Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Guynamednelson]

I’m sure Year of Luigi was not the only reason he made the bump to starting roster in Smash 4.

To be fair, its starting roster had a lot of characters who'd otherwise be unlocks. Not just Luigi, but Lucario, Marth, Toon Link, and I feel like the reason why most of its newcomers were starter characters was because of all the trailers.

 

[SPEN18]

Yeah not saying much I haven't already here, but I think the first reveal is likely to be a high-priority character who has wide appeal, even among casuals. A Mario newcomer like Waluigi or Toad would be an obvious option. On paper, a rep from Splatoon or Animal Crossing would make a ton of sense, but those series opened for Ult and 4 already, so there's a chance they'd want something different this time. Something I floated before that might be majorly slept on for this is a BotW/TotK rep, if we're getting one: it's a big series that grew in the Switch era, casual Nintendo fans are going to recognize it, and it even might have a bit more of a surprise factor as the first reveal than the aforementioned. Since the previous two openers were new series reps, Ring Fit could be a candidate as well.

 

[Royaru]

The main difference that Smash 6 would have in relation to 4 and Ultimate is that both Animal Crossing and Splatoon had become franchises too big to be ignored, it was normal for both to occupy the first trailers of their respective games. But during the Switch era there has not been any new IP that has become as big as Splatoon and AC were at the time, the closest could be Ring Fit Adventure but we don't know if we will see more installments in the future.

Perhaps instead of having just one character in the reveal trailer we will have two characters that are easy to relate to like for example what happened in the Incineroar and Ken trailer. If this were the case, which two characters would you select? It doesn't matter if one is an Echo or not.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

The main difference that Smash 6 would have in relation to 4 and Ultimate is that both Animal Crossing and Splatoon had become franchises too big to be ignored, it was normal for both to occupy the first trailers of their respective games. But during the Switch era there has not been any new IP that has become as big as Splatoon and AC were at the time, the closest could be Ring Fit Adventure but we don't know if we will see more installments in the future.

Perhaps instead of having just one character in the reveal trailer we will have two characters that are easy to relate to like for example what happened in the Incineroar and Ken trailer. If this were the case, which two characters would you select? It doesn't matter if one is an Echo or not.

Animal Crossing wasn't exactly a huge series when they used Villager to introduce Smash 4, having only one game with more than 4 million units sold to its name at the time compared to nowadays where it has three with over 10 million and even a spin-off on the 3DS that did numbers most Mario spin-offs would be jealous of. It was still doing well but it was nowhere near the heavy hitter it became ever since New Leaf, so I don't really think it matters all that much whether or not the franchise is a massive hit when it comes to revealing Smash games.

I would say the thing Smash 4 and Ultimate's reveals shared is they started with something that was relevant for the time, possibly in an attempt to fake out audiences since the Smash logo never shows up at the beginning either. For Smash 4, New Leaf's international release was right around the corner (yeah, the game that started Nintendo really pushing for the franchise wasn't even out worldwide yet) and for Ultimate, Splatoon 2 was still actively getting new content and the Smash teaser even came immediately after Octo Expansion's announcement.

So the answer to me is that I don't think anything will change. They'll just go for whatever's the best way to trip people up using things that will be relevant on the day they drop the trailer.

 

[Noipoi]

Waluigi is the first reveal

Start a trailer looking like the next Mario Party only for Waluigi to start kicking ass

 

[Guynamednelson]

Animal Crossing wasn't exactly a huge series when they used Villager to introduce Smash 4, having only one game with more than 4 million units sold to its name at the time.

Well it was still notable enough that despite Sakurai not thinking Villager was suitable to be a fighter at the time, Brawl still gave AC everything but a playable character.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Well it was still notable enough that despite Sakurai not thinking Villager was suitable to be a fighter at the time, Brawl still gave AC everything but a playable character.

I agree on that but looking at how well Animal Crossing is doing nowadays and thinking that it was "obvious" the franchise would lead the charge on a new Smash reveal over a decade ago, before it became the juggernaut it currently is, is just not really the best way to look at things, imo.

 

[dream1ng]

Animal Crossing was a big series ever since Wild World sold over 10 million units. That's big. That's the higher end of Zelda, pre-BotW. That's why Villager was the first character revealed for 4. So much revisionism like you need to hit 30 mil to be some big series.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Animal Crossing was a big series ever since Wild World sold over 10 million units. That's big. That's the higher end of Zelda, pre-BotW. That's why Villager was the first character revealed for 4. So much revisionism like you need to hit 30 mil to be some big series.

Yeah, Wild World did well. Really well. However, Animal Crossing being a big series wasn't necessarily why it was picked to lead the way. Or at the very least not the only reason they went for it.

It had enough going for it with how people were excited for New Leaf to come out. That gives the idea of making Villager the first reveal some good timing. Like how they had some Splatoon announcements right before Ultimate and its first reveal, Inkling.

It's not just picking a big series. It's picking a series that has something coming up and is actually marketed by Nintendo because this allows Nintendo to strike in the exact spot people are already looking at when announcing their next big crossover game.

 

[The Prankster 16]

If we look at the first revealed characters in each game:

: Highly requested sensible characters and a wierd one
: Highly requested characters, some strange ones, and a surprising 3rd party
: Sensible 1st party, surprising 3rd party, wierd pick
+: Highly requested sensible characters.
So I’d definitely say Waluigi fits the “Highly requested sensible character” slot, an then he’d be followed by another one of those (BWD), a hype 3rd party (Dante), or a wierd pick (Ayumi).

 

[SPEN18]

Animal Crossing wasn't exactly a huge series when they used Villager to introduce Smash 4, having only one game with more than 4 million units sold to its name at the time compared to nowadays where it has three with over 10 million and even a spin-off on the 3DS that did numbers a Mario spin-off would be jealous of. It was still doing well but it was nowhere near the heavy hitter it became ever since New Leaf, so I don't really think it matters all that much whether or not the franchise is a massive hit when it comes to revealing Smash games.

I would say the thing Smash 4 and Ultimate's reveals shared is they started with something that was relevant for the time, possibly in an attempt to fake out audiences since the Smash logo never shows up at the beginning either. For Smash 4, New Leaf's international release was right around the corner (yeah, the game that started Nintendo really pushing for the franchise wasn't even out worldwide yet) and for Ultimate, Splatoon 2 was still actively getting new content and the Smash teaser even came immediately after Octo Expansion's announcement.

So the answer to me is that I don't think anything will change. They'll just go for whatever's the best way to trip people up using things that will be relevant on the day they drop the trailer.

While you're right that the bar doesn't have to be set astronomically high to be the first reveal, I think it pretty much has to be a character with pretty high priority, as they have to be close enough to finished in order to show very early in the reveal cycle. I think it also matters for it to be a character a lot of people will recognize, as the initial reveal of the game is one of the most important and widely viewed in the ramp up to release.

When it comes to relevance, I mean that typically goes hand-in-hand with being very high priority and widely recognizable. But yeah I would say it's most likely to be a relevant character who is revealed first, so you can add that to the criteria.
And as far as the fakeout stuff goes, eh, idk if ultimately that's all too important. Again almost all characters considered for the opener are going to be relevant in some way; I guess what I'm saying is you can craft a fakeout-type trailer for a lot of different characters, so I doubt that would be a deciding factor over who is going to generate the most overall excitement.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

And as far as the fakeout stuff goes, eh, idk if ultimately that's all too important. Again almost all characters considered for the opener are going to be relevant in some way; I guess what I'm saying is you can craft a fakeout-type trailer for a lot of different characters, so I doubt that would be a deciding factor over who is going to generate the most overall excitement.

This part made me think about how Air Ride music was used at the beginning of Rosalina's trailer in Smash 4 that started with Kirby, so most people initially thought it was an Air Ride remake/sequel or Kirby was coming to Mario Kart lol

Honestly, considering we're entering an era where Nintendo is beginning to remake/remaster stuff from the GCN/GBA era (Metroid Prime 1, TTYD, Advance Wars) and other rereleases (saw something earlier today about rumors of a Planet Robobot rerelease next year, for instance), the fakeout thing could apply to just about any character. Like if they made Isaac the first reveal for next Smash, you could posit it as a Golden Sun remake until the Smash logo shows up, same with things like pretending a Rhythm Heaven character has a new game for the first time in a decade like how Nintendo outright said Mario & Luigi Brothership was the first new game in the series in 10 years as part of its reveal lol

 

[dream1ng]

Yeah, Wild World did well. Really well. However, Animal Crossing being a big series wasn't necessarily why it was picked to lead the way. Or at the very least not the only reason they went for it.

It had enough going for it with how people were excited for New Leaf to come out. That gives the idea of making Villager the first reveal some good timing. Like how they had some Splatoon announcements right before Ultimate and its first reveal, Inkling.

It's not just picking a big series. It's picking a series that has something coming up and is actually marketed by Nintendo because this allows Nintendo to strike in the exact spot people are already looking at when announcing their next big crossover game.

AC didn't have anything coming up after Villager's reveal, NL first launched the year before. The series was just big, and cut across multiple demographics, which is why it was a good choice to start with. I mean Villager didn't even use NL's villager design.

Same with Splatoon. Inkling also didn't have anything coming up when it was revealed, other than continued DLC for Splatoon 2. These characters are just big, and appeal widely. Because the series are what they are, eventually something will always be coming up.

 

[Garteam]

That's a pretty succinct way to out it. Between trying to cram Mio as an Echo Fighter and suggesting that the Ouroboros form will be the way to make Noah playable, it seems like people are too afraid of just letting them be playable without some weird stipulations.

It's not really a fear so much as it is a concession with the realities of game development. Series rarely get multiple, unique newcomers in one round.

Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, and Kirby are the exceptions that prove the rule and, in the case of Pokemon, Zelda, and Kirby, that was a one-time occurrence. Fire Emblem in Smash 4 does not count because Robin and Corrin were not planned and developed simultaneously. Corrin was also a DLC character meant to rep a 2015 Nintendo release, not a double-dip into Awakening. StarFox, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Mother, Final Fantasy, and Xenoblade all have multiple, unique characters currently in Smash and all of them were added piecemeal.

Xenoblade 3 is a cool game, but it's not big enough to buck this trend. There's a solid chance it will get a newcomer to ring in a new entry in a modern Nintendo franchise with a rotating cast, but that's just it; a newcomer. A full, Pokemon Trainer-style tag team is not really feasible, as that's essentially just developing multiple characters if each member of the team has body sizes and a full set of unique animations. Pokemon Trainer can justify that resource cost because the team is 3 of pop culture's biggest icons and a fourth's one cousin and, from the perspective of a new Smash, most of the work has been done already. Pyra and Mythra share most of their animations and moves.

The only solution left is to find a way to save dev time or get creative if you want both Noah and Mio.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

AC didn't have anything coming up after Villager's reveal, NL first launched the year before.

That is technically true, but New Leaf wasn't released outside of Japan when that trailer dropped.

 

[Perkilator]

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Damn, six years already.

 

[Noipoi]

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Damn, six years already.

Christ, six years ago. Those were strange times.

‘Member the Grinch?

 

[Ivander]

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Damn, six years already.

Since the incident at Raccoon City.

 

[Pupp135]

Who do we think is going to be the first revealed newcomer with the game announcement? They just did Inklings last time so I’m not expecting it to be another Splatoon character even though I think it’s extremely likely we’ll get one. Do you think it will be a first party character like Inklings in Ultimate or a third party character like Snake in Brawl?

Currently, I’m leaning towards Tom Nook, a Splatoon character, or a character from a Switch IP given that Animal Crossing and Splatoon still have core characters to add, and I could see the developers wanting a introduce a new franchise early on. I will give Bandana Waddle Dee an honorable mention given that he is a popular request and a character who’s developed prominence over time. I’ve entertained the idea of a Mario character, but I find it hard to imagine Waluigi being revealed before Luigi and/or Wario, who may need to wait a little bit, and Toad really just hinges on the developers‘ interest towards Toad.

Edit: I forgot about Oatchi or another Pikmin character given the treatment that this series has.

Just realized something after editing an earlier post.

Do you think the next Smash would just have all characters on the base roster officially known about by the release of the game like Ultimate did and do away with keeping any characters "secret" from this moment on, or would they go back to having certain unlockable fighters unknown prior to release (barring leaks)?

In terms of post-release reveals and unlockable content, I‘m honestly leaning either towards Ultimate’s direction where every fighter is revealed before release, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they made every base fighter available at the start. If unlockable contents or post-release reveals occurred, I don‘t see it extending past what For did where only a quarter of the fighters were revealed post release.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

I’ve entertained the idea of a Mario character, but I find it hard to imagine Waluigi being revealed before Luigi and/or Wario, who may need to wait a little bit, and Toad really just hinges on the developers‘ interest towards Toad.

Yeah, I think this is my biggest sticking point with Waluigi as first newcomer revealed. Not so much that Luigi and Wario might be gone, I would never believe that, but moreso that at the very least Wario would be pretty much required for a Waluigi trailer, since the two are partners in crime. Could definitely see a trailer in a similar vein to the intros for like Mario Power Tennis and stuff where they try to one-up the Mario Bros., but I'm not so sure about Waluigi being the very first reveal if he ends up playable.

 

[ninjahmos]

Christ, six years ago. Those were strange times.

‘Member the Grinch?

Who could ever forget?

 

[Jave]

On the topic of reveal trailers, I wonder if a potential Alear trailer would start like this:

 

[cashregister9]

On the topic of reveal trailers, I wonder if a potential Alear trailer would start like this:

That won't happen

because that will be how Sommie's reveal trailer ends

 

[Swamp Sensei]

That won't happen

because that will be how Sommie's reveal trailer ends

Okay. Hypothetically...

How would you react if we got a Fire Emblem Engage newcomer... And it was Sommie?

 

[cashregister9]

Okay. Hypothetically...

How would you react if we got a Fire Emblem Engage newcomer... And it was Sommie?

Unironically I kinda want Sommie a bit more than Alear.

You could do some wacky stuff with them

 

[Ivander]

Okay. Hypothetically...

How would you react if we got a Fire Emblem Engage newcomer... And it was Sommie?

Fine. Ecstatic if we also get Feh for the clash of the titans.

That said, in trying to find an art of Feh and Sommie together, I just remembered that this exists.

If Alear gets in, please let this be an alternate outfit for the absolute absurdity and hilarity. If we can get swimwear Shulk, Enderman Steve and Timeless River Sora, Alear can certainly get this. Man, I hope alternate outfits are more prevalent in the next Smash Bros.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

If Alear gets in, please let this be an alternate outfit for the absolute absurdity and hilarity.

I'll allow it only if we get a Resident Evil protagonist with a Tofu alt.

Ooh, and Officer Howard in a Lappy costume.

And Cloud in a dress.

 

[fogbadge]

Okay. Hypothetically...

How would you react if we got a Fire Emblem Engage newcomer... And it was Sommie?

I think I'd be ok with it

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Okay. Hypothetically...

How would you react if we got a Fire Emblem Engage newcomer... And it was Sommie?

Part of me would be upset because I really like Alear...

...but the sheer hilarity of Sommie being a playable character would eventually win out.

 

[Diddy Kong]

So Considering were Nearing Smash 6 Let me quickly Acsses This:
The 8 ZElda Chars For Smash and their Designs (if we only get one):

View attachment 396683
View attachment 396684View attachment 396685

View attachment 396686View attachment 396687

Do you agree with these? The Bottom 4 are probably the least controversial as we obviously want canon sheik, and the other 3 are very popular, Canon and represnt a lot of difffrent 3d Zeldas!
Link is chosen because hes the smash og design (also the most easiest to put alt skins on), Zelda because Apparently lil Zelda from Her own game is poisonous so this is the closest we get without making a design up (which would be dumb IMO), Lil Link is instead the modern and classic 2d Zelda Rep (and reps Eow), ASnd GAnondorf TOTK expalins Himself!

The Only huge hole would be Toon Link (which could be fixed by lil link becoming a costume for him) and maybe Ganon from EOW! (as thats the best blue pig ganon design i guess he could be a boss?)

Other Than more Costumes what should be changed? Is this the perfect 8 Char one design Lineup for smash 6?

The most likely scenario is that adult Link will likely remain styled after BOTW / TOTK. Ganondorf if course TOTK, and I think Zelda will follow suit but this is anyone's guess.

I don't think the smaller Link will be that one, but it's a fair guess. Just not as the main Link.

Waluigi is the first reveal

Start a trailer looking like the next Mario Party only for Waluigi to start kicking ass

I could see this yeah. Waluigi losing so badly that he unleashes his anger on his rivals. Seems very typical of him.

 

[Pupp135]

Okay. Hypothetically...

How would you react if we got a Fire Emblem Engage newcomer... And it was Sommie?

I’d love a Sommie reveal as it‘s my favorite character in Engage (Sommie was my avatar here for a moment). I also liked the suggestion that Jave provided where Sommie would provide Alear the invite.

 

[chinkuru]

Speaking of reveal trailers, how do you imagine the rest of the characters received the invitation? This image shows some possibilities, I would also add Parakarry or the Warp Zone for Mario

 

[Jave]

I'm glad my post led to some good discussion on Alear and FE Engage.

Sommie being a playable rep is something I've thought of. It would be pretty cool if they pulled it off, but considering Sommie's role in Engage is entirely supportive, I doubt it'll actually happen. Given Sommie is on a similar boat as to those Legendary Pokémon that act as Guardians/Protectors of places (kinda like Celebi or Shaymin), I could see them being added as an Assist Trophy, where Sommie gives a stat boost to the one that summoned them.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Sommie is the blue dog thing right? I honestly assumed it was just a pet that walked around the Somniel and that was the extent of it.

 

[fogbadge]

Sommie is the blue dog thing right? I honestly assumed it was just a pet that walked around the Somniel and that was the extent of it.

sommie also poops items

 

[Jave]

Sommie is the blue dog thing right? I honestly assumed it was just a pet that walked around the Somniel and that was the extent of it.

The game never goes deep into Sommie's origins, but it is heavily implied that they are a mythic creature that watches over the Somniel, which is the "safe" area that acts as the hub in Engage. Initially it's stated that Sommie was Lumera's (Alear's mother, also a Dragon that's over a thousand years old) pet, but it's not known for how long, but later you discover in Sommie's second Ally Notebook entry (which you unlock when you reach max bond with them) that they "Dislike how everyone it's ever known up until now goes away eventually" making it obvious that Sommie is an eternal being that will sadly outlive everyone they meet.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

At the very least I feel pretty confident that Sommie would appear on a Somniel stage, which is pretty likely even if Alear doesn't happen I think.

Of course, I still feel like Alear is pretty likely, but that's besides the point.

 

[HyperSomari64]

Speaking of reveal trailers, how do you imagine the rest of the characters received the invitation? This image shows some possibilities, I would also add Parakarry or the Warp Zone for Mario
View attachment 396711

Where's the Wario one?

 

[Louie G.]

Bit of an aside, but I've been thinking about Cloud again and feeling more confident that he'll only return if he can bring all of FF7's Ultimate content along (give or take Sephiroth, but ideally him too).

I think it would feel extremely weird to have to go back to Midgar + 2 Songs next game after FF7 was finally able to achieve a full spread of content and a second unique character. But then that question becomes, how much of that was only feasible because they were able to sell it as DLC? I'm still under the impression Sephiroth was negotiated early on partially as a compromise to introduce the legitimate FF7 representation that was denied at launch.

Which is to say, I almost feel like Sephiroth may as well just also come back if Cloud does. At that point you're probably already negotiating the likeness of various other FF7 characters, and the hard part is already done with Sephiroth. The major issue would be if SE denies the supplemental content unless it can be sold back later, which is a scenario which at that point I think might just involve selling Cloud (+ Sephiroth) back again later with all of that content attached. All of this in mind is kind of why I believe Hero is safer for base roster - just a gut feeling that Dragon Quest may be easier to secure all the returning content for.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

All of this in mind is kind of why I believe Hero is safer for base roster - just a gut feeling that Dragon Quest may be easier to secure all the returning content for.

I do hope we can get more Dragon Quest music including orchestral versions assuming Hero comes back--which I feel like they will one way or another just because Dragon Quest is so big in Smash's home country, but it depends on how much Square wants to play ball--since Sugiyama has passed and he didn't exactly have the best opinions on that kind of thing lol

(Of course, I'm of the opinion that Hero and Sora will be base game and Cloud and Sephiroth will potentially end up as a dual-pack DLC thing plus maybe another Square newcomer in DLC.)