Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Will]

So…what about Snake?

I mean, the Metal Gear series just recently regained popularity, right? So what do you think his chances are?

If Konami plays ball again, he’s back alongside the Belmont Bros. And hopefully he’ll come with new friends.

 

[Noipoi]

So…what about Snake?

I mean, the Metal Gear series just recently regained popularity, right? So what do you think his chances are?

I think Snake is back as long as Konami doesn’t get weird again.

Well, weird-er.

 

[ScrubReborn]

On the note of characters and their chances for next game, how does everyone feel about Zero Suit Samus and Aegis?

Not much to add on Aegis. I agree they’re not leaving anytime soon, popular characters from a still active series that isn’t bloated, yada yada.

ZSS, I’m not fully sure on, but I 100% think Ridley’s gonna ursurp her as the de facto “secondary” Metroid rep now that he’s here. And then from there I guess it depends on how much time they have for extras. She could go either way Ig.

IDK how relevant this is to this thread, but…

We all know Rachael Lillis from the many wonderful roles she played. She filled our Saturday mornings and before/after school hours with her beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills. #RachaelLillis pic.twitter.com/XOjFqY0C1L

— Veronica Taylor (@TheVeronicaT) August 12, 2024

As jigglypuff’s greatest warrior, I never knew pain until this moment. And it hurts

RIP and thanks for everything Rachael. **** cancer

 

[Arcanir]

I'd argue that the same thing happened with a good number of newcomers after Brawl.

• Roy was a huge request in Smash 4, yet people often ignore his popularity nowadays. Same with Chrom.
• Inklings are still treated as promo picks to this day. Sure, there's no way Nintendo wasn't going to add them but it's weird that they are almost never included in fan-favorite groups
• Greninja is often categorized among flavor-of-the-month picks instead of one of the most popular Pokemon of all times
• The majority of the fandom went from "Bayonetta wasn't the Fighter Poll no 1" to "absolutely nobody asked for Bayonetta" even though she was a large request along with other Wii U era exclusive third parties
• An XC2 and ARMS character was requested a lot but Pyra/Mythra and Min Min weren't what people expected so they get the shill pick treatment far more often than they should

I don't think it's something unique to Palutena. I just think Smash fandom has a problem with calling characters promotional/bias additions without good reasoning and it's getting worse with time.

This is a very good point; in fact you could go as far back as at least Brawl for this as Lucario went from being one of the most popular Gen 4 to 'the Mewtwo clone that stole his spot to shill Gen 4'. There is an unfortunate habit to dismiss certain fan favorites' popularity if it doesn't suit a narrative, and a lot of characters and their fans are suffering for it.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

The difference is that a substantial number of people actually care about Pokemon and Zelda. I'm a fan of ARMS myself, but the addition of Min Min felt more like a "just let it go bruh" moment to me than anything.

So.... smaller franchises can't have their most popular characters because they're new but bigger franchises can?

 

[fogbadge]

I’m not even arguing at this point, I said in my post that I had a genuine question for you about which characters you were talking about and I was earnestly going down the list trying to figure it out.

And how does Smash not add characters when they make sense? Obviously with limited roster space they can’t add EVERYONE at the ideal moment, but most of the series rosters are influenced directly by the last few years of releases. Little Mac or Palutena for example made more sense for Smash 4 than ever because their popularity reached a peak after brand new games, and that’s when they were added. Pokemon are regularly only added in the explicit window where they make sense. You get the point, I’m just scratching my head a bit.



This was the basis of my last few posts. Which characters does this refer to?

Your pessimism about BWD rests on the premise that Sakurai will never change his mind under the right circumstances after we just got Ridley and K. Rool last game, and people whined about him hating those two series and characters for years and years. Bias or otherwise these things are flexible. The right timing and active support can make all the difference - that was my point.

I keep forgetting little Mac is in this game. But the peak popularity is an interesting thing cause sure maybe we have some but at the same time it clearly doesn’t matter for everyone. How long has Waluigi been at the peak of his popularity? Forever if we believe his fans. And then there are popular characters who are in for reasons other than their popularity. There is no consistent pattern for how characters got into smash so I can’t believe that a character can only make it in at certain point.

popularity doesn’t always matter. Relevance doesn’t always matter. So how can it possibly make sense to say that a character at the height of their popularity and relevance matters?

inceneroar is here cause he wanted a wrestling moveset. WFT trainer was here to surprise us. K.rool may have been at the height of his popularity but he hadn’t been seen in a decade. These things only matter when he wants them to. The only consistent thing is he always gives his Kirby games higher priority than the others

 

[Swamp Sensei]

There is no consistent pattern for how characters got into smash

Yes there is. Arguing "nothing actually matters" goes against the point of this thread and intellectually dishonest.

There are multiple pathways to Smash. Pretending that the fanbase doesn't understand ANY of them is just wrong.

 

[fogbadge]

Yes there is. Arguing "nothing actually matters" goes against the point of this thread and intellectually dishonest.

There are multiple pathways to Smash. Pretending that the fanbase doesn't understand ANY of them is just wrong.

Hang on how can it be both there’s a consistent way to get into smash and multiple pathways? That’s a contradiction.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Hang on how can it be both there’s a consistent way to get into smash and multiple pathways? That’s a contradiction.

Do you know multiple ways to get to your house from the supermarket?

It's not a contradiction. I never said there was one way. We understand that some characters get in through popularity. We understand that some characters get in through moveset potential. We understand that some characters get in to surprise us.

inceneroar is here cause he wanted a wrestling moveset. WFT trainer was here to surprise us. K.rool may have been at the height of his popularity but he hadn’t been seen in a decade.

You said so yourself.

 

[fogbadge]

Do you know multiple ways to get to your house from the supermarket?

It's not a contradiction. I never said there was one way. We understand that some characters get in through popularity. We understand that some characters get in through moveset potential. We understand that some characters get in to surprise us.


You said so yourself.

yes but I was saying that proves there is a lack of consistency and you’re saying it proves the opposite.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

yes but I was saying that proves there is a lack of consistency and you’re saying it proves the opposite.

Well I think you're not looking at it the right way in.

Do some characters get in through popularity like K.Rool? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

Do some characters get in through moveset potential like Incineroar? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

Do some characters get in as surprise characters like Wii Fit Trainer? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

You've already identified several patterns. You're just not accepting the idea that multiple patterns can exist at the same time. You're looking at it like a math formula with one correct answer. But this isn't a math problem. There is no ONE answer.

 

[fogbadge]

Well I think you're not looking at it the right way in.

Do some characters get in through popularity like K.Rool? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

Do some characters get in through moveset potential like Incineroar? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

Do some characters get in as surprise characters like Wii Fit Trainer? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

You've already identified several patterns. You're just not accepting the idea that multiple patterns can exist at the same time. You're looking at it like a math formula with one correct answer. But this isn't a math problem. There is no ONE answer.

no i'm looking at like there is no one answer and anyone could get in for any reason

 

[Swamp Sensei]

no i'm looking at like there is no one answer and anyone could get in for any reason

Then you don't understand the patterns you've set before you.

 

[Sucumbio]

(Guys pls)

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

Wii Fit Trainer was inherently surprising given she wasn't expected.

She was not however added for the sake of surprise. That was Duck Hunt.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

OK I think the point fogbadge was trying to make is that since there are multiple reasons that a character can be added, there isn't really a time gate on their inclusion since waiting just means that they're gonna need a different reason. For example, if Pyra/Mythra weren't added due to relevancy, then they could have gotten in the next game with popularity.

I do think there is a flaw there in that characters can easily have all of their reasons for inclusion removed with time, and just because there's a reason to add a character doesn't mean they will get added just yet, but it's not an unreasonable take.

 

[BritishGuy54]

So…what about Snake?

I mean, the Metal Gear series just recently regained popularity, right? So what do you think his chances are?

He could return… but I think he’s on his way out. The ESRB might harm his chances more than we’d think Komani would.

 

[fogbadge]

Then you don't understand the patterns you've set before you.

what patterns?

OK I think the point fogbadge was trying to make is that since there are multiple reasons that a character can be added, there isn't really a time gate on their inclusion since waiting just means that they're gonna need a different reason. For example, if Pyra/Mythra weren't added due to relevancy, then they could have gotten in the next game with popularity.

I do think there is a flaw there in that characters can easily have all of their reasons for inclusion removed with time, and just because there's a reason to add a character doesn't mean they will get added just yet, but it's not an unreasonable take.

Yeah that’s sort of it

 

[Louie G.]

popularity doesn’t always matter. Relevance doesn’t always matter. So how can it possibly make sense to say that a character at the height of their popularity and relevance matters?

Because we're not always judging in extremes. I can say that Bandana Dee is in the best position he's ever been in - that he's more important to the Kirby series than ever, and that his popularity has persisted well beyond most of his first party contemporaries. However we want to measure it, these are at least theoretically good things for a character to have in their pocket. But that could also be a dead end. Sometimes the stars don't align. That doesn't disqualify the times that they do, it just means we can't treat anything like a sure thing.

Basically, just because something doesn't ALWAYS matter doesn't mean that it won't matter. For as many cases you could point to that this wasn't enough, you can point to another equivalent case where it was. So you're welcome to believe it won't amount to anything... I'm not even convinced myself really, but the sentiment that whatever good things BWD (or any character) has going for him are meaningless is false when most other character additions did benefit from optimal timing or strong popularity in one way or another. And sometimes both.

 

[fogbadge]

Because we're not always judging in extremes. I can say that Bandana Dee is in the best position he's ever been in - that he's more important to the Kirby series than ever, and that his popularity has persisted well beyond most of his first party contemporaries. However we want to measure it, these are at least theoretically good things for a character to have in their pocket. But that could also be a dead end. Sometimes the stars don't align. That doesn't disqualify the times that they do, it just means we can't treat anything like a sure thing.

Basically, just because something doesn't ALWAYS matter doesn't mean that it won't matter. For as many cases you could point to that this wasn't enough, you can point to another equivalent case where it was. So you're welcome to believe it won't amount to anything... I'm not even convinced myself really, but the sentiment that whatever good things BWD (or any character) has going for him are meaningless is false when most other character additions did benefit from optimal timing or strong popularity in one way or another. And sometimes both.

so what you’re saying is we’re debating a moot point? Like arguing over the glass being half full or half empty

 

[Louie G.]

so what you’re saying is we’re debating a moot point?

Probably? I just think it's silly to dismiss any good things a character might have going for them because for some characters it didn't work out.

You gave three examples and two of them are still influenced by good timing. Incineroar was chosen specifically for the wrestling moveset, but the path that led us there was Gen 7 coming out a few years prior. Wii Fit Trainer was an inspired choice but Wii Fit was one of the biggest hits of the last console generation. King K. Rool was a sheer popularity pick, naturally. Collectively, these characters benefit from the same things that I said Bandana Dee had going for them.

I'm still kind of waiting for examples of characters that you feel were glaringly outprioritized or mistreated since that was the basis for one of your earlier claims. Most additions make some degree of sense and can be explained by the release window or game's philosophy (Ultimate made a point to add fan favorites) - and the whole reason this conversation started was because I was trying to justify BWD's absence under these conditions.

 

[Ivander]

Wii Fit Trainer was inherently surprising given she wasn't expected.

She was not however added for the sake of surprise. That was Duck Hunt.

I know Wii Fit was a big seller and I acknowledge that, but nothing will convince me that the Wii Fit Trainer was not an "out-there" pick like Game & Watch or Piranha Plant.
Cause if there was anybody else deciding the characters, I bet not a single person would've looked at Wii Fit and said, "Yep, that's Fighting game character material there." The only reason they were ever guessed in the first place by Gematsu was because it was leaked out to them.

 

[Louie G.]

I know Wii Fit was a big seller and I acknowledge that, but nothing will convince me that the Wii Fit Trainer was not an "out-there" pick like Game & Watch or Piranha Plant.
Cause if there was anybody else deciding the characters, I bet not a single person would've looked at Wii Fit and said, "Yep, that's Fighting game character material there." The only reason they were ever guessed in the first place by Gematsu was because it was leaked out to them.

I think whenever this point of contention comes up it's kind of splitting hairs.

Wii Fit Trainer is a surprising character, but not THE "surprise character". Sakurai explicitly cited Duck Hunt as the game's dedicated surprise character, so Wii Fit was simply decided on independent from that. I think it's fair to consider her a similar character in essence, but she wasn't added to fill that role.

When people say she wasn't a surprise character, that's what they mean. As a character choice she still blindsided everyone, nobody's denying that.

 

[Pupp135]

So…what about Snake?

I mean, the Metal Gear series just recently regained popularity, right? So what do you think his chances are?

I honestly don’t know how to rate Konami, Square, and Disney third parties. I assume that Konami will still be generous with collaborating going into SSB6, but with time constraints and multiple companies in question, I assume that at least Sega, Namco, Capcom, and Microsoft are larger priorities. I guess it will ultimately depend on how much third party fighter retention will be valued next game.

 

[Ivander]

I think whenever this point of contention comes up it's kind of splitting hairs.

Wii Fit Trainer is a surprising character, but not THE "surprise character". Sakurai explicitly cited Duck Hunt as the game's dedicated surprise character, so Wii Fit was simply decided on independent from that. I think it's fair to consider her a similar character in essence, but she wasn't added to fill that role.

When people say she wasn't a surprise character, that's what they mean. As a character choice she still blindsided everyone, nobody's denying that.

I know that Wii Fit Trainer was said to not be the dedicated surprise character and that Duck Hunt was. But I don't believe it. Not when Duck Hunt was a clear want by fans and had nowhere near the amount of dedication and surprise that Wii Fit Trainer had. Cause you'd have to be mad dedicated to even look at Wii Fit Trainer and go, "There's a great Fighting game moveset and character there."

 

[fogbadge]

Probably? I just think it's silly to dismiss any good things a character might have going for them because for some characters it didn't work out.

You gave three examples and two of them are still influenced by good timing. Incineroar was chosen specifically for the wrestling moveset, but the path that led us there was Gen 7 coming out a few years prior. Wii Fit Trainer was an inspired choice but Wii Fit was one of the biggest hits of the last console generation. King K. Rool was a sheer popularity pick, naturally. Collectively, these characters benefit from the same things that I said Bandana Dee had going for them.

I'm still kind of waiting for examples of characters that you feel were glaringly outprioritized or mistreated since that was the basis for one of your earlier claims. Most additions make some degree of sense and can be explained by the release window or game's philosophy (Ultimate made a point to add fan favorites) - and the whole reason this conversation started was because I was trying to justify BWD's absence under these conditions.

well my point was surely sakurai could have put in any other Kirby when he wants. We know popularity and relevance don’t always matter so surely characters can get in before their time as well as after?

I honestly don’t know how to rate Konami, Square, and Disney third parties. I assume that Konami will still be generous with collaborating going into SSB6, but with time constraints and multiple companies in question, I assume that at least Sega, Namco, Capcom, and Microsoft are larger priorities. I guess it will ultimately depend on how much third party fighter retention will be valued next game.

SE does seem to have plenty of issues the way they license things but I think they’ll still get someone in the base. Disney is a strange one, though they’ve collaborated a few times since the 50s the two companies don’t seem to have much of a relationship. Guess we better hope they’re still enthusiastic about Sora in smash

 

[Louie G.]

I know that Wii Fit Trainer was said to not be the dedicated surprise character and that Duck Hunt was. But I don't believe it. Not when Duck Hunt was a clear want by fans and had nowhere near the amount of dedication and surprise that Wii Fit Trainer had. Cause you'd have to be mad dedicated to even look at Wii Fit Trainer and go, "There's a great Fighting game moveset and character there."

Oh, well that's kind of silly then. That'd be an odd thing for Sakurai to lie about.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Cause you'd have to be mad dedicated to even look at Wii Fit Trainer and go, "There's a great Fighting game moveset and character there."

I mean, this is Mr. Masahiro "I've got an IV in my arm but I'm going to work anyway" Sakurai we're talking about.

well my point was surely sakurai could have put in any other Kirby when he wants. We know popularity and relevance don’t always matter so surely characters can get in before their time as well as after?

Well in a case such as that I'd say that popularity and relevance did matter, but the other Kirby character got priority for whatever reason. For example, Magolor is also seen as a contender due to relevance just like Bandana Waddle Dee, but also (and more importantly) because he has a very distinct character identity and playstyle that may be valued more amongst the other newcomers or characters in general.

 

[Ivander]

Oh, well that's kind of silly then. That'd be an odd thing for Sakurai to lie about.

He probably didn't. But I don't see how you can look at Wii Fit Trainer and not go, "I will blindside people's expectations." Like I said, if this was anybody else making the roster, I bet a million that nobody would've looked at Wii Fit Trainer and choose them for a character. A stage, sure, but a character? Not even Piranha Plant beats them in surprise factor.

 

[osby]

I know that Wii Fit Trainer was said to not be the dedicated surprise character and that Duck Hunt was. But I don't believe it. Not when Duck Hunt was a clear want by fans and had nowhere near the amount of dedication and surprise that Wii Fit Trainer had. Cause you'd have to be mad dedicated to even look at Wii Fit Trainer and go, "There's a great Fighting game moveset and character there."

In his column, Sakurai says this:

I think there are probably many who have looked at the trailers on the official website or pictures and realized that both Villager and Wii Fit Trainer were not selected solely because they can show off their eccentricity. They each have their own individual fighting styles and strategies, and make the game more fun.

In particular, Wii Fit Trainer was especially easy to come up with

This makes it sound like they were chosen primarily for the unique moveset potential they'd bring to the table. However, I find it funny how Sakurai apparently had an easy time coming up with a moveset for Wii Fit Trainer of all characters.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Ya know, it would be pretty funny if Sakurai ended up adding Marx instead of Magolor or Bandana Waddle Dee.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

I honestly don’t know how to rate Konami, Square, and Disney third parties. I assume that Konami will still be generous with collaborating going into SSB6, but with time constraints and multiple companies in question, I assume that at least Sega, Namco, Capcom, and Microsoft are larger priorities. I guess it will ultimately depend on how much third party fighter retention will be valued next game.

I thought about this last night, but since Snake was originally a request from Kojima if I remember right, I do kinda wonder if the whole MGSV controversy thing between Kojima and Konami would influence Snake's chances since Sakurai added Snake for his friend, not explicitly for Konami's sake. Obviously it wouldn't matter for Ultimate since Everyone Is Here, but I have to wonder for a new game. I would ASSUME not, but I don't really know.

I could honestly see us get Castlevania back with no Snake, but that's only if this matters at all (which like I said, it probably doesn't).

I also think Square is gonna be weird, because I feel like Sora will come back since he's the most popular requested character of all time, but then you HAVE to talk to Square because of Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga I would think (plus, you know, they made the series). In my mind, I could see Disney allowing Sora to come back and Square allowing Hero to come back in base game, but Cloud and Sephiroth get a little DLC dual pack thing going on so Square can get a little extra money out of them, then maybe one extra character from Square like 2B or something in the DLC as well. Weird take I know, but that's just kinda the feeling I get, even if it's really out there.

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

Ya know, it would be pretty funny if Sakurai ended up adding Marx instead of Magolor or Bandana Waddle Dee.

I wouldn't find it funny.
I got no problem with Marx, but I don't want to be in a timeline where people complain more about how Sakurai is biased against the Kirby games he didn't make.

I hear it enough as it is.

 

[RouffWestie]

Ya know, it would be pretty funny if Sakurai ended up adding Marx instead of Magolor or Bandana Waddle Dee.

No, Marx was made playable in Star Allies so it would still partially count as a win for modern Kirby fans.
What we need is 8-bit variants of Kirby, Meta Knight, and Dedede all added as individual characters.

 

[ninjahmos]

Do some characters get in through popularity like K.Rool? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

Do some characters get in through moveset potential like Incineroar? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

Do some characters get in as surprise characters like Wii Fit Trainer? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

Might I add one thing?

Do some characters get in due to video game legacy and being considered iconic? Yes, we've gotten several of those.

 

[Scrimblo Bimblo]

Wii Fit Trainer got revealed very soon, basically alongside the game, while surprise characters usually show up very late if at all in the marketing cycle (G&W, ROB, Duck Hunt, The Plant). She's a little like the Ice Climbers in this sense.
But yeah it's splitting hairs. Those are all surprise characters, essentially. Very unexpected with a dash of "but how are they going to fight?".

Marx would be awesome.

 

[Will]

He could return… but I think he’s on his way out. The ESRB might harm his chances more than we’d think Komani would.

I honestly have to see it to believe it when it comes to the ESRB stuff, esp when the Smash team is operating under CERO.

 

[smashkirby]

Nice! they should explore mounted mechanics more or beyond bowser Jr and we could get a slew of awesome characters.

Hey, thanks!

You know, I'm not going to lie... I've been thinking more and more about PRofessor Hector over the weekend, and I have to say that I'm even MORE into the idea of him being a playable character than before. Don't get me wrong, I've always been keen to the idea of Professor Hector joining Smash, but now I feel like I've got a clearer vision as to what I'd like for him to be like in Smash.

That being said, how would you all implement him?

Professor Hector pulling a Bowser Jr./Koopalings and driving a R.O.B.-like mech into battle?

OR...

Having Professor Hector suddenly gain Dr. Mario's moveset (with his own Stack-Up and Gyromite-themed flavor replacing Dr. Mario's aesthetic)?

The amount of damage Starfy's Assist Trophy has done to his public perception is ridiculous.

We're talking about a character who got the moon blasted at him by an all-powerful kaiju, and threw it right back at him.

Twice.
View attachment 393330

I was always aware that Starfy was far, FAR more than what his Assist Trophy appearances implied he was, but THIS? Man, Smash Bros. has truly done poor little Starfy dirty...

Yeah, well…Smash's characterizations aren't always accurate to the games they're from.

Take Fire Emblem for example.

Smash's characterization in certain characters hasn't aged well, even if they are iconic.

Oh, boy... don't even get me starting on ol' Wario... I know Smash began to REALLY develop its identity and pick up steam in regards to being a pretty big deal around Brawl's period, but I'd be lying if I said that THIS serving as the 'cornerstone' of his character for about a decade after it was shown off at E3 didn't get on my nerves just a bit...

So if we're including costume swaps, then if we put in Ray from Custom Robo into Smash and make X-Ray, Ray 01 and Ray MKIII costumes for Ray, we'll get an extra N64, Gamecube, GBA and NDS Rep.

No joke, that's legit been my hope for Ray, in the event that gets into Smash Bros. (that all of his models are available as alt. skins of each other).

Okay everyone! Good news.

I have created a massive poll for first party newcomers! I have been working on this or months and I would love for you to give your opinions. Be warned, its kind of long.

Here is the poll!

And here is a thread with more info. Please visit that too! I'll need volunteers to help spread this thing. I'm hoping for 500 unique voters.

Happy trails.

I didn't get to say this yesterday since I had to go to work, but I actually voted on the poll. I guess it won't come as a HUGE shock to anyone here, but I was... VERY generous on the 'Miscellaneous' portion of the poll (As in, I voted for everyone...).

As for the part of the poll where we could add our own suggestions, I added Jonathan Raimi (Geist), Naomi Moriha/Jasmine Callsign (Jet Impulse), Sayaka Amemiya (Ouendan), Starr (Elite Beat Agents), Mr. Stevenson (Gumshoe)... those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head, but I'm sure there were a few more...

IDK how relevant this is to this thread, but…

We all know Rachael Lillis from the many wonderful roles she played. She filled our Saturday mornings and before/after school hours with her beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills. #RachaelLillis pic.twitter.com/XOjFqY0C1L

— Veronica Taylor (@TheVeronicaT) August 12, 2024

As someone who grew up watching the likes of Pokémon on Kids' WB, seeing such a big part of my childhood leave us like this was truly a heartbreaker.

This is also FAR from the most important thing, but I'm genuinely curious as to how Nintendo of America is going to tackle Jigglypuff in Smash Bros. going forward. I imagine that it would be in... poor taste (to say the least) to continue re-using Rachael Lillis' voice clips.

 

[Scrimblo Bimblo]

The amount of damage Starfy's Assist Trophy has done to his public perception is ridiculous.

We're talking about a character who got the moon blasted at him by an all-powerful kaiju, and threw it right back at him.

Twice.
View attachment 393330

Lol, but having played Starfy 1 I can see why they went with the characterization they did. He's portrayed as a pretty clumsy little guy in the game, and of course in Smash he's not underwater so he doesn't have access to his best abilities.

Though, again... Man Starfy would make for a great fighter. He's very very fun to play as.
Starting Starfy 2 now! It's a shame they're only in japanese, but you can still understand what you're supposed to do if you're versed with video games.

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

This is also FAR from the most important thing, but I'm genuinely curious as to how Nintendo of America is going to tackle Jigglypuff in Smash Bros. going forward. I imagine that it would be in... poor taste (to say the least) to continue re-using Rachael Lillis' voice clips.

How exactly is it in poor taste?
A number of Japanese voices were kept/reused from departed actors (Colonel Campbell's and Gray Fox's voice clips reused in Ultimate, Heihachi's clips from Tekken 7 used for his stage cameo, etc.), so what makes it different for Jigglypuff just because English?