• Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!

    You are currently viewing our boards as a visitor. Click here to sign up right now and start on your path in the Smash community!

Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

Momotsuki

Smash Champion
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
2,490
Location
endleSSS
I understand doing things like giving Pikachu hats if they feel that the character's electric affinity isn't communicated clearly enough if you remove the yellow, but the stance of "Pikachu should never be any color other than yellow for any reason" doesn't make sense. "Cloud and Sephiroth shouldn't ever wear saturated colors" makes even less sense.

It doesn't have to make sense for it to be a reality, but it is mildly infuriating. Sephiroth especially, you can barely tell those pallet swaps apart.
I completely agree. My above proposal is more of an "ugh, fine" sort of deal.
 
D

Deleted member

Guest
How many times are you going to have to be told that MK8 Deluxe could only be one of the best selling games of all time because the original MK8 couldn't?
a Mario Kart 9 on the switch would've sold as good, i don't think its because MK8 specifically.
Im mostly afraid it's going to be Pokemon Sword and Shield over again when they announce not all fighters are going to return....those who where in Pokemon related forums back in 2019, know how anti-hype and toxic the whole pre-release period was.


I wish Nintendo would just announce if the next Smash was a new sequel or a port. Don’t even show any footage or reveal any characters, just come out and casually mention that one tidbit.

It’d save us another two years of the same discussion :101:
If they anounce it's a new game, we might enter in a toxic era of speculation, that's really only beneficial if it's a port because people will eiter be excited or wouldn't care and move on to other games if they arent interested in port, so it might not save us from anything, depending of what the next game is.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Momotsuki

Smash Champion
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
2,490
Location
endleSSS
Im mostly afraid it's going to be Pokemon Sword and Shield over again when they announce not all fighters are going to return....those who where in Pokemon related forums back in 2019, know how anti-hype and toxic the whole pre-release period was.
I don't think this is super comparable since "Everyone is Here" has so far been a one-time affair whereas the National Pokédex and ability to transfer all of one's Pokémon is something that people had been very used to enjoying and had every reason to expect up until it was announced otherwise.
 
Last edited:

Guynamednelson

Smash Legend
Joined
Dec 17, 2014
Messages
13,144
NNID
Nelson340
3DS FC
2105-8742-2099
Switch FC
SW 4265 6024 9719
Im mostly afraid it's going to be Pokemon Sword and Shield over again when they announce not all fighters are going to return
Well that didn't impact sales...at all. They eventually outsold every Pokemon game besides RB.

Besides, if Sakurai himself said they'd focus on "high quality animations" over bringing everyone back...he'd actually mean it.
 
Last edited:

CannonStreak

Supersonic Warrior
Premium
Joined
Nov 4, 2013
Messages
18,398
Location
Running from the cops in Stardust Speedway.
a Mario Kart 9 on the switch would've sold as good, i don't think its because MK8 specifically.
Im mostly afraid it's going to be Pokemon Sword and Shield over again when they announce not all fighters are going to return....those who where in Pokemon related forums back in 2019, know how anti-hype and toxic the whole pre-release period was.



If they anounce it's a new game, we'll enter in a toxic era, that's only beneficial if it's a port because people will eiter be excited or wouldn't care and move on to other games if they arent interested in port.
Um, TheQuester? Cuts happen all the time in video games such as fighting games. They are to be expected. As others said, an Ultimate Deluxe port would not solve that problem. The cuts will be fine, and I think some people have gotten used to that by now, to the point that "Everyone is Here" was a big surprise to many, like me. It is more so who is cut that may matter, but still, it is not going to be like Sword and Shield, which was done by a company who had done more questionable things compared to Sakurai himself.

I don't think we are in for a toxic era if it is a new game. I think you are just worrying too much based on the wrong things. Plus, many things about Smash Bros. have already been toxic to begin with.
 

SMAASH! Puppy

Smash Legend
Joined
Feb 13, 2015
Messages
13,365
Location
Snake Man's stage from Metal Blade Solid
a Mario Kart 9 on the switch would've sold as good, i don't think its because MK8 specifically.
Im mostly afraid it's going to be Pokemon Sword and Shield over again when they announce not all fighters are going to return....those who where in Pokemon related forums back in 2019, know how anti-hype and toxic the whole pre-release period was.
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield did super well despite Dexit, so if the game isn't a super rushed mess, I kind of feel like people will calm down when it comes out.


And if it's as fun as those games are than I will have so much game to play.
 

superprincess

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 30, 2024
Messages
508
Location
Peach's Castle
So far it's done better, when adjusting for install base.
Mario Kart 8 sold 62% of the Wii U install base.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, thus far, has sold 43% of the Nintendo Switch's install base.
This is obviously because the Wii U straight up... didn't have games. Also, percentages don't matter at all. The fact of the matter is that MK8D sold ten times the amount of MK8 because the Wii U was a flop which prevented the general public from playing its games.
when they announce not all fighters are going to return
"When"? This is never gonna happen. Unlike Pokemon, a full roster isn't the standard. Smash is a fighting/party game and those cut characters all the time. What's more likely to happen is the same deal as Smash 4, the prerelease goes on normally gradually revealing veterans until the game releases/the final roster is revealed and people find the cuts for themselves. They won't straight up say it.
If they anounce it's a new game, we'll enter in a toxic era, that's only beneficial if it's a port because people will eiter be excited or wouldn't care and move on to other games if they arent interested in port.
Why would Nintendo give a dime about "toxicity" when games that had toxic prereleases sold amazingly like the aforementioned Sword and Shield. If they wanna do a new game they'll do a new game and the toxicity of the fandom won't be a factor because if we're being honest the geeky nerds that speculate about Smash and would go feral over its roster are just a minority that doesn't impact sales.
 

Momotsuki

Smash Champion
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
2,490
Location
endleSSS
This is obviously because the Wii U straight up... didn't have games. Also, percentages don't matter at all. The fact of the matter is that MK8D sold ten times the amount of MK8 because the Wii U was a flop which prevented the general public from playing its games.
Momotsuki said:
I don't actually think this changes the fact that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was in a uniquely good position (if anything it makes that even clearer,) but it's worth noting.
Did you read my post? I don't think you read my post. Try reading my post, please.
 
Last edited:

Noipoi

Howdy!
Joined
Jun 19, 2018
Messages
52,996
Location
Viva La France
a Mario Kart 9 on the switch would've sold as good, i don't think its because MK8 specifically.
Im mostly afraid it's going to be Pokemon Sword and Shield over again when they announce not all fighters are going to return....those who where in Pokemon related forums back in 2019, know how anti-hype and toxic the whole pre-release period was.
Well that was specifically because they said they cut the Pokedex to make the game better, but then the game turned out to be ass. That’s why people felt so scorned.

If you’ll notice, Legends Arceus also doesn’t have a complete Pokedex. But people don’t really mind because that game is rad.

If the next Mario Kart and/or Smash Bros has enough cool stuff people won’t really care if every single character doesn’t make the cut. Especially the casual consumer who, and I can’t stress this enough, doesn’t care about this **** like we do.
 
Last edited:

Ivander

Smash Legend
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
10,971
As somebody who also has always wanted a color editor, I figured you could just have restrictions on certain characters to appease IP holders. For example, rather than getting a hue/saturation/lightness/shininess menu for Pikachu's body, you'd have to pick between a curated assortment of shades of yellow. Sure, that's a bummer for us, but it'd be necessary compromise. And if a copyright holder outright opposed the entire idea, you could just... disable color changing for that character. Again, a bummer, but it be like that sometimes.

I always figured this sort of skin editing could co-exist in the same general menu as custom moves and equipment were that to return. But maybe the color customization would have to be unlocked per-character; like, clear classic on the hardest difficulty to unlock the ability to customize colors for that character.
I would love a color editor, especially if they brought back Spirits and when you fight them, the characters they possess have the same or similar color scheme as the Spirit's colors.

Something I think could help with characters like Pikachu, Sonic, Pac-Man, etc, and if they are ambitious enough would be something like minor accessories. Basically, little costume pieces that can placed unto a character, like glasses, small hats, badges, etc. And depending on the character and costume, you can restrict certain accessories so that they don't conflict. Like you could put a hat on Link with his Champion Tunic, but not with his Hero of the Wilds Tunic.
And said accessories can be based around different accessories from different franchise. Like Pac-Man's hat from Pac-Land, the swirly-eye glasses that Palutena has worn in KI:Uprising or different Gym Badges from Pokemon for example.
 

superprincess

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 30, 2024
Messages
508
Location
Peach's Castle
I don't think color editor is viable for Smash. The characters are pictured in static PNGs on the CSS (I want that to change but it probably won't) and UI so the custom colors wouldn't work with that which would look... off.

Also, character mandates are a thing and the idea really falls apart once you take a look at some of the more complicated designs. Sure it works on the simpler characters but things get iffy when you look at the Fire Emblems and Bayonettas of Smash.
 

Gengar84

Smash Hero
Joined
Dec 9, 2009
Messages
6,617
I don't think color editor is viable for Smash. The characters are pictured in static PNGs on the CSS (I want that to change but it probably won't) and UI so the custom colors wouldn't work with that which would look... off.

Also, character mandates are a thing and the idea really falls apart once you take a look at some of the more complicated designs. Sure it works on the simpler characters but things get iffy when you look at the Fire Emblems and Bayonettas of Smash.
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate had a color editor and their designs are even more ornate than Fire Emblem’s. They don’t let you change the color of every section of clothing but it’s great for general color schemes. I managed to make Xiahou Dun’s palate look a lot like Zegram’s Ghart’s, which was really cool.

You make a good point about the PNG’s though. They’d have to change the UI for the editor to work. For characters that can’t have major color swaps due to licensing issues, they could always give us more limited options like how the official alts for Pac-Man just changed the color of his gloves.
 
Last edited:

Ivander

Smash Legend
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
10,971
I don't think color editor is viable for Smash. The characters are pictured in static PNGs on the CSS (I want that to change but it probably won't) and UI so the custom colors wouldn't work with that which would look... off.

Also, character mandates are a thing and the idea really falls apart once you take a look at some of the more complicated designs. Sure it works on the simpler characters but things get iffy when you look at the Fire Emblems and Bayonettas of Smash.
I mean, if they go back to what they did with the first Super Smash Bros with the models, that would take away the issue of the PNG colors.

And if they do something like what Namco does with Soulcalibur and the characters' original costumes, where there are 4-6 colors you can modify on a character's costume, that can make the more complicated designs less of an issue.
 
Last edited:

SMAASH! Puppy

Smash Legend
Joined
Feb 13, 2015
Messages
13,365
Location
Snake Man's stage from Metal Blade Solid
Color editors are basically mandatory for MMORPGs, and those armour designs can get pretty over designed as well, so I don't really see that being an issue.

As for the PNGs, well I don't know how exactly you'd do it, but I don't think it'd be that difficult to get a color changing render. It might even help with performance since you'd just have to store the color values instead of 8 separate highly detailed renders for all ~50 characters.
 

DarthEnderX

Smash Hero
Joined
Nov 10, 2014
Messages
8,412
Mario Kart 8's engine is not made for half-pipes, so there's a lot of them that don't have good camera angles when you're going on them. The camera doesn't adapt to your movements like in Wii, so it just feels shoehorned in. Heck, there are some instances of pure track where the camera is awful, most notably the long turn on Rosalina's Ice World where you can't see anything if you so much as graze against the steeper part of the incline.

If a course has an underwater section, it was there in Tour (even if it wasn't accessible in Tour, and this only applies to a total of two small segments of city courses anyway). If a course has antigrav, it's either shoehorned into a section that doesn't need it (parts of the track where it's already flat anyhow), or applied to an entire course just because (Sky-High Sundae and Rainbow Road). I can count the BCP courses that make actually good use of antigrav on one hand.

A typical usage of anti-gravity between the BCP and Base 8 are objectively are not on the same level.



Even ignoring the mechanical issues, a solid half of the BCP ignores Base 8's artistic direction anyways, and the other half only kind of gets close. The comparison is night and day.

View attachment 388118View attachment 388120

Smash is the best-case scenario of Everything is Here because it has Sakurai as the director, a man who practically puts himself on Death's Door trying to make his games the best they can be. The concept can easily be floundered if given to a team that does not care as much, and MK8 isn't even going for Everytrack is Here to begin with.


I got nothing but enjoyment out of the BCP.

How many times are you going to have to be told that MK8 Deluxe could only be one of the best selling games of all time because the original MK8 couldn't?
I mean, they'd probably only have to say it once...if they could actually prove it.

But it's pure speculation. So no matter how much it's repeated, nobody is obligated to agree with it.

"Cloud and Sephiroth shouldn't ever wear saturated colors" makes even less sense.
 
Last edited:

smashkirby

Smash Hero
Joined
Feb 15, 2014
Messages
6,983
Location
Smashville
This is why "Sakurai bias" is based. Always a treat on the occasions we get characters who are not really "deserving" or "have the resume," but are just super fun and therefore worthwhile characters anyway, i.e. Palutena. It gives the game so much more personality, makes it feel less transparently corporate.
This I agree with a little more. Palutena is a fine pick whose execution is very lacking, but I get what you're going for here. Sakurai is a passionate man and while I don't agree with everything he does, it's obvious he loves his job and treats Smash like an art, which I don't think we should be taking for granted. He pushes himself to do the absolute most while many other devs settle for less, and that's admirable.
While I don't agree with Sakurai on EVERY decision he's made for Smash (or even Kirby, for that matter. Freaking one-button gameplay in Air Ride keeps screwing up my Time Trial runs...), I WILL say that this is a BIG part of why I really don't feel comfortable handing Smash over to someone else just yet.

The character choices he's come up with over the years are, without a doubt, part of Smash's magic for me. It's partially why you see me being shockingly open to nearly all of Nintendo's own assortment of characters, ranging from the obscure to the well-known. From the weird and wacky to the cool and conventional.

Heck, this isn't even limited to Nintendo, as I've mentioned my piece from time-to-time regarding how I feel about 3rd parties.

We've briefly talked about voice acting in Smash 6 before, like Kevin Afghani being cast as the Mario Bros and Wario, or the voice actors from TOTK taking over if Zelda and Ganondorf are updated to match their appearances in that game.

What we haven't touched upon is the announcer, who's a huge part of every Smash game. Do you think they'll cast a new one to enter the upcoming era, or has Xander Mobus become the Smash Bros announcer? Moreover, are there any new announcer-related features you'd like to see, such as a female announcer or actual characters as optional narrators? (Mario, Pit, Sonic, Snake could probably work)
I'll be honest, after replaying Super Smash Flash 1 a few months ago? I kind of want to see Kira Buckland be Smash Bros.'s first female announcer.

Now that I mention, I could have SWORN I've seen the existence of a mod regarding that very thing...

Magolor's one villain I started to support after playing Magolor Epilogue, to the point where I want both him and BWD as the next Kirby newcomers in the next Smash game.
Hey, if Brawl was able to add both King Dedede AND Meta Knight...

Man this just reminded me just how cool ARMS and it's cast are.

Do you guys really think we'll never get another ARMS game?
I'd give ANYTHING for a new ARMS game. One thing's for sure, I PRAY Nintendo DOESN'T drop the ball in terms of giving ARMS a consistent flow of promotional/supplementary material. I'm still pissed about the ARMS comic being canceled, if anything.

Semi-unrelated question, does anyone else ever get the vibe that ARMS's cast gives off vibes of the cast of SEGA's Fighting Vipers characters? I don't know, they just make me think of those guys...

I mean in a perfect world both of them alongside Nakoruru would've been able to share Challenger Pack 4 but game development isn't that easy
Add Athena Asamiya to that list, and you've got ME hooked.

I think the thing that bothers me about DJ Octavio and the Squid Sisters is that I often see them suggested along with the assumption that we'll get Octoling as an echo.

A third Splatoon character sounds cool, but I'll be hella disappointed if it was at the cost of a half-assed Octoling. You can build an entire moveset out of the dualies or the tri-stinger alone and that still leaves the splat brella, charger and splatling at their disposal. Octoling can still share the ink mechanic and have similar stats to Inkling, but this is easily one of the most important characters Nintendo has left to add. They should absolutely prioritize making Octolings into a fully fledged unique newcomer before just about anything.

I'd be fine with another Splatoon newcomer in addition to a unique Octoling, but it also feels pretty unnecessary. If we're getting a brand new take on a Splatoon moveset with 8 totally unique, stylish alternate costumes, one or two new stages, some new items, etc. then I feel like I'll be more than satisfied with new Splatoon content.
Semi-unrelated, but all of this recent Octoling talk sometimes makes me think about poor Dark Pit definitely had his pick of the lot in terms of using more different weapons from Pit in Smash...
 

GoldenYuiitusin

Smash Lord
Joined
Jan 10, 2024
Messages
1,356
Location
Questioning my existence while asleep
Semi-unrelated, but all of this recent Octoling talk sometimes makes me think about poor Dark Pit definitely had his pick of the lot in terms of using more different weapons from Pit in Smash...

I'm not one of the ones who was upset of Dark Pit existing, and I got no issue on him being a clone, but I will forever question Sakurai on not making more than just Side Tilt different in properties from Pit.
Uprising is his own game and the Silver Bow had different stats from the Palutena Bow. There is no excuse for most of the two Pit's non-specials being the exact same down to damage and knockback, especially when Lucina exists to have her attack properties different throughout from Marth.
 

osby

Smash Obsessed
Joined
Apr 25, 2018
Messages
24,014
Uprising is his own game and the Silver Bow had different stats from the Palutena Bow. There is no excuse for most of the two Pit's non-specials being the exact same down to damage and knockback, especially when Lucina exists to have her attack properties different throughout from Marth.
They have enough trouble making Pit's multi-hit moves link to each other as it is, I doubt they'd want to tinker with Dark Pit's normals too much.
 

Gorgonzales

Smash Lord
Joined
Jan 23, 2021
Messages
1,274
Location
Forgotten Isle
As long as the next Mario Kart game has King Boo again, I'm good.

On a completely and totally unrelated note, King Boo for Smash.
Specifically his awesome LM design that Nintendo seems adamant on not using in mainline Mario for whatever reason.

It's funny to me how they're loosening up with stuff like them remastering TTYD with all its unique characters and takes on exisitng characters, but this is the one thing they still seem to be hung up on lol.
 

superprincess

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 30, 2024
Messages
508
Location
Peach's Castle
Specifically his awesome LM design that Nintendo seems adamant on not using in mainline Mario for whatever reason.

It's funny to me how they're loosening up with stuff like them remastering TTYD with all its unique characters and takes on exisitng characters, but this is the one thing they still seem to be hung up on lol.
TBF the cutesy King Boo works much better with Wonder's art style.

LM King Boo did appear in Mario Kart Tour so there's hope.
 
Last edited:

Garteam

Smash Master
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
3,290
Location
Canada, eh?
NNID
Garteam
In defense here, what Luigi has now that he didn't before is an intensely strong, dynamic personality. If we look at Luigi's moveset, it is fundamentally exactly what Mario is doing, or what he used to do. But throughout all these years, it's been "Luigified". His goofy, cowardly behavior is the basis for how he's deviated from Mario as he grew into a further cemented character of his own. But he's still throwing fireballs, doing the Super Jump Punch and has maintained the old Mario Tornado. They operate very differently, but he's still kinda Mario right? Just doing Mario stuff like Luigi would.

So I'm still not sure if this is the best example to double down on, simply because Octolings like... do have subtle differences in their personality, but how much would that influence their combat? Their idles vary but they shoot their gun the same way. The Mario characters are cartoonish, they're all about as exaggerated and in your face about their personalities as they can be. In say, the Mario & Luigi games, the two of them are doing the same moves but with their own identity shining through. I've always interpreted Smash Luigi to be closest to this version, because it's a mirror of about the most caricatured version of Luigi possible. And truly, Luigi's Mansion is no small factor either. Brawl had a whole new outlook on the character no doubt because of that single appearance.
I wouldn't say Luigi's personality has become more emphasized in Smash, though. A lot of his personality regarding him being an odd duck that wasn't as coordinated or adventurous as Mario was already in place by the All-Stars release of World. That informed his Smash 64 appearance pretty heavily and the inertia of that being the basis of his first Smash appearance has continued defined his subsequent appearances pretty heavily. The more common complaint I see regarding Luigi's implementation in Smash is that his personality is too different relative to games that debuted after Smash 64, like Luigi's Mansion and especially Mario & Luigi. Brawl, Smash for, and Ultimate did a little bit to bring Luigi more in line with modern games, but he's still treated as a minor problem child by the fanbase in regards to characters not being accurate to his source material.

Either way, all of this discussion of personality is pretty bizarre because it's clearly not something Sakurai is considering when deciding who is and is not an echo. Dark Pit and Ken are deliberately designed to have opposite personalities to Pit and Ryu, but they're still echoes. Samus and Zero Suit Samus are literally the same person with the same personality, but their movesets are night and day. Luigi's functional diversification in Smash begins at Melee, but he's not getting his personality updated until Brawl. There's just no correlation here between how distinct characters are in terms of personality and how distinct they are in terms of gameplay.

I don't think anyone rejects the idea that Octoling would be derivative of Inkling, but there's a big difference between being a full echo and borrowing the skeleton of another character's moveset like Luigi, Wolf, and Isabelle do. Splatoon continues to be a massive success, there are a ton of tools and other elements introduced in Splatoons 2 and 3 that are unrepresented, and Octoling is a natural fit to use these tools due to being popular in their home series, being the other playable species that has access to these abilities, and being introduced right at the point where Inkling's moveset ends in terms of representation. Stopping at "Octoling has to be an echo because they theoretically can and that's what seems intuitively right to me" fails to take account of the full factual matrix surrounding the character.
 
Last edited:

SMAASH! Puppy

Smash Legend
Joined
Feb 13, 2015
Messages
13,365
Location
Snake Man's stage from Metal Blade Solid
pic of cloud
I knew about stuff like that, though that might be a "we can do it, but you can't" kinda deal like with how Paper Mario wasn't allowed (at least, to an extent) to introduce new character designs based off of existing Mario entities.

It could also just be a weird Sakurai decision.

Specifically his awesome LM design that Nintendo seems adamant on not using in mainline Mario for whatever reason.

It's funny to me how they're loosening up with stuff like them remastering TTYD with all its unique characters and takes on exisitng characters, but this is the one thing they still seem to be hung up on lol.
TBF the cutesy King Boo works much better with Wonder's art style.

LM King Boo did appear in Mario Kart Tour so there's hope.
That was probably the idea. King Boo debuted in a "scary" game, so his design reflects that. When it came to add him to Mario Kart: Double Dash!, they wanted a more fun or cute design, so they pulled from Super Mario Sunshine instead.

I have no idea what they were cooking in Super Mario Sunshine...He is supposed to be made of Bowser Jr.'s graffiti, so maybe he was meant be a parody? I dunno.
 

Perkilator

Smash Legend
Writing Team
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
11,413
Location
The perpetual trash fire known as Planet Earth(tm)
If Zelda were to get a newcomer based on BotW and TotK who would be the most likely? There's a laundry list of characters all with relatively equal roles, importance, and potential.
If BotW got a newcomer, Revali would be my pick as the next best thing to Decidueye. followed in joint second place by Yiga Footsoldier as a Sheik Echo. If TotK got a newcomer, my pick would be Rauru (see Delzethin's video for my reasoning why).
 

fogbadge

Smash Obsessed
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Messages
22,680
Location
Scotland
If Zelda were to get a newcomer based on BotW and TotK who would be the most likely? There's a laundry list of characters all with relatively equal roles, importance, and potential.
well Sidon, Yunoboo and Riuji would make the most sense since they have major roles in both games and AOC

but this is smash so they’ll go with whoever sakurai likes
 

Garteam

Smash Master
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
3,290
Location
Canada, eh?
NNID
Garteam
Well that was specifically because they said they cut the Pokedex to make the game better, but then the game turned out to be ass. That’s why people felt so scorned.

If you’ll notice, Legends Arceus also doesn’t have a complete Pokedex. But people don’t really mind because that game is rad.

If the next Mario Kart and/or Smash Bros has enough cool stuff people won’t really care if every single character doesn’t make the cut. Especially the casual consumer who, and I can’t stress this enough, doesn’t care about this **** like we do.
This is a really big factor that will shape the next Smash's roster that I think a lot of people are failing to appreciate.

Cuts will always go over as well as a car crash, but they can be mitigated by the inclusion of new content that makes up for what was lost. If the next Smash fails to do this, it's going to struggle critically and commercially relative to Ultimate. People may not like losing Corrin and Incineroar, but they're still willing to give a new game a chance if we're getting Waluigi and Geno. In contrast, if we're losing Cloud and Sheik and gaining Alear and Rauru, that's when you're at risk of people passing in favour of sticking with Ultimate.

The net result is that we're going to continue to see fewer characters that get in primarily for being "late Switch reps" and more characters that are popular candidates in online Smash discussions or are popular in their respective franchises, especially for supporting characters in third-party franchises that are already in Smash.
 

kirbstr

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Messages
178
Location
Planet Popstar
well Sidon, Yunoboo and Riuji would make the most sense since they have major roles in both games and AOC

but this is smash so they’ll go with whoever sakurai likes
Sidon would probably be the pick then given he's by far the most popular.

TotK Ganondorf.
I expect this no matter what, the question is if they will actually update his move set lol
 

SMAASH! Puppy

Smash Legend
Joined
Feb 13, 2015
Messages
13,365
Location
Snake Man's stage from Metal Blade Solid
Just looking at the weapons that Splatoon has, a theoretical Octoling has a ton to choose from:

EDIT: I should probably note that I removed all of the weapons that the Inkling has from this list.
Shooters (Automatic, Semi-Auto, or Burst Fire Weapons)
  • Sploosh-o-matic
  • Splattershot Jr.
  • Splasho-o-matic
  • Aerospray
  • .52 Gal
  • N-ZAP
  • Splattershot Pro
  • .96 Gal
  • Jet Squelcher
  • Splattershot Nova
  • L-3 Nozzlenose
  • H-3 Nozzlenose
  • Squeezer
Rollers (Beeg Chonky Weapons)
  • Carbon Roller
  • Dynamo Roller
  • Flingza Roller
  • Big Swig Roller
Chargers (Sniper Weapons)
  • Squiffer
  • Splat Charger
  • Splatterscope
  • E-Liter
  • E-Liter Scope
  • Bamboozler 14
  • Goo Tuber
  • Snipewriter
Sloshers (Bucket Weapons)
  • Tri-Slosher
  • Sloshing Machine
  • Bloblobber
  • Explosher
  • Dread Wringer
Splatlings (Gatling Weapons)
  • Mini Splatling
  • Heavy Splatling
  • Hydra Splatling
  • Ballpoint Splatling
  • Nautilus
  • Heavy Edit Splatling
Dualies (Dual Gun Weapons)
  • Dapple Dualies
  • Splat Dualies
  • Glooga Dualies
  • Dualie Squelchers
  • Tetra Dualies
  • Douser Dualies FF
Brellas (Shield Shotgun Weapons)
  • Splat Brella
  • Tenta Brella
  • Undercover Brella
  • Recycled Brella 24 Mk I
Blasters (Grenade Launcher Weapons)
  • Luna Blaster
  • Range Blaster
  • Clash Blaster
  • Rapid Blaster
  • Rapid Blaster Pro
  • S-BLAST
Brushes (Faster, Weaker, Roller Weapons)
  • Octobrush
  • Painbrush
Stringers (Bow Weapons)
  • Tri-Stringer
  • REEF-LUX 450
Splatanas (Sword Weapons)
  • Splatana Stamper
  • Splatana Wiper
They could use all the same weapon classes (Shooter, Roller, Brush, Blaster, and Slosher) as Inkling and still feel very different. They could use all different weapon classes (Chargers, Splatlings, Brellas, Stringers, and Splatanas) and obviously feel super different. You really can do whatever you feel like with an Octoling character.
 
Last edited:

superprincess

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 30, 2024
Messages
508
Location
Peach's Castle
If Zelda were to get a newcomer based on BotW and TotK who would be the most likely? There's a laundry list of characters all with relatively equal roles, importance, and potential.
Rauru would probably be the number one choice, he's probably viewed as a bandwagon pick but if we're talking moveset potential, importance, and recognizability, relevance, he checks every box.

My personal pick would be Sidon, fighting with his spear and water powers, or Urbosa, using her scimitar and shield and enhancing her attacks with lightning.
 
Last edited:

Ivander

Smash Legend
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
10,971
1713538423089.png

3 games with no Zelda newcomers with original movesets? Have the 4th game give a new Zelda rep with an original moveset and an additional rep with an original moveset for each game they missed getting one. And what 4 reps would be the best to pick than the 4 who've worked together with Link and Zelda in the newest game/s.

And yes, I'm that one person that doesn't want to pick a specific Champion to appear in Smash Bros. and would like all four of them to appear in Smash Bros since I always saw them best as a group, but that's besides the point.
 

kirbstr

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Messages
178
Location
Planet Popstar
View attachment 388149
3 games with no Zelda newcomers with original movesets? Have the 4th game give a new Zelda rep with an original moveset and an additional rep with an original moveset for each game they missed getting one. And what 4 reps would be the best to pick than the 4 who've worked together with Link and Zelda in the newest game/s.

And yes, I'm that one person that doesn't want to pick a specific Champion to appear in Smash Bros. and would like all four of them to appear in Smash Bros since I always saw them best as a group, but that's besides the point.
Even this scenario would get complicated when it comes to selecting which characters to choose since not all the champions are easy alt costumes for each other.

For example: Urbosa couldn't just be an alt costume for Riju due to having drastically different proportions, same with Tulin and Revali/Teba. The Rito champion would weird in general because there are three of them to choose from. Not to mention the Geurudo and Rito abilities in both BotW and TotK already have slight overlap with Link's moveset in Smash as they are based on Bows and Swords.

Just choosing the four from TotK might sound like the obvious decision, but the BotW champions are really popular and far more requested.
 

CapitaineCrash

Smash Champion
Joined
Oct 30, 2018
Messages
2,909
Location
Canada, Québec
This is why "Sakurai bias" is based. Always a treat on the occasions we get characters who are not really "deserving" or "have the resume," but are just super fun and therefore worthwhile characters anyway, i.e. Palutena. It gives the game so much more personality, makes it feel less transparently corporate.
Honestly I don't really see Palutena as a "Sakurai biais" pick. I mean, Uprising was pretty big at the time and she was fairly requested so even in a scenario where Sakurai wasn't the director of Uprising (or of Smash 4), I'm sure her chances was pretty high. I think the biggest biais Kid icarus had was in the items and Smash run enemies department.

Just looking at the weapons that Splatoon has, a theoretical Octoling has a ton to choose from:

EDIT: I should probably note that I removed all of the weapons that the Inkling has from this list.
Shooters (Automatic, Semi-Auto, or Burst Fire Weapons)
  • Sploosh-o-matic
  • Splattershot Jr.
  • Splasho-o-matic
  • Aerospray
  • .52 Gal
  • N-ZAP
  • Splattershot Pro
  • .96 Gal
  • Jet Squelcher
  • Splattershot Nova
  • L-3 Nozzlenose
  • H-3 Nozzlenose
  • Squeezer
Rollers (Beeg Chonky Weapons)
  • Carbon Roller
  • Dynamo Roller
  • Flingza Roller
  • Big Swig Roller
Chargers (Sniper Weapons)
  • Squiffer
  • Splat Charger
  • Splatterscope
  • E-Liter
  • E-Liter Scope
  • Bamboozler 14
  • Goo Tuber
  • Snipewriter
Sloshers (Bucket Weapons)
  • Tri-Slosher
  • Sloshing Machine
  • Bloblobber
  • Explosher
  • Dread Wringer
Splatlings (Gatling Weapons)
  • Mini Splatling
  • Heavy Splatling
  • Hydra Splatling
  • Ballpoint Splatling
  • Nautilus
  • Heavy Edit Splatling
Dualies (Dual Gun Weapons)
  • Dapple Dualies
  • Splat Dualies
  • Glooga Dualies
  • Dualie Squelchers
  • Tetra Dualies
  • Douser Dualies FF
Brellas (Shield Shotgun Weapons)
  • Splat Brella
  • Tenta Brella
  • Undercover Brella
  • Recycled Brella 24 Mk I
Blasters (Grenade Launcher Weapons)
  • Luna Blaster
  • Range Blaster
  • Clash Blaster
  • Rapid Blaster
  • Rapid Blaster Pro
  • S-BLAST
Brushes (Faster, Weaker, Roller Weapons)
  • Octobrush
  • Painbrush
Stringers (Bow Weapons)
  • Tri-Stringer
  • REEF-LUX 450
Splatanas (Sword Weapons)
  • Splatana Stamper
  • Splatana Wiper
They could use all the same weapon classes (Shooter, Roller, Brush, Blaster, and Slosher) as Inkling and still feel very different. They could use all different weapon classes (Chargers, Splatlings, Brellas, Stringers, and Splatanas) and obviously feel super different. You really can do whatever you feel like with an Octoling character.
Splatoon have so much stuff for a moveset it's crazy, you could literally do a moveset focused on sub weapons and there would be enough material to cover every special moves (Curling bomb, auto bomb, toxic mist, ink mine, sprinkler).
 

pitchfulprocessing

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Apr 13, 2024
Messages
321
If Zelda were to get a newcomer based on BotW and TotK who would be the most likely? There's a laundry list of characters all with relatively equal roles, importance, and potential.
Rauru probably makes the most sense from a lot of angles, he's an important promoted character with unique powers who's likely to be relevant in later games as well. Personally, I just don't find him very interesting or engaging, though TOTK's plot in general wasn't really doing anything for me. I'd want to pick one of the Champions, and I think Riju and Sidon would be the best picks there. Could also always just whip out Impa, though it makes me wonder if her Warriors designs are partially owned by Koei Tecmo.
 

osby

Smash Obsessed
Joined
Apr 25, 2018
Messages
24,014
Honestly I don't really see Palutena as a "Sakurai biais" pick. I mean, Uprising was pretty big at the time and she was fairly requested so even in a scenario where Sakurai wasn't the director of Uprising (or of Smash 4), I'm sure her chances was pretty high. I think the biggest biais Kid icarus had was in the items and Smash run enemies department.
Even that you can explain with ease of development. Smash reuses suitable models all the time (best seen with trophies).
 
Top Bottom