Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Curious Villager]

Technically, Epona does have a personality and dialogue in exactly one game: Twilight Princess. Wolf Link can talk to most animals in the game and Epona herself is among them.

She only has two lines of dialogue, but they establish her as being both loyal to Link and worried for his well-being, as she recognizes him but usually asks him to return to his human/hylian form as soon as possible.

That's still ultimately only one game that explores her much as a character, though.

Technically 2 since Epona also talks in Minish Cap, mainly to sell you Lon Lon Milk to lighten her cart but yeah....

I don't know how some people will consider what I'm writing now, but with Mr. Game & Watch being the personification of all the characters from the Game & Watch series, R.O.B. to be a toy robot accessory for Gyromite and Stack-Up, Duck Hunt Duo to have moves inspired by two other games as well (I mean Wild Gunman and Hogan's Alley of course) and Wii Fit Trainer to symbolize fitness games ( (although that's not really the case), I was thinking something about non-video game characters that are related to Nintendo as newcomers in future Super Smash Bros. games. Here are the following:

View attachment 385454View attachment 385455
Daitouryou and Tengu (Nintendo hanafuda cards): Even though I put Daitouryou I think he shouldn't come because he portrays Napoleon where he was a real person, so Tengu stays and could with his appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series symbolize what he started Nintendo when it was founded on September 23, 1889 and his movements were based on the hanafuda cards and maybe others that Nintendo had tried such as taxis or electrical appliances.

This brings back memories of BluePikmin, miss that bro...

 

[Shinuto]

I'll make my series by series predictions/ramblings when I have more time, but one thought I've had... What if the next game is just the full Ultimate roster, no newcomers, but they go all-in on single player modes?
A full Adventure mode, individual Break the targets etc... I'm not sure how well it would go with general audiences but if the trailer is sufficiently hype I guess very much?

Bleh, just do a DLC pack of single player in that case.

 

[Noipoi]

I'll make my series by series predictions/ramblings when I have more time, but one thought I've had... What if the next game is just the full Ultimate roster, no newcomers, but they go all-in on single player modes?
A full Adventure mode, individual Break the targets etc... I'm not sure how well it would go with general audiences but if the trailer is sufficiently hype I guess very much?

Honestly I don’t think I’d buy a whole new game just for this.

Even if it’s only a few, the lifeblood of any smash is the new characters. Without that I’m just not that interested.

 

[Ivander]

I'll make my series by series predictions/ramblings when I have more time, but one thought I've had... What if the next game is just the full Ultimate roster, no newcomers, but they go all-in on single player modes?
A full Adventure mode, individual Break the targets etc... I'm not sure how well it would go with general audiences but if the trailer is sufficiently hype I guess very much?

As much as I want more single player focused content, I don't think it'd be worth making an entirely new game for no new characters, even if it keeps all of the characters from Smash Ultimate.

 

[Perkilator]

I'll make my series by series predictions/ramblings when I have more time, but one thought I've had... What if the next game is just the full Ultimate roster, no newcomers, but they go all-in on single player modes?
A full Adventure mode, individual Break the targets etc... I'm not sure how well it would go with general audiences but if the trailer is sufficiently hype I guess very much?

At that point, you might as well add that level of single-player content to Ultimate as is.

 

[Guynamednelson]

no newcomers

I really think a lot of people forget how much newcomers are a big part of Smash marketing, even for Ultimate.

 

[Scrimblo Bimblo]

I really think a lot of people forget how much newcomers are a big part of Smash marketing, even for Ultimate.

I mean, people seem good-willed towards a heavily reduced roster with a full Adventure mode. That doesn't seem like a step all that far.

But yeah it could just be DLC for Ultimate

 

[Guynamednelson]

I mean, people seem good-willed towards a heavily reduced roster with a full Adventure mode. That doesn't seem like a step all that far.

But yeah it could just be DLC for Ultimate

They can still have newcomers to market on a smaller roster. A game whose premise is having no newcomers...well...

 

[BritishGuy54]

It doesn't matter. I nailed it with my list. Everyone else is just doing it for fun.

I don’t know if you can nail it if you overlook Animal Crossing and Xenoblade in the modern era yet justify new content for currently dormant franchises.

 

[BritishGuy54]

I'll make my series by series predictions/ramblings when I have more time, but one thought I've had... What if the next game is just the full Ultimate roster, no newcomers, but they go all-in on single player modes?
A full Adventure mode, individual Break the targets etc... I'm not sure how well it would go with general audiences but if the trailer is sufficiently hype I guess very much?

Adventure mode sounds nice, but no newcomers? That would just suck hard. Basically a middle finger to everything that has come out since Ultimate released. General audiences would be initially excited but lose interest not much after.

It would make Ultimate less special and irrelevant and this new game feel lazy and stuck in the past.

 

[SPEN18]

I don't think we can possibly go under double-digit newcomers in this next base game. Skimping on newcomers in order to keep the roster as close to Ult as possible is like the exact opposite of what's going to sell this as a new experience.
As much as I agree that a somewhat scaled-down roster could make for a good opportunity to amp up the singleplayer experience, improve the online, go further with the moveset updates in the places where it's necessary, and so forth, I think I'd prioritize a healthy crop of newcomers before all of that.
Especially at this current junction. There's too many characters who I would consider sorely missing from their franchises' casts, and also plenty of brand new franchises I'd like to see enter the fray.

 

[fogbadge]

am i too late to post my list? i'll do it anyway

Spoiler

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Are you just trying to be unlikable?

View attachment 385503

I'm not gonna say the joke landed, but it was clearly a joke.

 

[JOJONumber691]

Toad.
Dixie Kong.
Should just be a Mario character lmao.
Captain Syrup.
Wolf Link and Midna.
Primarina or Meloetta.
Magalor.
Krystal
Nia and or Mio
Just rework Samus.
MINERVA SWEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!
Octoling.
Redd.
Oatchi and Shepherd.
Hades.
Kumatora.
Literally anyone who isn’t Black Shadow.
Aran Ryan.
Dr. Coyle.
Matt.
Classic Sonic and Tails.
Raiden
Zero.
Bartz.
Guile.
Cereza
Alucard
Adachi.
Slime.
TJ Combo.
Enderman.
Eddy Gordo the GOAT!
Nakoruru.
Donald.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

I'm not gonna say the joke landed, but it was clearly a joke.

I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume it was sarcastic, but considering he's said similar stuff like that in the past, I'm not so sure.

 

[superprincess]

People who are unironically predicting Alear either don't play Fire Emblem, or are too caught up in made-up fan rules. Probably both. Most people are predicting them because "obligatory FE shill pick" or as a means to include some FE classics who missed their chance (Lyn and Celica come to mind). However, as someone who played through Engage, I have to say it really doesn't deserve a place in Smash's FE lineup.

Engage didn't garner nearly the same amount of hype as Three Houses, and surely didn't enjoy the same praise. It also doesn't help that Engage's character designs and writing have been heavily criticized. The game also kinda missed its chance, timing-wise. I doubt an early 2023 game would be on Sakurai's radar by now (given that Smash 6's project plan was very likely crafted in late 2023). Especially considering that Smash 6 is looking to be a 2026 release a the absolute earliest. Alear will be old news by then.

Also, I say this as a big FE fan, but Corrin and Byleth really should've taught Sakurai a lesson. Including the main character from the latest game every time isn't going to get a good reaction, especially if said game wasn't very well-received.

Speaking of, I'm tired of Smash's "just go for the main character" approach when it comes to the FE picks. Robin was so fresh and felt like what FE needed to diversify its Smash cast, before the cast was even repetitive and monotone. Going for the less obvious pick can result in miracles. Robin really was ahead of their time.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

....I liked Engage.

 

[RileyXY1]

People who are unironically predicting Alear either don't play Fire Emblem, or are too caught up in made-up fan rules. Probably both. Most people are predicting them because "obligatory FE shill pick" or as a means to include some FE classics who missed their chance (Lyn and Celica come to mind). However, as someone who played through Engage, I have to say it really doesn't deserve a place in Smash's FE lineup.

Engage didn't garner nearly the same amount of hype as Three Houses, and surely didn't enjoy the same praise. It also doesn't help that Engage's character designs and writing have been heavily criticized. The game also kinda missed its chance, timing-wise. I doubt an early 2023 game would be on Sakurai's radar by now (given that Smash 6's project plan was very likely crafted in late 2023). Especially considering that Smash 6 is looking to be a 2026 release a the absolute earliest. Alear will be old news by then.

Also, I say this as a big FE fan, but Corrin and Byleth really should've taught Sakurai a lesson. Including the main character from the latest game every time isn't going to get a good reaction, especially if said game wasn't very well-received.

Speaking of, I'm tired of Smash's "just go for the main character" approach when it comes to the FE picks. Robin was so fresh and felt like what FE needed to diversify its Smash cast, before the cast was even repetitive and monotone. Going for the less obvious pick can result in miracles. Robin really was ahead of their time.

Corrin and Byleth at least offered something different, especially the latter. Byleth finally represented the weapon variety that the series is known for.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

It's worth noting that Byleth was an ideal character well before sales existed for Three Houses. That wasn't really why he/she got in at all. It was just simple promotion when chosen for the latest. Also, Sakurai didn't choose Byleth, Nintendo did. He only chose Corrin.

Alear missing the window has a good chance of happening, though.

 

[CosmicEternity44]

Speaking of Alear, not that I want him, but is there any way he could be playable in a Smash Bros. game without using things from any of the other Fire Emblem characters, if that is what he truly does?

 

[Nabbitfan730]

but Corrin and Byleth really should've taught Sakurai a lesson.

*Nintendo. They are the ones who chose them.

Also speaking on Ultimate. Obligatory Delzethin Promotion

 

[Perkilator]

Speaking of Alear, not that I want him, but is there any way he could be playable in a Smash Bros. game without using things from any of the other Fire Emblem characters, if that is what he truly does?

Spoiler: Engage spoilers

 

[fogbadge]

It's worth noting that Byleth was an ideal character well before sales existed for Three Houses. That wasn't really why he/she got in at all. It was just simple promotion when chosen for the latest. Also, Sakurai didn't choose Byleth, Nintendo did. He only chose Corrin.

Alear missing the window has a good chance of happening, though.

even then they may just have said a character from three houses

 

[superprincess]

....I liked Engage.

Oh, don't get me wrong. It's not a bad game per se, the gameplay is actually quite good. I'm just echoing the common sentiment that the characters and writing are kinda shallow and... for lack of a better term, cringy. The game is so corny that it's funny sometimes, even in serious moments. Alear's design reflects this pretty well; it's so overdone and out there, clearly trying but failing to look cool... it's almost charming.

Corrin and Byleth at least offered something different, especially the latter. Byleth finally represented the weapon variety that the series is known for.

Corrin has the chainsaw sword and transforms into a dragon and all, but STILL somehow feels and plays like your average swordie... with the exception of the Neutral B and Side B, I guess? Side Smash also has the charging hitbox going for it. But that's it.Their game is inexcusably horrible and Corrin themselves is also a bad character in said game. Just a disaster all around. It also annoys me that there was an infinitely better choice available; one of the only characters in Fates to be prevalent in all three routes, Azura.

Byleth I'm a bit more accepting towards, but they still strike me as boring. It's the third time in a row they went for the Avatar. But their moveset is cool and unique, bringing four unique styles of weapon to the table.

 

[Ivander]

Also, I say this as a big FE fan, but Corrin and Byleth really should've taught Sakurai a lesson. Including the main character from the latest game every time isn't going to get a good reaction, especially if said game wasn't very well-received.

Corrin was wanted by Namco Bandai for their dragon powers. Byleth was chosen, most likely because they could make them use all of the House Leaders' weapons compared to choosing one of the House Leaders and sticking to what they use best(and who knows if House Leader discourse at the time had an impact).

At the same time, Byleth's problem was not being a Fire Emblem main character. Byleth's problem was being put in a bit too soon after their game released and other factors like people thinking only 3rd Party characters were going to get in and Capcom deciding to advertise Devil May Cry around the time Nintendo was trying to promote Byleth's upcoming video.
Had Byleth been released later during FP2 instead of ending FP1, they wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the amount of hate they got. Because people were in fact speculating other Nintendo characters, including a Three Houses character, when Fighter's Pass 2 was announced.

*Nintendo. They are the ones who chose them.

Byleth, maybe(depends on if Intelligent Systems had any input in which if it is the case, it wouldn't have been Nintendo).

Corrin, no, that was Namco Bandai. Sakurai was asked by the Smash team(aka Namco Bandai) about Corrin, Sakurai was hesitant because of the amount of Fire Emblem characters suddenly getting in alot, the team insisted they could make Corrin unique enough to make it work. Sakurai specifically mentioned during his interview regarding Corrin that it was the "Smash development team" who pressured him into giving Corrin a chance when he was hesitating at the number of FE characters getting in.

Edit: Oh, and as someone who has played Fates, Corrin wasn't even the worst issue. It was the horrible writing that, if anything, hurt the actual characters more than Corrin. Especially characters like Xander and Ryoma.

 

[Nabbitfan730]

Oh i didn't know about Corrin. I thought she was another Nintendo Promotion for Fates.

Neat

 

[Swamp Sensei]

I know people like to dog on Corrin in the Fire Emblem fandom (and a lot of it is deserved) but it is something that people overplay here.

She's not universally hated. She's still got a lot of fans. She even won a CYL poll. She's not one of the most popular lords. But she isn't hated.

If you want a Fire Emblem character who is near universally hated, check on Malakov. Sheesh, that guy is awful.

 

[7NATOR]

Here's my list, and some notes on how I'm communicating it


If the Name is in Bold, I'm 100% sure they are getting in.

If the Name is just regular, I think they might be likely, but I'm not going to be as sure as others

If their name is in Parenthesis, While I think they might be in if that Franchise got a Character, I'm not sure on their actual Chances as a whole (I might find them unlikely).

If there is a ? with their name in the Paranthesis, I'm even less sure on that character

If I say No to that character, I'm sure that they aren't Getting in

I'll also have a DLC Tag next to the character if I think they would or could be DLC

Spoiler: Mario, Donkey Kong, Wario, Yoshi

Spoiler: Zelda, Pokemon, Kirby, Star Fox, Xenoblade

Spoiler: Metroid, Fire Emblem, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, Pikmin

Spoiler: The other Nintendo Franchises

Spoiler: Sonic the Hedgehog (you already know)

Spoiler: Metal Gear, Mega Man, Final Fantasy

Spoiler: Street Fighter

Spoiler: Bayonetta, Castlevania, Persona

Spoiler: Dragon Quest, Banjo & Kazooie, Minecraft, Tekken, Fatal Fury/King of Fighters

Spoiler: Kingdom Hearts

 

[Swamp Sensei]

I will say that unless the next Smash game is developed right now. We probably won't see Alear as a promotional pick. The timing isn't right.

 

[DarthEnderX]

I don’t know if you can nail it if you overlook Animal Crossing and Xenoblade in the modern era yet justify new content for currently dormant franchises.

And yet, somehow, I did!

 

[superprincess]

I will say that unless the next Smash game is developed right now. We probably won't see Alear as a promotional pick. The timing isn't right.

I mean, going by the evidence* we have right now, Alear has already missed the boat.

*Studio 2/Studio S, Sakurai confirming he's still working on games, Sakurai dropping his YT channel this year, the "Switch 2" allegedly coming out next year.

I know people like to dog on Corrin in the Fire Emblem fandom (and a lot of it is deserved) but it is something that people overplay here.

She's not universally hated. She's still got a lot of fans. She even won a CYL poll. She's not one of the most popular lords. But she isn't hated.

If you want a Fire Emblem character who is near universally hated, check on Malakov. Sheesh, that guy is awful.

Corrin has their fans, yeah. I do have my suspicions on why the female character became the "default", but I digress.

Oh i didn't know about Corrin. I thought she was another Nintendo Promotion for Fates.

Neat

Corrin is a promo pick. Sakurai said that they wanted to add a character from an upcoming 2016 game in Smash, and Fates fit the bill. Corrin's dragon powers were also mentioned, but that wasn't the exact reason why they were chosen, they were just what convinced Sakurai to choose the character.

 

[JOJONumber691]

I'll make my series by series predictions/ramblings when I have more time, but one thought I've had... What if the next game is just the full Ultimate roster, no newcomers, but they go all-in on single player modes?
A full Adventure mode, individual Break the targets etc... I'm not sure how well it would go with general audiences but if the trailer is sufficiently hype I guess very much?

I’d be fine with this.

 

[Ivander]

I know people like to dog on Corrin in the Fire Emblem fandom (and a lot of it is deserved) but it is something that people overplay here.

She's not universally hated. She's still got a lot of fans. She even won a CYL poll. She's not one of the most popular lords. But she isn't hated.

It's kinda debatable because in the female brackets, she was 5th in CYL1, 9th in CYL2, 6th in CYL3, 11th in CYL4(when Three Houses took over priority), 5th in CYL5 and 4th in CYL6 until finally getting 2nd in CYL7. Like sure, she wasn't the most popular Lord, but quite early on, she was beating Micaiah, Eirika, F!Robin and Tiki before fans pressured themselves into getting those characters in for reasons. And obviously, part of why she dropped in CYL2 and 4 were because of Echoes and Three Houses recency.
But for the most part in other CYLs, her popularity remained consistent until she finally got 2nd in CYL7. She may not be the most popular Lord, but she is still a character whose popularity is very consistent, similar to Tharja who may have dropped from 3rd in CYL1 to between 9 and 12 in CYLs after, but she has been staying there consistently each CYL since.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Corrin has their fans, yeah. I do have my suspicions on why the female character became the "default", but I digress.

Oh it's 100% that.

But the older I get, the more common I find that to be, and the less bothered I am by it.

Splitting hairs about where popularity comes from usually isn't helpful.

 

[Ivander]

If anything, the reason both Corrins have been getting a bit more popularity is because they are often regarded as being better outside of their main game, where in the spin-offs like Fire Emblem Warriors and Heroes, they are allowed to have more character than just be a self-insert and they have some more differences between them.
I mean for example, when Male Corrin got his first Alternate Costume in Heroes, the reason he was a Free Reward Unit rather than a Summonable unit from a Banner was because he overslept on New Years and missed out on the New Years Celebration. That legitimately got a real chuckle out of me when it was revealed.

 

[superprincess]

Oh it's 100% that.

But the older I get, the more common I find that to be, and the less bothered I am by it.

Splitting hairs about where popularity comes from usually isn't helpful.

As a girl in the male dominated hobby of gaming, I think that kind of popularity is next to invalid. That's neither here nor there, but I find it really degrading and not the kind of popularity female characters should aim for.

In the topic of Smash, it's also why I detest everything ZSS stands for.

 

[Noipoi]

Hypothetically, if Fire Emblem doesn’t get a single new character for the entirety of the next Smash’s life while other franchises like Kirby, Zelda, or Sonic finally get some attention…

Would that be enough? Could Smash fans finally let the resentment go?

 

[chocolatejr9]

Hypothetically, if Fire Emblem doesn’t get a single new character for the entirety of the next Smash’s life while other franchises like Kirby, Zelda, or Sonic finally get some attention…

Would that be enough? Could Smash fans finally let the resentment go?

Smash fans? Let resentment go? HA! Ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha...

Real talk: we've got people who are STILL mad about a lot of roster choices. Nothing's gonna change that.

 

[MasterCheef]

I HATE ZSS because she is basically better in almost every way in Smash & it defeats the point of the original character.

To me all characters should primarily be considered for what , new ; , game-play style & move-set , they bring.

In the topic of Smash, it's also why I detest everything ZSS stands for.

.
.
Then who are your top picks for newcomers ?

 

[Ivander]

Hypothetically, if Fire Emblem doesn’t get a single new character for the entirety of the next Smash’s life while other franchises like Kirby, Zelda, or Sonic finally get some attention…

Would that be enough? Could Smash fans finally let the resentment go?

The resentment would just go elsewhere. Smash Brawl, that resentment was aimed at Kirby. Smash 4, that resentment was originally aimed at Kid Icarus until Corrin came and they aimed it at Fire Emblem. And it simply remained with Fire Emblem because of Chrom and eventually Byleth.

Heck, even if Fire Emblem got nothing and a bunch of other series got lots instead, if even most of the FE characters if not all of them remained in the next game, I doubt that resentment would go away from them. Why? Because of course they will not ignore the series they don't like getting alot of characters while ignoring all the characters their favourite series is getting.
It's okay if their favorite series gets attention, it's not okay when another series they don't like gets attention over their favorites.