Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Swamp Sensei]

If they do have a story mode next game, do you think they'll finally make the Smash Mansion headcanon real?

"And so Ridley was roommates with Isabelle."

 

[Noipoi]

If they do have a story mode next game, do you think they'll finally make the Smash Mansion headcanon real?

The plot is an epic multiversal throw down over which of the 60+ characters left the toilet seat up.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

"And so Ridley was roommates with Isabelle."

"And thus, when we last heard of Ridley, he was crying to get out of there."

 

[Gorgonzales]

If they do have a story mode next game, do you think they'll finally make the Smash Mansion headcanon real?

I don't think it's likely... but regardless, I do want to see these characters just chilling together in some context. Give me anything, have everyone at some festival or in a mansion or something, I just want to see characters from different series just vibe.

For such a big crossover game, the character interaction beyond endless fighting is almost nonexistent, which is a shame because there's so much material to work with here. Even Multiversus, for as greedy and corporate as it is, has great interaction in the cinematics and even from the characters quipping at one another in-game.

 

[Arcanir]

"And thus, when we last heard of Ridley, he was crying to get out of there."

Isabelle: And so Ridley, that's how you file Form 2-AZ. Now let me show you how to go through Form 2-BC followed by BE...

Ridley: Banging on the door Make it stop!

 

[SPEN18]

Yeah I think SSE is criticized much too heavily given the circumstances. If they were ever gonna do an expansive story mode, that was the time, when the roster was getting big enough that it would actually come off as a huge deal but not so big as to cause concerns that it might be completely untenable. The story is mostly an excuse for some fun interactions between characters, with enough lore stuff to keep it interesting. That format of "get some small groups of characters together to generate those fun interactions and then have them all team up against the big bad at the end" is basic, but ultimately just about the only way I can think to formulate that kind of crossover story in this kind of medium effectively. Add in the way you have to juggle so many IPs and please the multiple parties involved, and the outcome was about as good as could be expected. Could the level design, enemies, and exploration aspects have been improved? Yes, and I'm not saying the mode should go without any criticism at all, but it's still very solid what they were able to accomplish all the way back in 08.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Really story and cutscene spectacle are the elements that SSE should be praised for especially given the characters they had to juggle to pull it off. Apply that sort of epic scale to a gameplay mode that actually plays to Smash's strengths, and you'd really have something.

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

I think if they ever do another story mode type thing, they should just have a tournament arc as there is a reason why its so common in shonen, as all you need is a wide cast of characters who can fight and characters to react to said fighting. Like just have Master Hand pluck all the fighters from their universes and force them to participate in a tournament. People just want to see some cool character interactions in cutscenes before and after fights

 

[ninjahmos]

If Phoenix Wright ever gets into Smash, they should base his moveset off of UMVC3.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

We're never going to get something particularly deep with this expansive of a cast. The last attempt at a major multi IP cross over with a non excuse plot that I can think of was Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite. And that game would have done better if there was no plot at all (it sucks lmao).

Marvel Vs. Capcom had a great idea, skipped the beginning of the story, had everyone constantly reference story beats that are never shown, and injected everyone with a lethal dose of stupid. It also kinda refused to make use of its characters, with the most egregious example being Dormamu showing up working for Jeddah for some reason, and then never being seen again. I mean, not everyone needed to have a vital role, but if they're playable they really should have had more than just "OH NOOOOO...Anyway".

"And so Ridley was roommates with Isabelle."

Oh my god they were roommates.

 

[chocolatejr9]

Not exactly related to Smash (unless you wanna talk about how it affects the chances of somebody like Rayman), but has anybody been keeping up with Ubisoft news lately? I know they've been doing... not good for awhile now, but apparently its gotten to a point where Tencent is rumored to be buying them out, and I remember reading something about one of their investors sending an open letter calling them out on their recent shortcomings? Feels like a lot has been going on behind the scenes for them, and not exactly good things.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

Not exactly related to Smash (unless you wanna talk about how it affects the chances of somebody like Rayman), but has anybody been keeping up with Ubisoft news lately? I know they've been doing... not good for awhile now, but apparently its gotten to a point where Tencent is rumored to be buying them out, and I remember reading something about one of their investors sending an open letter calling them out on their recent shortcomings? Feels like a lot has been going on behind the scenes for them, and not exactly good things.

I haven't really been keeping up with it much, but I did find a quote from a Ubisoft spokesperson that probably didn't help assuage investor skepticism lol

"The company reiterates that management is currently focused on executing its strategy, centered on two core verticals - open world adventures and [games as a service]-native experiences."

Just had to sit back and kinda look at it like "You mean the two things that have put you here in the first place that usually aren't very good for one reason or another?"

This snippet was also great: "Insiders have since claimed that Ubisoft's new plans include launching ten Assassin's Creed games in just five years. These will reportedly be "of various lengths and experiences", including mobile games such as Jade. There's also the long-rumoured Black Flag remake, which is likely included in this line-up, as well as Codename Invictus which is reportedly similar to Fall Guys."

GUYS WE'RE FLOUNDERING, WE NEED TO MAKE MORE GAMES OF LOWER QUALITY IN LESS TIME AND SOMEHOW TRY TO SELL PEOPLE ON THE IDEA OF ASSASSIN'S CREED FALL GUYS QUICK

 

[DaybreakHorizon]

If they do have a story mode next game, do you think they'll finally make the Smash Mansion headcanon real?

Unless one of the executive producers had a Fanfiction.net phase growing up, not a chance.

Do Japanese fans even know about the Smash Mansion? Feels to me like one of those things only English fans who grew up on old Smash Bros. fanfiction from would really know about.

 

[DarthEnderX]

The last attempt at a major multi IP cross over with a non excuse plot that I can think of was Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite. And that game would have done better if there was no plot at all (it sucks lmao).

I thought, overall, the story mode was pretty good. Just a couple characters were widely out of character, and everyone looked terrible(cause MvCI).

If they do have a story mode next game, do you think they'll finally make the Smash Mansion headcanon real?

I just hope they don't create ANOTHER new Smash OC final boss.

 

[ninjahmos]

Should they bring back Smash Run, which was inspired by Kirby Air Ride's City Trial mode?

 

[Ivander]

Should they bring back Smash Run, which was inspired by Kirby Air Ride's City Trial mode?

Yes.

 

[ninjahmos]

I also think they should bring back customization, especially custom specials.

 

[NintenRob]

I also think they should bring back customization, especially custom specials.

I actively don't want custom stats back. Selecting Custom Specials should've been like selecting vehicle parts in Mario Kart. Instead you have to go into some side menu, pre create your character and if you don't want to play with other custom parts, screw you and your custom special.

I like playing random. But I don't like having my characters stats nerfed to high heaven just to carry a ray gun

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

I also think they should bring back customization, especially custom specials.

Nah, custom specials can stay in Smash 4 lol

They were fun for a laugh occasionally, but considering how many of them were absurdly powerful, the fact that either way there are likely to be more characters than in Smash 4, and that from Smash 4's release to Ultimate's release, I actually never got them all because you could get duplicates (I think I was missing a couple of Greninja's), I'd rather not.

The fact that none of the DLC characters got any felt like they wanted to abandon the concept as soon as they could and ended up leaving it feeling kinda half-done, too.

 

[ninjahmos]

If there's one thing I'm hoping they'll add from the Metroid series to Smash, it's a new remix of the Super Metroid Theme.

 

[Hypercat-Z]

Really story and cutscene spectacle are the elements that SSE should be praised for especially given the characters they had to juggle to pull it off. Apply that sort of epic scale to a gameplay mode that actually plays to Smash's strengths, and you'd really have something.

Can we also appreciate how they managed to pull an entire animated movie time of cutscenes without any dialogue?
If only they used actual minions from the games, besides goombas and hammer bros...

If Phoenix Wright ever gets into Smash, they should base his moveset off of UMVC3.

NGL I'd love they put at least the musics from the Ace Attorney series in Smash.

 

[Scrimblo Bimblo]

I feel like the odd one out in that I couldn't really care less about the story mode's plot and character interactions in Smash. What we get in the trailers is very fun but it's enough.

 

[Opossum]

Can we also appreciate how they managed to pull an entire animated movie time of cutscenes without any dialogue?

Why would I give praise to arguably the biggest detriment of the mode? Having a massive crossover where every character is rendered mute isn't something to appreciate, but rather criticize. It's at best baffling, and at worst, something that ruins an otherwise good idea.

 

[RodNutTakin]

I'll continue this chain by reiterating my opinion.
I don't want a story mode when there are other mode concepts (including actual past modes) that would be much more fun and replayable while only needing a fraction of the development time and budget.

 

[Oracle Link]

NAH custom specials should definitly return but with some tweaks!
Firstly not everyone gets them
Secondly Theyre exclusivly based on canon material
and thirdly there are at most 5 extra specials per character (4 specials and a new final smash)

For example ganondorf gets a brand new moveset with dead mans volley, a ganon rush, Float Etc. but you can select his old falcondorf moves if you want!
Or Link having Champion and classic moves!
Or MArio having some other powerups as abilitys!

 

[Hypercat-Z]

Why would I give praise to arguably the biggest detriment of the mode? Having a massive crossover where every character is rendered mute isn't something to appreciate, but rather criticize. It's at best baffling, and at worst, something that ruins an otherwise good idea.

I think you didn't understand what I meant.
They skipped dialogues in SSE because having to translate them in every language would have been a pain in the arse.
Despite that the managed to make convincing interactions among the characters while relying only on the tone and the gestuality.

 

[fogbadge]

Even Multiversus, for as greedy and corporate as it is, has great interaction in the cinematics and even from the characters quipping at one another in-game.

really? I find the interactions in multiversus kinda rubbish. it's all just generic stuff easily forgettable

 

[Opossum]

I think you didn't understand what I meant.
They skipped dialogues in SSE because having to translate them in every language would have been a pain in the arse.
Despite that the managed to make convincing interactions among the characters while relying only on the tone and the gestuality.

I understood completely. I think that the multiple languages excuse is a massive cop-out. Nintendo is a massive multi-billion dollar international corporation. "It would be hard" isn't an excuse. At the bare minimum they could have done what they did for other games, and give English and Japanese audio tracks with other languages available through subtitles.

Even as someone who otherwise loved the mode, the SSE absolutely suffered from a lack of dialogue as it left crucial information to only be available on the Brawl dojo or revealed in trophy descriptions. "Look at what they managed to do with only pantomime" doesn't cut it for me when the story shouldn't have been told through pantomime in the first place.

 

[Hypercat-Z]

NAH custom specials should definitly return but with some tweaks!
Firstly not everyone gets them

And that alone would piss a lot of people, non to mention the competitive players that don't want custom special moves because they can't handle the unpredictability.

Even as someone who otherwise loved the mode, the SSE absolutely suffered from a lack of dialogue as it left crucial information to only be available on the Brawl dojo or revealed in trophy descriptions. "Look at what they managed to do with only pantomime" doesn't cut it for me when the story shouldn't have been told through pantomime in the first place.

Uhmmm... You got a valid point over there. Not everyone like pantomime over actual dialogue.
Still, I'm pretty concerned by how the dub would come in my language.
How about a Legend Of Zelda approach where the dialogue are gibberish with subtitles? Too retro?

I'll continue this chain by reiterating my opinion.
I don't want a story mode when there are other mode concepts (including actual past modes) that would be much more fun and replayable while only needing a fraction of the development time and budget.

You have a good point there. SSE and WOL rely mostly on the surprise effect and don't encourage the replayability.
To be enough replayable a story mode should be pretty short and procedural, which, with the actual AI technology, is probably possible.

 

[DarthEnderX]

Should they bring back Smash Run, which was inspired by Kirby Air Ride's City Trial mode?

They should bring back the Smash Run map as a Battle Royal. (64 players teleport in. Players run around killing creeps and collecting upgrades. Map shrinks over time. Last 4 surviving players have a Smash match.)

I also think they should bring back customization, especially custom specials.

No. Customization is a waste of dev resources for anyone but the Miis.

Can we also appreciate how they managed to pull an entire animated movie time of cutscenes without any dialogue?

They didn't pull it off. SSE isn't good.

 

[Slime Scholar]

Nintendo won’t even secure the English voice actors for some of the biggest stars on the roster like, Sonic who has only recycled clips, or Cloud and Sephiroth who speak exclusively Japanese. There is no reality in which we get a story mode with full VA.

 

[Scrimblo Bimblo]

Most Nintendo characters don't even talk anyways.
And even if they did I doubt that Link and Diddy Kong would have much of particular interest to say to each other.

A new story mode's focus should be on the gameplay aspect. SSE didn't work all that well and WoL could use to be expanded a lot.

 

[Opossum]

Nintendo won’t even secure the English voice actors for some of the biggest stars on the roster like, Sonic who has only recycled clips, or Cloud and Sephiroth who speak exclusively Japanese. There is no reality in which we get a story mode with full VA.

In fairness this is 100% just an issue with NoA specifically, not Nintendo as a whole (minus the Sonic thing, where Sega seems to be the one responsible).

 

[Shinuto]

NAH custom specials should definitly return but with some tweaks!
Firstly not everyone gets them
Secondly Theyre exclusivly based on canon material
and thirdly there are at most 5 extra specials per character (4 specials and a new final smash)

For example ganondorf gets a brand new moveset with dead mans volley, a ganon rush, Float Etc. but you can select his old falcondorf moves if you want!
Or Link having Champion and classic moves!
Or MArio having some other powerups as abilitys!

WHY the F**** would it be a good idea for certain characters to NOT get custom specials.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

In fairness this is 100% just an issue with NoA specifically, not Nintendo as a whole (minus the Sonic thing, where Sega seems to be the one responsible).

Odd. Any guesses as to why?

The only thing I can think of would be that potentially American (or just English speaking) voice actors are more likely to be unionized, which often causes Nintendo to drop them.

 

[Slime Scholar]

In fairness this is 100% just an issue with NoA specifically, not Nintendo as a whole (minus the Sonic thing, where Sega seems to be the one responsible).

You’re right about the blame being at NoA’s feet because they refuse to work with unions. Obviously it’s going to be more expensive than non-union talent but I’m not sure why they think this is an acceptable place to cut corners when a plurality of players speak English.

Had not heard anything about SEGA being responsible for the Sonic situation— that’s interesting if true. Either way I’m hoping something changes by the time the next game rolls around but I haven’t been given much reason to be optimistic on that front.

 

[Opossum]

Odd. Any guesses as to why?

The only thing I can think of would be that potentially American (or just English speaking) voice actors are more likely to be unionized, which often causes Nintendo to drop them.

It's a union thing. Nintendo of America is infamously anti-union.

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

Iconic Lines from Luigi

 

[RileyXY1]

Odd. Any guesses as to why?

The only thing I can think of would be that potentially American (or just English speaking) voice actors are more likely to be unionized, which often causes Nintendo to drop them.

This is most likely why the FF characters only have Japanese voice acting, and why much of the KIU voice cast didn't come back for Smash 4 and Ultimate.

 

[Perkilator]

In general, I wish Nintendo wasn't such a stingy old grandpa of a company, especially with how much more money they've raked in during the Switch era.