Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Gengar84]

How would you guys feel if Sakurai was approached by Toei & Bandai Namco to make a Shonen Jump Smash Bros?

I think that would be really cool. What I’d really love is if they branched outside strictly Shonen Jump properties and brought in some guests from other anime like Fairy Tail, Full Metal Alchemist, Samurai Champloo, Code Geass, Gurren Laggan, Kill la Kill, Inuyasha, Megalobox, Golden Kamuy, Aggretsuko, Trigun, and others. That would probably be a lot of money and work to license all those different properties but if Smash can pull it off for video game IP, I’d love to see something along those lines for anime.

 

[Megadoomer]

I think that would be really cool. What I’d really love is if they branched outside strictly Shonen Jump properties and brought in some guests from other anime like Fairy Tail, Full Metal Alchemist, Samurai Champloo, Code Geass, Gurren Laggan, Kill la Kill, Inuyasha, Megalobox, Golden Kamuy, Aggretsuko, Trigun, and others. That would probably be a lot of money and work to license all those different properties but if Smash can pull it off for video game IP, I’d love to see something along those lines for anime.

I guess the main issue is that releasing a Shonen Jump game outside of Japan already seems like it would involve licensing issues; Bandai-Namco has the rights to most Jump games from what I've seen, but not all of them. (Sega has been making Fist Of The North Star games, for example, and Jump Force includes a character from a Dragon Quest tie-in manga)

Including other companies (particularly ones like Kodansha that rival Jump) would be like including a PlayStation character in Smash Bros. - it's theoretically possible (Smash got two Microsoft characters, after all), and it would be great to see (I'd like to see Fairy Tail and One Piece cross over in any capacity), but I don't know how likely it is.

Then again, Super Robot Wars 30 got an English release, so maybe it could happen.

 

[ALongWistfulSquiggle]

How would you guys feel if Sakurai was approached by Toei & Bandai Namco to make a Shonen Jump Smash Bros?

I think there was a DS game along those lines, and that was pretty interesting. I'm not that invested in most Shonen Jump series, though, so a new platform fighter with those characters would have to be really good for me to care much about it.

I think I'd rather see individual series get platform fighters than the whole of Shonen Jump, tbh. For instance, Soul Eater (I know it's not Jump) and probably One Piece (idk, I've never watched it) would kinda just fit, while something like JoJo's would feel strange being that mobile. Most of the anime I can think of that would really suit a platform fighter aren't from Jump, so that's probably part of why I feel that way.

I think that would be really cool. What I’d really love is if they branched outside strictly Shonen Jump properties and brought in some guests from other anime like Fairy Tail, Full Metal Alchemist, Samurai Champloo, Code Geass, Gurren Laggan, Kill la Kill, Inuyasha, Megalobox, Golden Kamuy, Aggretsuko, Trigun, and others. That would probably be a lot of money and work to license all those different properties but if Smash can pull it off for video game IP, I’d love to see something along those lines for anime.

A fighting game of any sort with Samurai Champloo characters would be amazing. I'd love for Nujabes music to come with them, too.

 

[Gengar84]

I think there was a DS game along those lines, and that was pretty interesting. I'm not that invested in most Shonen Jump series, though, so a new platform fighter with those characters would have to be really good for me to care much about it.

I think I'd rather see individual series get platform fighters than the whole of Shonen Jump, tbh. For instance, Soul Eater (I know it's not Jump) and probably One Piece (idk, I've never watched it) would kinda just fit, while something like JoJo's would feel strange being that mobile. Most of the anime I can think of that would really suit a platform fighter aren't from Jump, so that's probably part of why I feel that way.


A fighting game of any sort with Samurai Champloo characters would be amazing. I'd love for Nujabes music to come with them, too.

Yeah, there’s so many shows outside of Shonen Jump that I really love that would be a blast to see cross over like Samurai Champloo. I guess the downside is that I’d probably lose a lot of my favorite Jump characters like Renji and Yoruichi in the process since they aren’t main protagonists or villains.

 

[osby]

I think that would be really cool. What I’d really love is if they branched outside strictly Shonen Jump properties and brought in some guests from other anime like Fairy Tail, Full Metal Alchemist, Samurai Champloo, Code Geass, Gurren Laggan, Kill la Kill, Inuyasha, Megalobox, Golden Kamuy, Aggretsuko, Trigun, and others. That would probably be a lot of money and work to license all those different properties but if Smash can pull it off for video game IP, I’d love to see something along those lines for anime.

It doesn't make much sense to start with a manga crossover and then add anime guests.

At that point why not start from an anime studio such as Sunrise? Then you can have Code Geass, Cowboy Bebop, The Girl Who Leapt Through Space, Gundam and Tiger & Bunny along with more.

 

[Gengar84]

It doesn't make much sense to start with a manga crossover and then add anime guests.

At that point why not start from an anime studio such as Sunrise? Then you can have Code Geass, Cowboy Bebop, The Girl Who Leapt Through Space, Gundam and Tiger & Bunny along with more.

It doesn’t much matter to me where they start as long as I get to play as a lot of my favorite anime characters. A lot of them just happen to be Shonen Jump characters. I never really read manga but I’ve watched a lot of anime. I personally don’t have any idea who is an anime character or who is a manga character since I only see them in anime.

 

[Diddy Kong]

Just 7 more sleeps until #Kirby and the Forgotten Land comes to #NintendoSwitch!

Tag a friend who you'd like to join your journey as Bandana Waddle Dee in 2 player simultaneous co-op! ✨ pic.twitter.com/xbTGbsvpko

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 18, 2022

One more week before the 2022 Game of the Year comes out...

Also, another excuse to talk about Bandsna Waddle Dee in Smash because this thread has been surprisingly dead.

Now here's a shoe in for the next Smash Bros, and Lord knows, does the the Waddle Dee with the bandana and spear deserve it by now.

He's the inevitable newcomer in the next Smash now for sure. Think of him as the Isabelle of the new Smash Ultimate Deluxe whenever it comes out.

I can't think of a overall more likely addition right now honestly.

 

[Gengar84]

Now here's a shoe in for the next Smash Bros, and Lord knows, does the the Waddle Dee with the bandana and spear deserve it by now.

He's the inevitable newcomer in the next Smash now for sure. Think of him as the Isabelle of the new Smash Ultimate Deluxe whenever it comes out.

I can't think of a overall more likely addition right now honestly.

He’s definitely up there. The only character I’d put over him is a second Splatoon rep like Octoling. Splatoon will have had at least three games by then and the series is a huge success. At the very least, Octoling would be an easy echo or Isabelle style semiclone.

 

[DarthEnderX]

The first round of Mario Kart 8 DLC is out.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass - Wave 1 Launch

Get racing with 8 new classic Mario Kart courses! Wave 1 of the #MarioKart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass is available now!The Booster Course Pass is availab...

www.youtube.com

That Ninja Hideaway course is wild.

 

[Perkilator]

Now here's a shoe in for the next Smash Bros, and Lord knows, does the the Waddle Dee with the bandana and spear deserve it by now.

He's the inevitable newcomer in the next Smash now for sure. Think of him as the Isabelle of the new Smash Ultimate Deluxe whenever it comes out.

I can't think of a overall more likely addition right now honestly.

Probably not that likely, but I’d definitely be disappointed if he weren’t a newcomer next game

Btw, wanna see something cursed?

Super Smash Bros Ultimate Booster Course Pass boutta look like pic.twitter.com/9k5v6cqEvZ

— NearChris (@NearChris95) March 18, 2022

 

[Diddy Kong]

He’s definitely up there. The only character I’d put over him is a second Splatoon rep like Octoling. Splatoon will have had at least three games by then and the series is a huge success. At the very least, Octoling would be an easy echo or Isabelle style semiclone.

Yes Octoling is also definitely up there! Almost would forget about them, and I agree that Echo or Isabelle style clone would work well, but semi clone is a thing I could see too.

Ring Fit Trainer is another strong possibility, but not quite AS strong as Bandana Dee and Octoling.

I'd love Dixie or Cranky and Impa too, but I think they unfortunately don't have that type of warrant yet... They lack the recent star power am afraid, but all could change with new announcements of course. Am pretty certain they will be involved in any new title of their respective series anyway.

 

[Yamat08]

It doesn't make much sense to start with a manga crossover and then add anime guests.

At that point why not start from an anime studio such as Sunrise? Then you can have Code Geass, Cowboy Bebop, The Girl Who Leapt Through Space, Gundam and Tiger & Bunny along with more.

Let us take out a Gundam while playing as Ichigo Hoshimiya (Aikatsu) or we riot.

 

[Wonder Smash]

What if there's a video game version of The Expendables?

 

[HyperSomari64]

Call me crazy, but i want a Sanrio platform fighter.

 

[DarthEnderX]

What if there's a video game version of The Expendables?

Already is. It's called Broforce.

Also, I don't think Wesker would be on that team.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Honestly, Bandana Waddle Dee is the one of the few Ridley/K.Rool kind of character we currently have.

• Very Popular in the context of Smash
• Very Popular outside the context of Smash
• Smash demand has been around for a long time
• Doesn't seem to leave the Smash fanbase's thinkspace
• Incredibly prominent in their home franchise
• Appears with major roles frequently
• Unique moveset that's relatively easy to think up

The little guy ticks all the boxes. And his support base is among the biggest out of first party choices. Honestly, I think only Waluigi is more popular than him.

Things look really good for Bandana Waddle Dee. We'll see how it goes.

 

[dream1ng]

The obstacle unique to Bandana Dee is if Sakurai will look past what is clearly favoritism towards his own work on the Kirby series to acknowledge what the fanbase is asking for. So far there really are only scant amounts of substantial Kirby content not from one of the like six Sakurai games. But also, nothing else has been requested to the same scale as BWD from that series for a very long time.

It's definitely possible he will, but when people get surprised at the character's absence thus far, well, at least personally, I don't think it is that surprising. We can see how the Kirby series has been treated and has played out so far.

 

[fogbadge]

havent we all learned yet that sakurai doesnt always give in to fan demand?

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Realistically, it'll likely down to whether Nintendo sees value in adding in BWD in. Sakurai can certainly have his preferences, but given that the Fighter Ballot got the likes of K Rool in when neither he nor the company had given the character much consideration before?

We might very well see the same thing if Nintendo sees enough continued interest in Bandana Dee, especially given how profile Forgotten Lands is increasingly looking. The response in Japan specifically could be something to keep an eye on; much of the fanbase there already likes the character, and a bigger reception now could be the thing to really convince them to include him the next entry.

 

[Diddy Kong]

The obstacle unique to Bandana Dee is if Sakurai will look past what is clearly favoritism towards his own work on the Kirby series to acknowledge what the fanbase is asking for. So far there really are only scant amounts of substantial Kirby content not from one of the like six Sakurai games. But also, nothing else has been requested to the same scale as BWD from that series for a very long time.

It's definitely possible he will, but when people get surprised at the character's absence thus far, well, at least personally, I don't think it is that surprising. We can see how the Kirby series has been treated and has played out so far.

Wasn't Marx also not a Kirby character that doesn't originate from a Sakurai made Kirby game ? There might not be AS MUCH non Sakurai crested content Kirby related in Smash, but that doesn't mean there isn't. I also read an argument from BWD supporters that the character did indeed originate in Sakurai made Kirby games, but was made his own character a while later on.

But, if Bandana Dee doesn't make it next game, I'll indeed agree with you fully that it would be due to bias. Cause I literally can't picture the character being left out now.

I wish I was nearly as confident about characters as Dixie and Impa honestly. I do feel there's a good chance for newcomers for DKC and Zelda, but it might simply not be them. For DKC I think Cranky could be considered before Dixie (which wouldn't be so bad) or maybe even Funky Kong as a straight Echo, and they leave it at that cause Dixie and Cranky would take more work. For Zelda, anything would go, I'd love it to be Impa but they might just go for Skull Kid or a BotW Champion instead, or someone from BotW2.

 

[osby]

According to their fans, Sakurai also loathed Ridley and K.Rool and did everything in his power to not give their series more content prior to Ultimate.

We all know how that turned out. You can easily "prove" that Sakurai has a beef to pick with a ton of popular characters. It doesn't mean anything unless he goes on a record to state such.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

I don't think Sakurai has hated any character; simply that he's had concerns about practicality, often prioritizes unique attributes, and is interested in some more than others like anybody would be. Time, demonstrative evidence of demand, and better hardware has no doubt shifted his thoughts on things and assuming he does work on the next Smash, the same will no doubt happen there as well.

 

[Megadoomer]

Wasn't Marx also not a Kirby character that doesn't originate from a Sakurai made Kirby game ? There might not be AS MUCH non Sakurai crested content Kirby related in Smash, but that doesn't mean there isn't. I also read an argument from BWD supporters that the character did indeed originate in Sakurai made Kirby games, but was made his own character a while later on.

But, if Bandana Dee doesn't make it next game, I'll indeed agree with you fully that it would be due to bias. Cause I literally can't picture the character being left out now.

I wish I was nearly as confident about characters as Dixie and Impa honestly. I do feel there's a good chance for newcomers for DKC and Zelda, but it might simply not be them. For DKC I think Cranky could be considered before Dixie (which wouldn't be so bad) or maybe even Funky Kong as a straight Echo, and they leave it at that cause Dixie and Cranky would take more work. For Zelda, anything would go, I'd love it to be Impa but they might just go for Skull Kid or a BotW Champion instead, or someone from BotW2.

The multiple negatives make that first question tougher to figure out, but Sakurai directed a handful of Kirby games:

-Kirby's Dream Land
-Kirby Adventure (and its remake, Nightmare in Dreamland)
-Kirby Super Star
-Kirby Air Ride

Marx was the final boss of Super Star, so he originated from a Sakurai-made Kirby game, just like Kirby, Dedede, Meta Knight, Knuckle Joe, Nightmare, and Chef Kawasaki.

 

[Diddy Kong]

According to their fans, Sakurai also loathed Ridley and K.Rool and did everything in his power to not give their series more content prior to Ultimate.

We all know how that turned out. You can easily "prove" that Sakurai has a beef to pick with a ton of popular characters. It doesn't mean anything unless he goes on a record to state such.

This argument was always terrible, and came from entitlement from these fan bases. Even though I was a avid K.Rool supporter, generally the bigger a fan base becomes the more entitled they get.

This while Ridley was thrown a bone ever since Brawl, he had two boss battles for example. And Smash 4 made him a very prominent stage obstacle that had a lot of work done on him, probably more than most Assist Trophies. And K.Rool was thrown a bone with the Mii Costume, which wasn't much, but more than Nintendo ever did.

They both made it into Ultimate, and Ultimate alone is testimony Sakurai does everything possible to please his fans. This is why I always dislike people throwing **** at him, he's a great director and creative genius and genuinely cares for his fans

 

[Yamat08]

The multiple negatives make that first question tougher to figure out, but Sakurai directed a handful of Kirby games:

-Kirby's Dream Land
-Kirby Adventure (and its remake, Nightmare in Dreamland)
-Kirby Super Star
-Kirby Air Ride

Marx was the final boss of Super Star, so he originated from a Sakurai-made Kirby game.

He was also an advisor for Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, and he supervised the Kirby anime series. He provided the voice of Dedede in Kirby 64, too (which might not mean much, but could at least be a sign that that game had his personal blessing..... that, or he just really, really wanted to be the voice of one of his characters).

 

[Wonder Smash]

Already is. It's called Broforce.

Cool! I didn't even know about that.

Also, I don't think Wesker would be on that team.

Of course he wouldn't. He'd be the bad guy.

I put him there because The Expendables posters always feature a bad guy with them.

 

[BirthNote]

Wanted to share this for a character who will likely never be in Smash due to Sony's... history with Nintendo, but why should I let that stop me?

Up Tilt: Overhead Hazard Spread

Sackboy tosses hazardous projectiles overhead, causing them to fan out in a broad arc. This is perfect for enemies above Sackboy, whether they're standing on a platform (like Battlefield's) or closing in for an attack. The fireballs juggle opponents as it inflicts below-average damage, decent hitstun and little knockback.

While the main demonstration here is a fiery display, it actually comes with a very unique trait to Sackboy; each time the input is pressed, he cycles between a different type of hazard, being Fire, Electricity, Horrible Gas, and Plasma. Observe the other Hazards:

Spoiler: Hazards

Spoiler: Electricity. Hitstun Galore!

Electricity stuns foes, allowing most of the projectiles to hit and prolong the stun as it racks up damage, but due to the trajectory of each orb, it branches apart faster and is most successful on larger foes.

Spoiler: Horrible Gas. High Damage, Little Resistance

Gas has no hitstun or knockback, functioning more like Fox's lasers so it is easiest to break through these hazards as there's little resistance. However, enemies do move slower in these clouds and it provides the tightest "barrier" as each puff moves slower than the other variants while being larger and travelling the shortest distance. An interesting tradeoff.

Spoiler: Plasma. Good Knockback but easy to avoid.

Plasma packs more of a punch, dealing moderate damage and reliable knockback. On paper it's the strongest hazard of the 4, but it's unlikely for foes to get hit by more than 2 due to the strength of the knockback. Of course there are exceptions.

How is Sackboy able to do this? In LittleBigPlanet's Create Mode, Sackboy has access to limitless Objects, Materials and Hazards, with the 4 above just being some of his tools. He, like Villager, Isabelle and Steve is a...Creative entity if you catch my drift, and while he won't have a moveset like them he'll have his own spin on his LBP nature in Smash. In my moveset, Sackboy will have moves that reference both the LBP series and Sackboy: A Big Adventure. He has a lot of tricks up his stitches, literally, and his main gimmick isn't his Hammerspace Arsenal like Villager and Steve. It is his ability to utilize multiple hazards for many attacks.

As you can see, the Up Tilt input yields 4 different Hazards with their own properties each time it's used. It'll always cycle between the 4 shown in that order no matter what.

 

[JustPlainDan]

In terms of characters that we could see added in the next game, besides the usual suspects of a rep from Mario, FE, and Pokémon, along with Octoling, I also think another XC character is a legitimate possibility.

 

[ZeldaFan01]

havent we all learned yet that sakurai doesnt always give in to fan demand?

@ "I resent that remark.! ... I was just planning something for a different day. Like in a few weeks or something, so, that was cute! Lol"

 

[fogbadge]

@ "I resent that remark.! ... I was just planning something for a different day. Like in a few weeks or something, so, that was cute! Lol"

notice the use of the words "doesnt always" and then note the absence of several other fan demanded characters

 

[Diddy Kong]

In terms of characters that we could see added in the next game, besides the usual suspects of a rep from Mario, FE, and Pokémon, along with Octoling, I also think another XC character is a legitimate possibility.

Yes of course. The protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will definitely be playable too, maybe through DLC, or regular base game addition, but I do expect this to happen too.

Animal Crossing is also definitely getting more. It's the best selling Switch game after all. I'm betting on Tom Nook.

But yeah, Mario, Fire Emblem, Pokemon, Octoling, Tom Nook, Ring Fit Trainer, Bandana Dee, Xenoblade 3 protagonist... That's quite something already for first party additions. I'm fearing Dixie and Impa will be forgotten yet again.

 

[fogbadge]

Yes of course. The protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will definitely be playable too, maybe through DLC, or regular base game addition, but I do expect this to happen too.

or which ever one sakurai has the hots for

 

[ZeldaFan01]

In terms of characters that we could see added in the next game, besides the usual suspects of a rep from Mario, FE, and Pokémon, along with Octoling, I also think another XC character is a legitimate possibility.

Melia, Mayneth? The others are very cool as well but... tbh
"I just don't know..."
...
fufufu
Melia "He does worry, it's just like him... Reflection, MANifest.!"

notice the use of the words "doesnt always" and then note the absence of several other fan demanded characters

Isaac, Shadow, LYN, & others "mHMMM."

 

[fogbadge]

Isaac, Shadow, LYN, & others "mHMMM."

geno, waluigi, rex, crash it goes on and on

 

[HyperSomari64]

Maybe i'm a madcap with this one but, apart of obviously wanting the Kyoto Nintendo HQ as a stage; i want Club Sega and a Namco-themed Theme Park stages for a future Smash game.

 

[fogbadge]

Maybe i'm a madcap with this one but, apart of obviously wanting the Kyoto Nintendo HQ as a stage; i want Club Sega and a Namco-themed Theme Park stages for a future Smash game.

a few pages ago i suggested fighting on top of a gameboy printer you dont need to worry about looking mad

 

[CapitaineCrash]

The obstacle unique to Bandana Dee is if Sakurai will look past what is clearly favoritism towards his own work on the Kirby series to acknowledge what the fanbase is asking for. So far there really are only scant amounts of substantial Kirby content not from one of the like six Sakurai games. But also, nothing else has been requested to the same scale as BWD from that series for a very long time.

It's definitely possible he will, but when people get surprised at the character's absence thus far, well, at least personally, I don't think it is that surprising. We can see how the Kirby series has been treated and has played out so far.

Honestly where does the idea that Sakurai hates modern Kirby and have a biais toward his own game even come from? Sure, most of content is from the first few games, but that's the case for many other franchises (Donkey kong, Mega man, Metroid, Street fighter). In Smash wii u, there was plan for a Kirby epic yarn stage, but it was changed for Yoshi wooly world because Sakurai thought it would be fun to have a stage from an unreleased game at the time (and in Ultimate Kirby didn't get ant stages, but so did most franchises in that game). For the music, composers choose the remixes, so it seems there was just no interest from them with modern Kirby music and I doubt Sakurai forced them to not remixes those tracks. The idea that BDW isn't in Smash yet because he hates modern Kirby is genuinely one of the dumbest thing this fanbase has come up with.

 

[Perkilator]

Check out this cool “what-if” video for Melee

 

[StrangeKitten]

Cranky Kong might be a likely character for the next Smash too, since he's confirmed for the Mario movie and I wouldn't be surprised if we see another mainline DK game soon (and I don't think there's been one that didn't have Cranky in it)

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Speaking of which... Where the heck is DK right now?

I feel like the most notable thing that's happened to the franchise in five years is getting a character in Smash.