always said if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.

so did my mama but she forgot we’re Scottish and swearing at things loudly is a national pastime

 

[Geno Boost]

Just made full on Nokia Snake Smash Moveset concept take a look and tell what do you think

Snake (Nokia)

Snake (Nokia) ARCHETYPES Bain & Punish Trapper ATTRIBUTES Snake will have similar speed to Charizard but he is lighter than him and more floaty. JAB/TILTS Jab Attack 1 = Swipe tail on left side. Jab Attack 2 = Swipe tail on right side. Jab Attack 3 = Swipe tail upward. Forward Tilt Att...

docs.google.com

 

[PeridotGX]

I’m curious how it might affect Microsoft’s future in Smash if the rumors are true about them dropping out of the console race. A lot of my most wanted characters in Smash are owned by Microsoft but I have no allegiance to Microsoft specifically. I’m a RARE fan because of Nintendo and I loved StarCraft and WarCraft III long before Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision/Blizzard and even before Blizzard’s merger with Activision.

I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft ends up being the third party company with the most characters. There's no reason to cut Steve and Banjo, and they own three of the fanbase's most wanteds (Master Chief, Doomguy, and Crash) in addition to a glut of other big series (Gears, League, Elder Scrolls, etc). Really, the only limiting factor was them being a competitor in the console wars... not anymore lol.

 

[Gengar84]

I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft ends up being the third party company with the most characters. There's no reason to cut Steve and Banjo, and they own three of the fanbase's most wanteds (Master Chief, Doomguy, and Crash) in addition to a glut of other big series (Gears, League, Elder Scrolls, etc). Really, the only limiting factor was them being a competitor in the console wars... not anymore lol.

Microsoft doesn’t own Riot games does it? I’m not sure if I missed something there. I think League of Legends, Mortal Kombat and Fortnite are probably the three biggest western gaming franchises not currently owned by Microsoft.

 

[Geno Boost]

Microsoft doesn’t own Riot games does it? I’m not sure if I missed something there. I think League of Legends and Mortal Kombat are probably the two biggest Western gaming franchises not currently owned by Microsoft.

EA and Ubisoft and Rockstar has multiple also

 

[Louie G.]

I think League of Legends and Mortal Kombat are probably the two biggest Western gaming franchises not currently owned by Microsoft.

Statistically speaking it looks like the answer to this is Grand Theft Auto (420 mil units), The Sims and Assassin's Creed (both 200 mil).

And then Tomb Raider and God of War are somewhere below that, and Mortal Kombat is laying somewhere in the middle of those two. League is a bit harder to quantify but a quick google search tells me there are 150 million registered players, so that would put it close to the higher register.

 

[Gengar84]

EA also

True, I also forgot about Fortnite in my initial post so I updated that. My mind is blanking on EA franchises outside of Battlefield and sports games. I’m sure I must be forgetting something big because EA is so huge.

 

[Speed Weed]

True, I also forgot about Fortnite in my initial post so I updated that. My mind is blanking on EA franchises outside of Battlefield and sports games. I’m sure I must be forgetting something big because EA is so huge.

Dead Space and Mass Effect come to mind for me

 

[Will]

Dead Space and Mass Effect come to mind for me

Isaac’s neutral special is summoning a necromorph from absolutely ****ing nowhere

 

[Ivander]

Isaac’s neutral special is summoning a necromorph from absolutely ****ing nowhere

Oh my gosh.

 

[MasterCheef]

i am also curious ;

what is up with the obsession over getting more 3rd party playable characters from franchises we already have ?

I would much rather expand into new franchises.

 

[Garteam]

i am also curious ;

what is up with the obsession over getting more 3rd party playable characters from franchises we already have ?

I would much rather expand into new franchises.

A lot of it is personal preference. Just like how first-party franchises have a lot of cool supporting characters that work well in Smash, so do a lot of third parties. That's especially true for franchises that have long histories and tons of entries, like Sonic, Mega Man, and Castlevania.

Secondary characters from third-party franchises also allow more third parties generally to enter Smash without racking up the licensing costs to an absurd degree, which is a relevant consideration when there's a very solid chance that the next Smash game would need to acquire about 10 licenses to get the third-parties that most people agree will return.

 

[Will]

Oh my gosh.

I’d take Frank over Isaac any day, but he is too busy hiding under the crippling shadows of Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine.