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Yeah, I think I remember reading that he originally considered using just the final stage evolutions of the starters but ended up deciding on using the different stages of evolution. Logically, that makes a lot of sense but it’s still a shame for us personally because my brother almost got his favorite Pokémon and Smash character in Blastoise but now it will probably never happen as long as we have Squirtle.
He was also in that GameCube demo (which, granted, was heavily based after the anime and later used as an ending theme for it). Honestly, back in the lead-up to Brawl, I found myself request Meowth to fight with a guitar. Nowadays, though, I've kinda moved on from the idea of Meowth ever getting in.
I mean, he is likeable and recognizable. Even though my last comment seemed to write off several picks, it's not like I think they have no merits. It's just, well, the competition for PKMN is incredibly stiff and I just try to be as objective as possible about it despite the fact that I'll of course not quite achieve that.
I'll just say that I love Pokémon Trainer as he is. He's the character I play the most. I love how he plays and I think his moveset makes total sense. It's just wierd that he's not officially "Red".
Well, in Pokemon, the general idea is "you" are the trainer, so making him(and later her) a generic Trainer means it's the player controlling the Pokemon, not a particular established character.
What's notable is even the trophies very clearly state it's just a general Pokemon Trainer. Not saying Red would've been a bad choice, but I can see the concept behind it. It did get weird when they compare PT to Ash in a later trophy too. Though to be fair, Ash and Red are confirmed different people even in the anime(Red had a cameo appearance), so it's not like multiple counterparts can't exist, heh.
Besides that, the lineup made a lot of sense for Red anyway. It's the same Pokemon. It coincides more with Ash's at the time, but that shouldn't matter. What's actually weird is how Leaf was hard mentioned but Red isn't. It makes me think that the original design is an Artifact of Brawl, and it's kind of too late to establish the male one as the actual Red when you lack descriptions for Spirits. It might've been the new intention in Ultimate, though.
Also, I suggested this earlier, but nobody seems to have commented on it: if they simply make dodging not be an immediate function tied to the shield button, then shield+B specials should be possible mid-air. Instead, you're only able to do a mid-air dodge by holding shield, then pressing in whatever direction you want to dodge in. And if you want do a still mid-air dodge, just do shield+A (with shield+B being for the special).
I think airdodge being mapped to shield while in the air is intuitive. To have to hold it for a while to activate it seems a little awkward and also negates neutral airdodges which I would find to be a major loss.
Pokemon Trainer's Pokemons' missing specials would be best served by incorporating Terry's Back-Special design into their kit.
I think Shield-Specials should stay grounded if they were ever implemented because that'd give them a distinct identity and limitation. Another aspect of their potential implementation could be having them being these extremely telegraphed/uncancellable attacks so carelessly spamming them will leave you wide open for punishment. I've always used Inkling's ink storage from empty to full as a reference (plus a little bit of extra endlag on top for good measure) for the amount of time the player would be committed and that'd mostly hold up I feel like. Other times though it'd (Shield-Specials) be a mere utility move like with what Inkling and Steve currently have. Sometimes it could be a mix of both like giving Cloud a static materia menu for his. Olimar's Pikmin pickup should definitely be a Shield-Special input already since he can't use his Neutral-Special in the air as is.
You could bring Shield-Specials to the air I guess. I don't see why the game couldn't just recognize that you double-inputted a recognizable Shield-Special attack while in the air. Again though I think this would detract from what would make Shield-Specials potentially special (lol) and distinct from other special inputs.
I think airdodge being mapped to shield while in the air is intuitive. To have to hold it for a while to activate it seems a little awkward and also negates neutral airdodges which I would find to be a major loss.
Oh yeah now that I reread what you said I see what you meant. I just think it'd be kind of unintuitive versus what we have currently with the airdodge system. I think it'd work though. I wouldn't mind getting used to it if we really wanted Shield-Specials in the air. I just think having a limitation gives this kind of Speical a distinct identity. For example I'd want Ivysaur's Shield-Special to be Solar Beam. I'd make it take like 50% longer than Inkling going from empty to full ink storage and have it so that while it can be stored it HAS to be charged all at once and you can't cancel it once started. It can't be fired in the air but could be directionally influenced like ROB's fully charged Neutral-Special.
I don't know about Shulk's Monado arts working as a grounded Shield-Special. If you could do Shield-Specials in the air sure but yeah his jump monado would lose major utility if he couldn't quickly switch to it midair.
Since we're on the topic of Shield-Specials again I think it'd be appropriate to bring up a little tidbit on the FAQ for the future Rivals of Aether 2 game! Here's the link for anyone interested: https://rivals2.com/faq
Yes! The Rivals 1 parry is still there- both with its own button and as a shortcut Shield + Special. The startup is a bit slower so the parry requires even more of a read in Rivals 2. Its slower startup also prevents it from always being the best way out of shield pressure. But you can reflect projectiles and even stun opponents with a well-timed parry.
For those that don't know the ROA parry system is essentially the focal defensive option in their game in favor of a shield with it being a lot like perfect shielding just like it is in Smash. So with this game adding shields fans were wondering about the fate of this option. So they're using Shield-Special as a shortcut to their parry system!
This definitely has to be a direct influence from its application in Ultimate. I imagine Sakurai hasn't even put much thought into Shield-Specials whatsoever (otherwise I think Olimar would definitely have one to make room for an actual Neutral-Special attack at least) and simply noticed or manufactured an opening in the button layout where it was needed to make his design for the two specific characters that have it work as he intended.
Random Robin redesign-buff incoming:
Recently I was playing around with Robin and thought they should have a tome charge (minus his lightning dagger) as a Shield-Special. On top of that I think they should have generic dagger swing attacks for Specials when their tomes run out with the moves prioritizing the lightning dagger over the regular one should it be active. I also thought nosferatu could be their pummel that'd heal them for a little bit with each pummel. I think the lightning tome should do something... Ideally I think it should be the tilts so long as the tome charging Shield-Special was implemented because that way it couldn't possibly get in the way of their stored lightning blast charge other than the player carelessly mismanaging their resources. The only thing I could think to give them was Peach's switch between weapons for her Forward-Smash. Allow Robin to do this too with their daggers. All the diagonal axes will be the weaker dagger if their lightning dagger is charged. For example Forward-Smash weak dagger will be in the same position the frying pan and tennis racket are in Peach's Forward-Smash so they'd be mapped to both Upward-Diagonal-Forward and Downward-Diagonal-Forward. Up-Smash will be Upward-Diagonal-Forward and Upward-Diagonal-Backward. Down-Smash will be Downward-Diagonal-Forward and Downward-Diagonal-Backward. If the lightning dagger is inactive then all directional Smash inputs will be the weak dagger as is the case already. If the lightning dagger is active its Smash inputs will simply be Up, Forward and Down Smash. This may seem kind of complicated but it's not really I'm just explaining it to in full detail. This would give Robin more control over their lightning dagger resource which would help offset the weakness of it not being charged by my proposed Shield-Special.
Contra has always had a special place in my childhood. It was the only game I've ever played with my mother. We were able to beat it using the Konami code. It must have left an impression on her as well since she still remembers the code even though that was over 30 years ago.
As far as a moveset, I've always struggled to come up with something that felt authentic, yet still fit Smash well. My original idea was to have several attacks utilize different guns, like his forward smash was the Crush gun and the up smash was the Spread gun. The problem I had was, while this worked as a functional moveset, it never felt very authentic to Contra’s gameplay.
Last year, my brother came up with an idea that I love a lot that would be perfect. If you've ever played Contra, you know the capsules that fly across the screen that contain different power ups. His idea is that these could fly across the stage similar to Smash balls whenever someone is playing as Bill. Only Bill could interact with these and if he shoots them down, it would drop a powerup that would change his gun. Like Mega Man, his jab and forward tilt would be his gun, although Bill would also use his gun for up and down tilts and would be able to shoot in 8 directions while moving around. The powerups he collects would change his tilts and jab to the new gun until Bill loses a stock or collects a different power up. In order to ensure that he isn't overly reliant on these powerups to be a good character, his default gun would still be very useful and the powerups would just allow him to be useful in other ways. Bill has two guns, one active at a time. He can store up to two power ups and switch his active gun with his shield special. Both guns start out as the default machine gun and the currently active gun is replaced with the power up. Bill’s guns revert back to the default machine gun when he loses a stock.
With that out of the way, let me try my hand at a sample moveset to show you what I mean
Gimmick - Weapon switching system, listed above. These are the different guns he can utilize based on Contra III:
Machine Gun - Bill's default gun. This has great speed and range but causes no knockback. This is very similar to Fox's laser
Crush Gun - A powerful missile launcher with a shorter range and large end lag. Similar to Samus' smash forward special
Homing Gun - Weaker homing missiles that shoot a bit faster similar to Samus' weak forward special
Spread Gun - A gun similar to a shotgun that shoots in a wide range of five bullets per shot but can't travel as far horizontally
Laser Gun - A very powerful short range gun that shoots a laser beam
Fire Gun - A flamethrower that acts in much the same way as Bowser's fire breath. Very powerful gradual damage but poor range.
Weak Attacks
Neutral A - Similar to Mega Man's blaster, Bill shoots straight forward with whatever gun he has equipped
Forward Tilt - Again, like Mega Man's blaster, Bill shoots straight forward while walking forward
Up Tilt - Bill shoots his gun directly upwards. Bill can also shoot diagonally in a 45 degree angle by tilting the stick diagonally and can move while doing so.
Down Tilt - Bill lies down on the ground and shoots straight forward. He also has a diagonal tilt that he can use while moving
Running attack - Bill performs a shoulder tackle similar to Samus
Smash Attacks
Forward Smash - Bill slashes twice with his combat knife
Up Smash - Bill attacks with the end of his gun similar to Samus' counterattack in Samus Returns
Down Smash - Bill thrusts his combat knife downward
Special Attacks
Neutral Special - Bill throws a grenade. This is pretty similar to Snake's move (not sure how to differentiate it).
Up Special - Bill performs a spin jump and shoots both guns in all directions in a spiral. This is an attack from Contra III.
Forward Special - Bill rides his motorcycle similar to Wario. Unlike Wario, he can shoot his gun while riding it. This will help him travel across the stage much faster to pick up power ups he shoots down from farther away as well.
Down Special - Bill surrounds himself in a force field and reflects all projectiles similar to Fox's reflector.
Shield Special - Switches Bill’s active gun
Aerial Attacks
Like his ground tilts, Bill uses his equipped gun to shoot in up to 8 directions
Final Smash - Helio Bomb - This is a powerful, screen clearing bomb from Contra III. This is essentially a larger and more powerful Starfox Bomb.
In order for this idea to work, we’d have to make sure it was balanced properly so Bill wasn’t overly reliant on the power ups but they were still useful. I think his default machine gun should still be good enough that he feels like a competent fighter without any power ups andsaid upgrades shouldn’t be so powerful that he becomes overpowered with them. With proper balancing, I think this idea could be really unique and a ton of fun while staying completely faithful to his home series.
I was just playing the modern Ninja Gaiden games and I remember somebody telling me that Ryu Hayabusa doesn't have his Jump & Slash attack from the NES games but he actually does. It does it in 2 and 3 (playing the versions in the Masters Collection).
I was thinking that that could be used as his Up Special but maybe it can be used as his Neutral Aerial, which makes more sense. His Up Special could be his Uppercut Slash and Stab move that he does on his enemies.
Contra has always had a special place in my childhood. It was the only game I've ever played with my mother. We were able to beat it using the Konami code. It must have left an impression on her as well since she still remembers the code even though that was over 30 years ago.
As far as a moveset, I've always struggled to come up with something that felt authentic, yet still fit Smash well. My original idea was to have several attacks utilize different guns, like his forward smash was the Crush gun and the up smash was the Spread gun. The problem I had was, while this worked as a functional moveset, it never felt very authentic to Contra’s gameplay.
Last year, my brother came up with an idea that I love a lot that would be perfect. If you've ever played Contra, you know the capsules that fly across the screen that contain different power ups. His idea is that these could fly across the stage similar to Smash balls whenever someone is playing as Bill. Only Bill could interact with these and if he shoots them down, it would drop a powerup that would change his gun. Like Mega Man, his jab and forward tilt would be his gun, although Bill would also use his gun for up and down tilts and would be able to shoot in 8 directions while moving around. The powerups he collects would change his tilts and jab to the new gun until Bill loses a stock or collects a different power up. In order to ensure that he isn't overly reliant on these powerups to be a good character, his default gun would still be very useful and the powerups would just allow him to be useful in other ways. Bill has two guns, one active at a time. He can store up to two power ups and switch his active gun with his shield special. Both guns start out as the default machine gun and the currently active gun is replaced with the power up. Bill’s guns revert back to the default machine gun when he loses a stock.
With that out of the way, let me try my hand at a sample moveset to show you what I mean
Gimmick - Weapon switching system, listed above. These are the different guns he can utilize based on Contra III:
Machine Gun - Bill's default gun. This has great speed and range but causes no knockback. This is very similar to Fox's laser
Crush Gun - A powerful missile launcher with a shorter range and large end lag. Similar to Samus' smash forward special
Homing Gun - Weaker homing missiles that shoot a bit faster similar to Samus' weak forward special
Spread Gun - A gun similar to a shotgun that shoots in a wide range of five bullets per shot but can't travel as far horizontally
Laser Gun - A very powerful short range gun that shoots a laser beam
Fire Gun - A flamethrower that acts in much the same way as Bowser's fire breath. Very powerful gradual damage but poor range.
Weak Attacks
Neutral A - Similar to Mega Man's blaster, Bill shoots straight forward with whatever gun he has equipped
Forward Tilt - Again, like Mega Man's blaster, Bill shoots straight forward while walking forward
Up Tilt - Bill shoots his gun directly upwards. Bill can also shoot diagonally in a 45 degree angle by tilting the stick diagonally and can move while doing so.
Down Tilt - Bill lies down on the ground and shoots straight forward. He also has a diagonal tilt that he can use while moving
Running attack - Bill performs a shoulder tackle similar to Samus
Smash Attacks
Forward Smash - Bill slashes twice with his combat knife
Up Smash - Bill attacks with the end of his gun similar to Samus' counterattack in Samus Returns
Down Smash - Bill thrusts his combat knife downward
Special Attacks
Neutral Special - Bill throws a grenade. This is pretty similar to Snake's move (not sure how to differentiate it).
Up Special - Bill performs a spin jump and shoots both guns in all directions in a spiral. This is an attack from Contra III.
Forward Special - Bill rides his motorcycle similar to Wario. Unlike Wario, he can shoot his gun while riding it. This will help him travel across the stage much faster to pick up power ups he shoots down from farther away as well.
Down Special - Bill surrounds himself in a force field and reflects all projectiles similar to Fox's reflector.
Shield Special - Switches Bill’s active gun
Aerial Attacks
Like his ground tilts, Bill uses his equipped gun to shoot in up to 8 directions
Final Smash - Helio Bomb - This is a powerful, screen clearing bomb from Contra III. This is essentially a larger and more powerful Starfox Bomb.
In order for this idea to work, we’d have to make sure it was balanced properly so Bill wasn’t overly reliant on the power ups but they were still useful. I think his default machine gun should still be good enough that he feels like a competent fighter without any power ups andsaid upgrades shouldn’t be so powerful that he becomes overpowered with them. With proper balancing, I think this idea could be really unique and a ton of fun while staying completely faithful to his home series.
While your brother's idea was not bad, I think your idea was good enough. It's cool to bring more elements from the series that the character comes from but at the same time, you don't want to risk being too gimmicky.
I was just playing the modern Ninja Gaiden games and I remember somebody telling me that Ryu Hayabusa doesn't have his Jump & Slash attack from the NES games but he actually does. It does it in 2 and 3 (playing the versions in the Masters Collection).
I was thinking that that could be used as his Up Special but maybe it can be used as his Neutral Aerial, which makes more sense. His Up Special could be his Uppercut Slash and Stab move that he does on his enemies.
While your brother's idea was not bad, I think your idea was good enough. It's cool to bring more elements from the series that the character comes from but at the same time, you don't want to risk being too gimmicky.
Yeah, I think either moveset could work well. My idea is much more fitting for a character like Samus who has access to all of her weapons at once. I do think it would still work well for Bill too but it isn’t quite as interesting in my opinion. I personally like it when a character can feel as much like they are playing straight out of their home series as possible but I can understand why some might feel differently. The most important thing is whether the character is fun to play in the end, faithful or not.
I agree that the capsule power up is pretty gimmicky, which is why most of Bill’s moveset is otherwise very simple. All of his neutral attacks, jabs, and aerials are just aiming his gun in different directions. That drastically cuts down on the amount of moves you need to memorize to make up for all of the variety with the power up mechanic. I think this is a cool way to separate Bill from Samus and pretty much any potential future gunner character like Doom Slayer, Master Chief, Shionne, B.J. Blaskowicz, or anyone else. It’s just something that really makes Contra stand out from other shooters to me and feel unique.
Ooh, I just had another fun idea. Normally, the capsules would fly by at set intervals (maybe every 30-45 seconds). Once per stock, Inputting the Konami code (possibly just the directional inputs) could automatically make another power up capsule appear on screen. Either that, or once per match, inputting the code automatically powers up both of your guns with a random power up.
I'd prefer the less gimmicky, Shield-Special version (with the Konami code randomizer powerup for good measure though, well done that actually seems like something Sakurai would actually do) as well though obviously a creative idea like that has merit. I just imagine it being a pain for the developers to implement. I would wonder if it'd be similar to how they had to rework all the stages to get Steve's blocks to work but I don't actually know obviously. Then there's the issue of having multiple Bills on stage whether it's 1v1 or an 8 player free for all. Would they be able to interact with each others' care packages? If not then I presume they'd have to distinguish their care packages based on their palette swab which could get really confusing the more BIll players are on the field. I think giving him Snake's grenades is a great idea because it's faithful to the character like also retooling established work.
I'd prefer the less gimmicky, Shield-Special version (with the Konami code randomizer powerup for good measure though, well done that actually seems like something Sakurai would actually do) as well though obviously a creative idea like that has merit. I just imagine it being a pain for the developers to implement. I would wonder if it'd be similar to how they had to rework all the stages to get Steve's blocks to work but I don't actually know obviously. Then there's the issue of having multiple Bills on stage whether it's 1v1 or an 8 player free for all. Would they be able to interact with each others' care packages? If not then I presume they'd have to distinguish their care packages based on their palette swab which could get really confusing the more BIll players are on the field. I think giving him Snake's grenades is a great idea because it's faithful to the character like also retooling established work.
Thanks, I’m glad you like some of my ideas. I don’t imagine it would require any stage reworking like Steve because the care packages function pretty much just like normal items do in the game. With multiple Bills, we could color code them based on player number but I can see how that could get confusing in 8 player Smash with 8 Bills. I think a good compromise if the care packages prove too difficult is to use Shulk’s Monado wheel to change guns. If we did this, I think we’d have to drop the dual wielding from Contra III and rethink what the Konami code could do. This would also make Bill a stronger character because he could change to whatever gun he liked at will without having to wait for the right care package. The Monado wheel would allow pretty much my whole moveset above to remain in tact.
I'd prefer the less gimmicky, Shield-Special version (with the Konami code randomizer powerup for good measure though, well done that actually seems like something Sakurai would actually do) as well though obviously a creative idea like that has merit. I just imagine it being a pain for the developers to implement. I would wonder if it'd be similar to how they had to rework all the stages to get Steve's blocks to work but I don't actually know obviously. Then there's the issue of having multiple Bills on stage whether it's 1v1 or an 8 player free for all. Would they be able to interact with each others' care packages? If not then I presume they'd have to distinguish their care packages based on their palette swab which could get really confusing the more BIll players are on the field. I think giving him Snake's grenades is a great idea because it's faithful to the character like also retooling established work.
Yeah, that’s probably an even better idea than color coding. It’s basically the same as they already do with Assist Trophies and Pokeballs to differentiate who they belong to.
Stupid question: if these recent rumors that Sony is looking to buy a Japanese company (everybody seems to be betting Konami), would that affect their chances for Smash?
Stupid question: if these recent rumors that Sony is looking to buy a Japanese company (everybody seems to be betting Konami), would that affect their chances for Smash?
I imagine it would hurt their chances of returning but who can really say for certain. That’s one reason I’m hoping Sony doesn’t buy any companies I personally care about. I’m still on the fence whether to go PlayStation or X-Box this generation. I’ve historically always gone PlayStation but with Microsoft now owning both Rare and Blizzard, the developers of my favorite western IP, I’m actually leaning towards X-Box this time. I’m really hoping Microsoft can clean up all of Blizzard’s internal issues so they can go back to being the respectable company they were 20 years ago before the merger with ActiVision.
Yeah, SEGA, Bandai-Namco, or Square-Enix are the big three that would basically force me to stick with PlayStation. I love Tales, Persona, and various Square-Enix JRPGs too much to miss out on a whole generation of any of them.
Yeah, SEGA, Bandai-Namco, or Square-Enix are the big three that would basically force me to stick with PlayStation. I love Tales, Persona, and various Square-Enix JRPGs too much to miss out on a whole generation of any of them.
Yeah, SEGA, Bandai-Namco, or Square-Enix are the big three that would basically force me to stick with PlayStation. I love Tales, Persona, and various Square-Enix JRPGs too much to miss out on a whole generation of any of them.
That’s a good point. I guess I hadn’t considered that before since I always owned a PlayStation lol. As much as I love Rare and Blizzard’s games, neither one really has much output to really push me towards a console. That’s why I’m still waiting on an announcement of a new Killer Instinct or actually see progress on Perfect Dark. Hopefully they haven’t given up on Battletoads after the mixed reception of the reboot. I’d love to see a single player RPG based in the WarCraft or StarCraft universe from Blizzard.
While that would really suck, and Bill Rizer is among my most wanted, I think Konami is probably the third party I would be least upset losing other than SNK. Simon, Richter, and Snake are all great additions to Smash but I’ve never been personally invested in CastleVania or Metal Gear.
I imagine it would hurt their chances of returning but who can really say for certain. That’s one reason I’m hoping Sony doesn’t buy any companies I personally care about.
That's why I was mad at Nintendo for their refusal to let Smash show up at EVO this year. It was needless and stupid business-wise. EVO/Sony obviously wanted Smash so Nintendo would have gotten a great deal and there's literally no reason Nintendo can't have a first-party circuit (that remains to be seen) while also allowing for third-party events especially the likes of EVO. It would have made them money and established a working relationship with Sony which would future proof any current and/or future potential characters getting acquired by them. Would have also paved the way for Sony characters getting into future games.
I’m still on the fence whether to go PlayStation or X-Box this generation. I’ve historically always gone PlayStation but with Microsoft now owning both Rare and Blizzard, the developers of my favorite western IP, I’m actually leaning towards X-Box this time. I’m really hoping Microsoft can clean up all of Blizzard’s internal issues so they can go back to being the respectable company they were 20 years ago before the merger with ActiVision.
I'm kind indifferent to both honestly. I see a lot of that same performance mode vs graphics mode crap (performance mode for life) and I just feel like the jump isn't worth it, especially with scalpers corning the market on both products. I actually haven't made the jump to having a 4K TV yet (have a 4K monitor though) so that's mostly why I don't see a need to get either current-gen console because I feel I wouldn't get the most out of it. I'd go with the PS5 just for the more elusive/time-gated exclusives. The only thing I like about the XSX/XSS is the dev mode feature but I get what I want from that with my PC already. I'm actually at the point where I feel like I'm going to just wait for the PS5 Pro, that's very existence is less than certain, to come out before I even bother.
I have my PC, Playstation 4 Pro with a 2TB SSD I put into it and of course my Switch and I'm very satisfied with all of them. They cover all my bases.
No matter what I'm going to be on the Switch successor like a fly on **** because I ain't playing no games with these bottom-feeders playing pretend "eNtRePrEnEuR".
I'd just put the money towards a decent PC before I'd ever get an Xbox. Too many advantages for me to ignore.
Access to 1st party Microsoft Games through Gamepass and even Steam in some cases
Access to PC exclusive games
Customizable settings
Mouse & Keyboard support
Can also play with any controller I want (I really want to add that Panda Gamecube Controller to my arsenal so badly)
Mod support for expanding upon games and access to wholly unique fanmade creations
Don't have to buy a service to use online
I know I'm coming across as PC master race right now and I don't mean to because I totally understand the reasons people have for not getting into but once I made the investment and commitment to understanding how to operate it properly I can genuinely say my gaming experience dramatically improved.
If you look at Sony's movements as of late they've mostly been buying up studios. Their most recent purchase was Jade Raymond's studio, who are brand new and haven't shipped a game. Their biggest purchase as of late was Bungie. I don't see them buying up a huge publisher. But I'm prepared to eat crow
Stupid question: if these recent rumors that Sony is looking to buy a Japanese company (everybody seems to be betting Konami), would that affect their chances for Smash?
I'm not really sure but there's a chance that it probably won't. Recently, I heard that a costume based on Kratos can be used on the Switch version of Fortnite, meaning that Sony is not completely against any appearances of their characters on other consoles. Whether or not they're okay with their characters staying in Smash is not clear but I say an appearance like that could be a good sign.
Color me skeptical about Konami being Sony's acquisition. I mean there is good long-term value from their IP's to the latter, however the former would not only cost a lot, but a decent portion of their assets is in stuff like clubs, gambling machines, and other non-video game departments wihich Sony would have to take if they did a full-blown purchase. And even the division that Sony would be most interested in would take a good while to really pay dividends.
Its a bit of a buried story, but Konami is making some very good money in gaming... with modest mid-level releases predominantly focused on the Japanese market. The AAA scene in the West they've entirely abandoned, with collections and the occasional thing like Super Bomberman R put out to get token profits from North America & Europe. There appears to be an overall mindset that putting money into a high-profile Metal Gear or Silent Hill release is unnecessary if they can put out eBaseball and Yu-Gi-Oh titles that will cost far less while still making bank.
And on top of that they've gone all in on the Switch in a number of ways, likely because it's dominating their home market so much. To put in perspective how well that's worked out for them, the best-selling Konami published game in Japan isn't Contra, SH, MGS, or any of the IP's well known to Western audiences. Its Momotaro Dentesu for Switch, which has sold 3.5 million copies and is neck and neck with Monster Hunter Rise for the best-selling third party Switch title in Japan.
Granted Sony could make some decent money long term from the Konami franchises they could get it, it's just that the latter company's strengths and gaming infrastructure at the moment are entirely at odds with the former's seeming position in the market (bigger budget AAA games that do major numbers in the West while slowly losing what little numbers they have in Japan thanks to the Switch's dominance).
I'm sure it could happen, but there are probably other companies Sony could pick up that will be more of an immediate advantage.
I really do hope Namco and Square can stay independent, Nintendo benefitted a lot from them this generation with the Switch. Namco being lost would definitely hurt Smash badly too!
I think it's unlikely that none of the Japanese third-parties get scooped up by someone before the next Smash. But how that will affect their presence in Smash really depends on who buys them. If it's Sony, then yeah... there's always Ultimate.
I really do hope Namco and Square can stay independent, Nintendo benefitted a lot from them this generation with the Switch. Namco being lost would definitely hurt Smash badly too!
Actually, I saw somebody say that Nintendo was one of Bandai Namco's major shareholders. Is that true? Because if so, that would actually explain a lot...
Actually, I saw somebody say that Nintendo was one of Bandai Namco's major shareholders. Is that true? Because if so, that would actually explain a lot...
Nintendo owns 1.75% of Bandai Namco, which makes it one of the larger shareholders, though clearly they don't own that much of the company. I think Nintendo is invested in their partnership with Bamco and would possibly take further action to prevent it getting acquired by someone else, but that's just guesswork.
Rubbish or not, that's still vague enough to give Nintendo an incredible amount of leeway in who constitutes as having or not having "Nintendo DNA".
Apparently some companies will have enough Nintendo DNA to work on their IP, often for years, but lack the DNA to be bought and/or saved by them. It's really just an amorphous term to be used at their convenience which stands in the place of more business-related concerns.