Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Oracle Link]

I specifically dont wanna see any mario games in the next direct!
Thanks to the movie we got flooded with mario and just mario!
I didnt play a lot of those games (becuase is still save money for switch 2!)
But yeah i think some smaller zelda games would be cool! Maybe another 2d Remake?, Maybe Zelda OOT Hd, maybe ports from the two wiiu remasters!
Maybe some fun spinoffs in general i think zelda should get more spinoffs!
Heres a list of spinoffs:
Hyrule Warriors 2 (With Battle fields and enemys based arround 2d zeldas)
Hyrule Warrors the sealing war
Hyrule Fighters
Zelda Maker

Spoiler: Leak

I did hear that apparently we get a Princess Zelda game which should definitly count as a spinoff!
Im not really exicted cause im team Lonk!

 

[fogbadge]

I specifically dont wanna see any mario games in the next direct!
Thanks to the movie we got flooded with mario and just mario!
I didnt play a lot of those games (becuase is still save money for switch 2!)
But yeah i think some smaller zelda games would be cool! Maybe another 2d Remake?, Maybe Zelda OOT Hd, maybe ports from the two wiiu remasters!
Maybe some fun spinoffs in general i think zelda should get more spinoffs!
Heres a list of spinoffs:
Hyrule Warriors 2 (With Battle fields and enemys based arround 2d zeldas)
Hyrule Warrors the sealing war
Hyrule Fighters
Zelda Maker

Spoiler: Leak

I did hear that apparently we get a Princess Zelda game which should definitly count as a spinoff!
Im not really exicted cause im team Lonk!

You honestly think we get loads of Mario games cause of the movie? As opposed to say it being the biggest gaming franchise in the world

 

[Diddy Kong]

I think we’ll finally see a new Donkey Ko-

View attachment 390520

Yeah, that ain’t happening any time soon

Sadly

Don't do this.

you're right tho... ****

 

[Deleted member]

It's been 1956 days as of today since the last news on Metroid Prime 4 (the development reboot).
Is it enough?

Acording to google that's 5 years and 3 months....yikes....

 

[Speed Weed]

Incredibly important information just dropped

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Personally I think this gives us a pretty clear picture of what's in store for the next Smash game. So who will be the Def Jam rep in Smash 6. Discuss

 

[Deleted member]

Incredibly important information just dropped

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Personally I think this gives us a pretty clear picture of what's in store for the next Smash game. So who will be the Def Jam rep in Smash 6. Discuss

I never heard of that game lol, in fact, Sakurai videos introduced me to games ive never heard off before.

 

[Gengar84]

Incredibly important information just dropped

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Personally I think this gives us a pretty clear picture of what's in store for the next Smash game. So who will be the Def Jam rep in Smash 6. Discuss

I’ve never really been into the rap scene but the first two Def Jam games were a ton of fun. I was a huge fan of the gameplay of WCW vs NWO Revenge and WWF No Mercy and the Def Jam games had really similar gameplay (probably a lot of the same people working on those games since they were from the same developer). I’d gladly take the a wrestler from one of those games but that’s never going to happen lol.

The Undertaker would actually be a pretty perfect choice for a Smash character since he canonically has supernatural powers that you could work into a moveset. For Def Jam specifically, I’ll go with Snoop Dogg (who was called Crow in the game) since he had my favorite fighting style of all the non CAW fighters.

I’d go with this look for Taker since it’s pretty iconic and one of my favorites along with his Ministry of Darkness look.

I’ll move on now since I’m sure no one here knows or cares what I’m talking about

 

[cashregister9]

Incredibly important information just dropped

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Personally I think this gives us a pretty clear picture of what's in store for the next Smash game. So who will be the Def Jam rep in Smash 6. Discuss

Snoop Dogg plays an original character who is the main villain in FFNY

and Tekken has a Snoop Dogg song

So I propose that Snoop Dogg/Crow will be getting into smash before the end of the decade.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Incredibly important information just dropped

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Personally I think this gives us a pretty clear picture of what's in store for the next Smash game. So who will be the Def Jam rep in Smash 6. Discuss

I'm curious of just how involved he was in that game.

Unless it's a different person with the same name.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

So, with the release of the Thousand Year Door Remake, what do you think of Paper Mario's chances for Smash?

What content from Paper Mario do you think we'll see in the next game?

 

[Deleted member]

Kind of off-topic.
But why do some people think when someone says they don't know a game/series or character, people asume the person that dont know the character is an ignorant and toxic person?
This was one of my peet eves when Terry and Ritcher were revealed, i didnt know who they were and i said: "TThey look cool. Never heard of them, through". I got some users calling me ignorant and calling me names, it's probably one of the most nasty interactions with the smash fanbase to me.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

So, with the release of the Thousand Year Door Remake, what do you think of Paper Mario's chances for Smash?

What content from Paper Mario do you think we'll see in the next game?

Honestly if there was ever a time for Paper Mario to be playable in Smash, I'd love it to be right now when the most recent games are Origami King (it's a good game and nobody will ever tell me otherwise) and TTYD.

What I wouldn't give for some of the representation of this series to be the actual GOOD games instead of literally just the two worst ones and a brief respite on the S.S. Flavion.

 

[DarthEnderX]

This was one of my peet eves when Terry and Ritcher were revealed, i didnt know who they were and i said: "TThey look cool. Never heard of them, through". I got some users calling me ignorant and calling me names, it's probably one of the most nasty interactions with the smash fanbase to me.

Users were calling you names 4 years before you joined the message board?

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

Kind of off-topic.
But why do some people think when someone says they don't know a game/series or character, people asume the person that dont know the character is an ignorant and toxic person?
This was one of my peet eves when Terry and Ritcher were revealed, i didnt know who they were and i said: "TThey look cool. Never heard of them, through". I got some users calling me ignorant and calling me names, it's probably one of the most nasty interactions with the smash fanbase to me.

Because 9 times out of 10 people ARE toxic about their ignorance on a character.

 

[Gengar84]

Because 9 times out of 10 people ARE toxic about their ignorance on a character.

It’s mostly just the people who say a character is a “literal who?”. There’s nothing wrong with just saying you’re not familiar with the character. I just wish people could be less toxic in general, not just here. From what I’ve seen here, most people actually seem pretty cool and don’t strike me as the type that would do something like that.

 

[fogbadge]

So, with the release of the Thousand Year Door Remake, what do you think of Paper Mario's chances for Smash?

What content from Paper Mario do you think we'll see in the next game?

not great I think

 

[Gengar84]

I’m not terribly interested in getting a third version of Mario himself but I think one of his partners like Goombella could be a lot of fun. Nowhere near the expansive moveset as Mario but I’d be hyped to see Goombella.

 

[Hydreigonfan01]

I’m not terribly interested in getting a third version of Mario himself but I think one of his partners like Goombella could be a lot of fun. Nowhere near the expansive moveset as Mario but I’d be hyped to see Goombella.

I don't think Goombella has much of a chance, even compared to other partners (Vivian seems more of a fan favourite generally), but I could Paper Mario having codecs due to Goombella's Tattle ability. That would be cool.

 

[BritishGuy54]

So, with the release of the Thousand Year Door Remake, what do you think of Paper Mario's chances for Smash?

What content from Paper Mario do you think we'll see in the next game?

I’d say his chances are good. I can see a scenario where Sakurai struggles to form a moveset for him, but I think there’s enough to form a moveset, even without partners.

I can see Paper Mario taking priority over Geno, even if Square Enix returns, just due to his longevity and consistent presence.

 

[Gorgonzales]

Honestly if there was ever a time for Paper Mario to be playable in Smash, I'd love it to be right now when the most recent games are Origami King (it's a good game and nobody will ever tell me otherwise) and TTYD.

What I wouldn't give for some of the representation of this series to be the actual GOOD games instead of literally just the two worst ones and a brief respite on the S.S. Flavion.

Quoting my thoughts on this because they're relevant again:

The Paper Mario stage has almost no character cameos (arguably one of the biggest points of not only Paper Mario but every Mario RPG series in general. Yes, the whale and blooper are there, but I've almost never seen them actually show up in-game), and instead of having stand-out locations to fight on, they picked... the windmill from Sticker Star (with a very awkward stage layout), a generic Bowser's Castle (that has the worst stage layout i've ever played on, it's worse than 75m and I'm not even kidding), and the S. S. Flavion as opposed to literally any other location from TTYD like Boggly Woods, the Glitz Pit, or Creepy Steeple?

The stage feels so lifeless and empty, and the theming is really dull. 2/3's of the actual stage layouts are bad, too. What the heck happened here? I hope we can get a good Paper Mario stage in the future that includes the things people actually like about Paper Mario.

The Paper Mario stage we have right now is laughably bad in so many ways. They can do a lot better than this, I'd love to see a pure TTYD stage at some point like the Glitz Pit or something.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

The Paper Mario stage we have right now is laughably bad in so many ways. They can do a lot better than this, I'd love to see a pure TTYD stage at some point like the Glitz Pit or something.

Genuinely the Bowser's Castle portion makes me so mad because instead of actually using like a Bowser theme or a Bowser's Castle theme from the series in the Paper Mario Medley, they just decided to make another remix of the Airship theme from Mario 3. Like nothing about that section even feels like Paper Mario, it's so awful.

I would love a new stage set in a specific location (instead of just here's a grassy field like half of the normal Mario stages, a boat like we already did with Pirate Ship, and the worst Bowser Castle you'll ever fight on in your life) with music from TTYD and Origami King.

 

[Noipoi]

If there was ever a time for Paper Mario to be a fighter, it’d probably be now.

Similarly, if there was ever a time for Geno to be a fighter, it’d probably be now.

I find it very unlikely that we get both of them.

This is gonna be a bloodbath

 

[Ivander]

If there was ever a time for Paper Mario to be a fighter, it’d probably be now.

Similarly, if there was ever a time for Geno to be a fighter, it’d probably be now.

I find it very unlikely that we get both of them.

This is gonna be a bloodbath

Imagine we get both......but we still don't get Waluigi.

The monkey's paw is really curling around the Mario reps in particular.

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

If there was ever a time for Paper Mario to be a fighter, it’d probably be now.

Similarly, if there was ever a time for Geno to be a fighter, it’d probably be now.

I find it very unlikely that we get both of them.

This is gonna be a bloodbath

Instructions unclear.

Gooigi added instead.

 

[fogbadge]

well if we're talking about Paper Mario stuff we'd like to see: from TTYD specifically

stage: Rogueport

music: gonna spoiler it cause it'll be a little big

Spoiler

 

[BritishGuy54]

If there was ever a time for Paper Mario to be a fighter, it’d probably be now.

Similarly, if there was ever a time for Geno to be a fighter, it’d probably be now.

I find it very unlikely that we get both of them.

This is gonna be a bloodbath

Yeah. Both have had recent booms thanks to recent remakes breathing new life into their respective sub-series.

Imagine we get both......but we still don't get Waluigi.

The monkey's paw is really curling around the Mario reps in particular.

I could see any scenario happening.

Paper Mario + Waluigi for likely the widest general audience reach, and/or if SE doesn’t play ball. It’s the option I’d call most likely if history is to go by.

Paper Mario + Geno is the oddest combo here, but it’s possible. I can see this happening if SE returns, and there’s not enough for the lean, mean, purple machine.

Waluigi + Geno is the answer to fan demand if Ultimate’s approach to base game newcomers is anything to go by.

Or just only one of them. It’s gonna feel like that one Spider-Man meme of them pointing at each other.

 

[Deleted member]

I can see Paper Mario taking priority over Geno

I doubt it tbh.
You're understimating how popular Geno is with Smash fans, probably more than PM, whatever some people like it or not.
Geno seems more likely, i feel like we'll get Waluigi and Geno next game in the base game.

 

[Will]

So, with the release of the Thousand Year Door Remake, what do you think of Paper Mario's chances for Smash?

What content from Paper Mario do you think we'll see in the next game?

Paper Mario’s chances stay the same imo. Geno fans will probably see Paper Mario as the biggest threat to his inclusion, but it’s heads-or-tails.

Best case scenario is that we get three overdue Mario newcomers while ignorant dweebs sprinkle salty tears because Mario is hogging all of the precious slots from their niche third party newcomer. I feel like most people here can agree to that.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Sakurai splits the difference via the reveal of Paper Geno in conjunction with the reveal of Paper Mario RPG, coming to Switch 2 in 2026.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Kind of off-topic.
But why do some people think when someone says they don't know a game/series or character, people asume the person that dont know the character is an ignorant and toxic person?
This was one of my peet eves when Terry and Ritcher were revealed, i didnt know who they were and i said: "TThey look cool. Never heard of them, through". I got some users calling me ignorant and calling me names, it's probably one of the most nasty interactions with the smash fanbase to me.

Some people do like to flaunt their ignorance about characters. Not saying you did if that's all you said but there are people who love go "literal who" towards characters like Terry.

 

[Will]

Sakurai splits the difference via the reveal of Paper Geno in conjunction with the reveal of Paper Mario RPG, coming to Switch 2 in 2026.

**** I’d be on the edge of my seat if Square is working on the next Paper Mario

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Sakurai splits the difference via the reveal of Paper Geno in conjunction with the reveal of Paper Mario RPG, coming to Switch 2 in 2026.

To be fair, Paper Mario was originally supposed to be a sequel to Super Mario RPG, even with the same paper style that the ultimately separate final game and series became known for.

I'm pretty sure images indicating this are even still in the original game's files.

 

[Cheese&Chips]

Kind of off-topic.
But why do some people think when someone says they don't know a game/series or character, people asume the person that dont know the character is an ignorant and toxic person?
This was one of my peet eves when Terry and Ritcher were revealed, i didnt know who they were and i said: "TThey look cool. Never heard of them, through". I got some users calling me ignorant and calling me names, it's probably one of the most nasty interactions with the smash fanbase to me.

Because a lot of people in the Smash community, especially the competitive side, don't seem to know anything outside of their little bubble. Also, as someone who's been playing games for over two decades, it gets very annoying when ungrateful brats claim 'no one' wants something just because their gaming experience stands and ends with Minecraft and Fortnite.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Broader gaming knowledge is an odd thing these days. On one hand there's greater access to loads of information about consoles/games/developers than ever before, whether that be in the form of reviews, videos, or discussions. On the other hand, because the hobby has gotten so big and with the modern landscape one can so easily stay within your circle of preferred platforms/genres/companies/etc? You can end up with a community with fans that have well... gaps about titles that within other spheres are huge deals. I knew virtually every third-party newcomer to Smash (though I admit I couldn't immediately put a name to Kazuya before the text popped up) but I'm also an older fan who played the original Fatal Fury titles on 16-bit consoles and had lightly played enough Castlevania titles to have some recall of Richter through sheer memory association.

But for other fans, especially younger ones that know a modern landscape much different from that one of decades ago and where the likes of Fatal Fury/King of Fighters or Castlevania are not as prominent (if only because there are so many more IP's competing for attention) I can't say I'm surprised a Terry or Richter might not be as familiar to them.

I've mentioned the Cultural Continuity phenomenon (where a company and/or franchise history is continually reminded of by a media culture to the detriment of things outside that sphere) and some series in Smash (and as we've seen in speculation even series out of it) inevitably aren't as connected to the Nintendo variation of that concept. Older IP's like Fatal Fury or Castlevania (outside progenitors like Simon) are one example, but arcade games, PC series, even Sega properties which didn't have the fortune to get big in the West at the right time can fall prey to it too.

Ideally the fandom can hit a balance of not expecting all in it to know about every hypothetical video game series that could be in Smash while also discouraging the tendency by some to immediately assume a franchise must be irrelevant just because they're personally not familiar with it.

 

[Deleted member]

Ideally the fandom can hit a balance of not expecting all in it to know about every hypothetical video game series that could be in Smash while also discouraging the tendency by some to immediately assume a franchise must be irrelevant just because they're personally not familiar with it.

Tbh, i never understood what is the issue with a niche or obscure series getting a character, anyway like why is begin lesser knwon a bad thing? lesser known games are as much of a game as flagship games like Mario Odyssey.
I would have absolute no problems if we got characters like DeMille from Tomato Adventure for example, if anything, it makes the roster more interesting to have newcomers in games you might not be familiar with.
I don't think every character has to be iconic or from a mainstream franchise.

 

[Perkilator]

Tbh, i never understood what is the issue with a niche or obscure series getting a character, anyway like why is begin lesser knwon a bad thing? lesser known games are as much of a game as flagship games like Mario Odyssey.
I would have absolute no problems if we got characters like DeMille from Tomato Adventure for example, if anything, it makes the roster more interesting to have newcomers in games you might not be familiar with.
I don't think every character has to be iconic or from a mainstream franchise.

I agree. It's as Sakurai said over four and a half years ago:

 

[Gengar84]

Tbh, i never understood what is the issue with a niche or obscure series getting a character, anyway like why is begin lesser knwon a bad thing? lesser known games are as much of a game as flagship games like Mario Odyssey.
I would have absolute no problems if we got characters like DeMille from Tomato Adventure for example, if anything, it makes the roster more interesting to have newcomers in games you might not be familiar with.
I don't think every character has to be iconic or from a mainstream franchise.

Totally. Smash is a great way to introduce players to characters and games they might not have been familiar with before. I had no idea who Marth and Roy were before Melee and it was their and Ike’s inclusion in Smash that convinced me try out Path of Radiance and I’ve been a fan of the series since. There hasn’t really been a character since Melee that I haven’t known on some level but I think it’s great that Smash can do that.

There’s a ton of characters I’d love to see in Smash that are either obscure or just not heavily talked about in speculation. It would also be fun to get another character in completely unfamiliar with and inspire me to try another series I might not have otherwise.

 

[superprincess]

I agree. It's as Sakurai said over four and a half years ago:
View attachment 390623

I'm convinced he designed Steve's moveset to prove this point.

 

[pitchfulprocessing]

I think the game industry suffers from a problem with archiving its history as a whole. It's simply much harder to learn about and gain access to older titles in the gaming industry compared to other entertainment industries like music or movies. This is an actual issue for game researchers, who struggle to officially gain access to certain titles because it's in conflict with the monetisation policies of the companies behind them. Not just that, but so much of gaming history is locked behind a language barrier as well. Any Western coverage of any industry will inevitably favour focus to the Western side of the industry's history because that's what most known to those engaging with it and what's most well documented and accessible in the native language, but obviously much of the most important and influential development periods and company history comes from Japan, or other East Asian countries, or Europe. You can see it in how much of the commentary around Sega VS Nintendo in the 90s is based on the Console Wars book, which, while a useful account, comes from a limited number of Western sources without any input from the Japanese side of Sega, leading to a somewhat one sided account. Older sources do exist, but I would say only recently as more people involved with the Japanese side of Sega during that period have spoken up and as more translations of said older sources, such as comments by Hideki Sato, have come out has that perspective been broadened.

It's also a matter of how journalism is handled in the industry. When you have an industry this ununionised, with the conditioned mindset being to expect news to be free, it's incredibly difficult to do in-depth investigative journalism without being beholden to advertisers or the ones paying bills. Jason Schreier does great work, but how many people are like Jason Schreier? Think of the Insomniac leaks as well, those leaks were obviously extremely damaging for countless people and caused serious personal harm, while also revealing key information on budgets and development costs that's highly enlightening in the context of the mass industry layoffs happening in the past few years. I think there's a nuanced discussion to be had there about how those aspects should be covered while still protecting those harmed by the leak, but that time has passed.

I can't blame many for being unfamiliar with gaming history when the resources just aren't there for it to be accessible. If you want games to be art, and a serious medium for art, it has to be analysed as such, and currently I don't feel the resources for that are sufficient.

 

[Will]

I'm convinced he designed Steve's moveset to prove this point.

Steve is in the middle of the pass as well. Dude said “**** it, we can redesign everything for mining in two months.” like it was a personal challenge.