Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[chocolatejr9]

I haven't got it yet but plan to get it soon.

From what I've seen around the net, the story and characters are hit-and-miss (allowing myself to overgeneralize, I think people who want a more serious/mature story are finding it cringe or cliché, but people who are okay with a bit of anime silliness are enjoying it).

Lots of people are telling me that the tactics are top-notch so far and among the best in the series, which is great to hear; I am still personally concerned that the Engage mechanics are way too overpowered, but even if that turns out to be the case, the game should still at least be pretty amenable to challenge runs if you want more difficulty.

The social aspects I have also seen varying opinions on. Apparently they are scaled back and streamlined a bit from TH? Some reviewers knocked that as a "step back" from TH, while others are saying it's better and comes with less mandatory chore. I guess it really just depends on how you felt about TH to begin with and where you land in terms of social aspects in FE in general; those are already longtime hot topics within the fandom.

Overall I have high hopes for the game and am excited to get into it.

Spoiler: Minor Talking Point about Engage

Apparently, they also changed the way S-Supports work: you can get an S-Support with anybody no matter your gender, but not all of them are romantic. Some are purely platonic, while others are more flirtatious than outright romantic. I remember it was a bit of a talking point, so I figured I'd mention it here.

Aside from that, I've heard a lot of good things about this game, which gives me an excuse to call Alear a lock for next Smash even though that probably isn't true.

 

[fogbadge]

Spoiler: Minor Talking Point about Engage

Apparently, they also changed the way S-Supports work: you can get an S-Support with anybody no matter your gender, but not all of them are romantic. Some are purely platonic, while others are more flirtatious than outright romantic. I remember it was a bit of a talking point, so I figured I'd mention it here.

Aside from that, I've heard a lot of good things about this game, which gives me an excuse to call Alear a lock for next Smash even though that probably isn't true.

Spoiler

yeah it’s certainly the type of that’d get a fandom buzzing. I know I was more pleased about it than I would have thought I would be

 

[Laniv]

Ooh, are we doing this game again?

• Nintendo: Toad
• Konami: Bomberman
• Sega: Tails
• Capcom: Chun Li
• Bandai Namco: Klonoa
• Square Enix: Black Mage
• Microsoft: Grunty
• SNK: Metal Slug
• Ubisoft: Rayman
• Sony: Spike from Ape Escape (even if he is firmly never gonna happen)
• Valve: Chell, with the Heavy as a close second
• Indie: Cuphead
• Other: Tom Nook

 

[DarthEnderX]

You have the template for this?

I do not, sorry. I only saved my answers for it.

i will replace platinum, sony, blizzard, arc sys, valve, indie with warner bros, embracer group, ea, disney, taito since i dont care about those companies

I didn't pick the companies. If I had, Atlus and Platinum wouldn't be on there.

-Konami: Raiden (was Bill Raizer)
-Koei tecmo: Yuri Kozukata (was Ryu Hayabusa)

Thank you for playing. But your changes disgust me.

I don't usually do these template things but something about this one inspired me

And you did great!

 

[Sucumbio]

I haven't got it yet but plan to get it soon.

From what I've seen around the net, the story and characters are hit-and-miss (allowing myself to overgeneralize, I think people who want a more serious/mature story are finding it cringe or cliché, but people who are okay with a bit of anime silliness are enjoying it).

Lots of people are telling me that the tactics are top-notch so far and among the best in the series, which is great to hear; I am still personally concerned that the Engage mechanics are way too overpowered, but even if that turns out to be the case, the game should still at least be pretty amenable to challenge runs if you want more difficulty.

The social aspects I have also seen varying opinions on. Apparently they are scaled back and streamlined a bit from TH? Some reviewers knocked that as a "step back" from TH, while others are saying it's better and comes with less mandatory chore. I guess it really just depends on how you felt about TH to begin with and where you land in terms of social aspects in FE in general; those are already longtime hot topics within the fandom.

Overall I have high hopes for the game and am excited to get into it.

It's still pretty involved with inter battle shenanigans just not the whole weekly schedule thing or whatever. I feel like this is the game we should have gotten instead of 3H but that's cause I like the battles more than the social gaming. However the tone is still just as balanced between fan service and drama and emotional content as previous entries.

Gengar84 the ring polishing is very minor

Actually you can really just skip all the stuff and just go into battle.

Key changes I like, no more weapon durability except staves, the weapon triangle is back and engage mechanics aren't broken because enemies hit hard so you still can't just truck through mindlessly like with Titania and her one woman Axe Band.

 

[SPEN18]

It's still pretty involved with inter battle shenanigans just not the whole weekly schedule thing or whatever. I feel like this is the game we should have gotten instead of 3H but that's cause I like the battles more than the social gaming. However the tone is still just as balanced between fan service and drama and emotional content as previous entries.

Gengar84 the ring polishing is very minor

Actually you can really just skip all the stuff and just go into battle.

Key changes I like, no more weapon durability except staves, the weapon triangle is back and engage mechanics aren't broken because enemies hit hard so you still can't just truck through mindlessly like with Titania and her one woman Axe Band.

I liked weapon durability in the traditional FE games, but don't mind it being gone in modern FE since they don't really limit your economy so much, which removes most of the point of it. With it being gone there is basically nothing to balance the better weapons except potentially giving some of them less Hit and/or more Weight; but that's fine since the maps will just be designed off the assumption that you'll be going ham with the best equips available to you.
--
The other thing I'll add to the previous discussion is that I think there is a segment of fans and even critics who expected and/or wanted this to just be "Three Houses 2," which it is clearly not. That's fine, but the compare/contrast of Engage with TH is no doubt impacting the reception, both positively and negatively.

 

[Quillion]

I personally would have liked to see the story branching of Fates and 3H refined and unshackled from the need to buy multiple games in Fates and the obvious signs of going over budget in 3H, but that's probably unrealistic. Also, it appears a lot of FE fans just want linear stories.

 

[NintenZ]

I found the template

Here's mine

 

[Sucumbio]

...the obvious signs of going over budget in 3H...

I must admit I'm not sure what you're referring to here?

 

[Quillion]

I must admit I'm not sure what you're referring to here?

Crimson Flower being blatantly unfinished, White Clouds being tailored mainly for Azure Moon instead of any other route, Verdant Wind being a carbon copy of Silver Snow and other map reuse, underwhelming visuals...

3H feels shackled by logistic limitations as opposed to technology like some later Switch games.

 

[fogbadge]

Gengar84 the ring polishing is very minor

do we have a no context thread i can post that in?

Crimson Flower being blatantly unfinished,

that one's koei techmo's fault

 

[Stratos]

From well-known companies that didn't bring characters as newcomers to the Super Smash Bros. series:

Koei Tecmo
Oddworld
NetherRealm Studios
Activision Blizzard

 

[toonito]

Among others...

View attachment 366732

While I was pulling that out of my Smash image folder, I found this old chestnut. Maybe some of you want to fill out your own.

Nintendo: Impa
Bandai Namco: Nightmare
Capcom: Chun-Li
Sega: Arle Nadja
Atlus: N/A
Konami: Raiden
Microsoft: Master Chief
SNK: Nakoruru
Square Enix: Tifa
PlatinumGames: 2B
Ubisoft: Ezio
Koei Tecmo: Ryu Hayabusa
Bethesda: Doom Slayer
Activision: Crash Bandicoot
Arc System Works: Sol Badguy
Blizzard: Sarah Kerrigan
Sony: Kratos
Valve: Chell
Indie: Zagreus
Other: N/A

 

[Ramen Tengoku]

That template is so funny. Why is platinum given it's own section? Half of the stuff they developed are owned by other companies.

 

[Among Waddle Dees]

I hate to break it to everybody, but using companies as a point of reference for who gets in brings us to the point where the cracks with speculation split open. I understand wanting to temper expectations, to a point. But when we're actively limiting a company's involvement with Smash strictly as a means to gauge viability, that's when I think we're putting unnecessary limits on what Smash could be. And it works both ways; even as someone who is largely first-party oriented, I could spin it the other way and state how technically limiting it is for the third-party characters I actually may want.

And clearly Smash doesn't care, given the presence of multiple Square Enix newcomers in Ultimate.

 

[Stratos]

Nintendo: Takamaru
Bandai Namco: Jin Kazama
Oddworld: Abe
Koei Tecmo: Ryu Hayabusa
Ubisoft: Rayman
Bethesda: Doom Slayer
Activision: Spyro the Dragon
NetherRealm Studios: Scorpion
Konami: Bomberman
SNK: Kyo Kusanagi
Level-5: Professor Hershel Layton
Playtonic Games: Yooka-Laylee
Capcom: Dante
Square Enix: Chrono
Studio MDHR: Cuphead
THQ Nordic: Edward Carnby
Crystal Dynamics: Gex
Nihon Falcom: Adol Christin
Arc System Works: Ragna the Bloodedge

 

[Soy_Man]

I found the template

Here's mine
View attachment 366792

How would Glados work?

 

[osby]

That template is so funny. Why is platinum given it's own section? Half of the stuff they developed are owned by other companies.

Maybe it's a bit dated, as some companies appear as their own thing even though they are purchased by others, like ATLUS or Bethesda.

 

[fogbadge]

I hate to break it to everybody, but using companies as a point of reference for who gets in brings us to the point where the cracks with speculation split open. I understand wanting to temper expectations, to a point. But when we're actively limiting a company's involvement with Smash strictly as a means to gauge viability, that's when I think we're putting unnecessary limits on what Smash could be. And it works both ways; even as someone who is largely first-party oriented, I could spin it the other way and state how technically limiting it is for the third-party characters I actually may want.

And clearly Smash doesn't care, given the presence of multiple Square Enix newcomers in Ultimate.

i think it's just meant to be a game

 

[Ramen Tengoku]

Maybe it's a bit dated, as some companies appear as their own thing even though they are purchased by others, like ATLUS or Bethesda.

I'll give em Bethesda cuz I do remember seeing this back in 2019ish, but no way this was made before the ATLUS acquisition

 

[fogbadge]

I'll give em Bethesda cuz I do remember seeing this back in 2019ish, but no way this was made before the ATLUS acquisition

Considering atlus collapsed and was then remade by sega the purchase must have been a while ago

 

[NintenZ]

How would Glados work?

I don’t have any ideas lmao I mainly just want portal content in general and idk if I see Chell working

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

A Portal stage with Chell creating random portals with occasional turret guns controlled by either Glados or Wheatley would be amazing.

 

[Soy_Man]

I don’t have any ideas lmao I mainly just want portal content in general and idk if I see Chell working

Portal representation in Smash has a lot of potential for interesting items and stages, but not for playable characters. An Aperture Laboratories stage would go crazy.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Same Energy:

Remarkable video, and thankfully one now with a followup:

 

[DarthEnderX]

i think it's just meant to be a game

bottomtext

 

[Mamboo07]

Portal representation in Smash has a lot of potential for interesting items and stages, but not for playable characters. An Aperture Laboratories stage would go crazy.

not for playable characters.

I've seen someone do a Chell moveset:

 

[NonSpecificGuy]

Nintendo: Takamaru (Mysterious Murasame Castle)
Bandai-Namco: Chosen Undead/Bearer of the Curse/Ashen One/ Tarnished (Dark Souls/Elden Ring)
Capcom: Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil)
Sega: Kiryu Kazuma (Yakuza/Like A Dragon)
Atlus: Nahobino (Shin Megami Tensei V)
Konami: Bomberman
Microsoft: Master Chief (Halo)
SNK: Kyo Kusanagi (The King of Fighters)
Square-Enix: Lara Cr-… Crono (Chrono Trigger)
Platinum Games: Wonder-Red (Wonderful 101)
Ubisoft: Rayman
Koei-Tecmo: Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden/Dead or Alive/Nioh)
Bethesda: Doom Slayer (Doom)
Activision: Crash and/or Spyro
Arc System Works: Billy and Jimmy or Sol (Double Dragon and Guilty Gear - respectively)
Blizzard: The Litch King (Warcraft)
Sony: Nathan Drake or Kratos (Uncharted or God of War)
Valve: Scout (Team Fortress 2)
Indie: The Beheaded (Dead Cells)
Other = Embracer Group: Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
Other = Falcom: Adol Christin (Ys)

 

[Dan Quixote]

And you did great!

Sol Badguy is cool and all but us Kunio enjoyers have to stick together.

 

[Capybara Gaming]

Sol Badguy is cool and all but us Kunio enjoyers have to stick together.

Both should get in

Kunio gets in base, Sol as DLC, done and done

 

[CapitaineCrash]

Maybe it's a bit dated, as some companies appear as their own thing even though they are purchased by others, like ATLUS or Bethesda.

The date the template change nothing, they literally never owned any of the franchises they worked with aside from Wonderful 101 and even that they didn't even owned it at the time of the release of the original game. They only got the rights to the ip in 2020 when Nintendo let them released the game on multiplatforms because they didn't cared about the game enough to publish it themselves on Switch.


Edit: To be fair Atlus being on the template make sense because they're still kind of independant similar to Blizzard (Atlus still publish most of their games alone without Sega having too much involvement). Even the official Sega site doesn't showcase Atlus stuff if you go in games Sega games. Blizzard also publish their games alone. This is why they're usually called "Activision Blizzard" (sometimes "Activision Blizzard King"), because they're all pretty different entities.

Bethesda is in the same position, Bethesda isn't considered a Xbox games studios even if it's own by Microsoft. This is also why Microsoft last year e3 presentation was called "Xbox and Bethesda showcase", it's also both considered different entities. If the Activision deal goes through the name of their showcase is probably going to be "Xbox Bethesda Activision Blizzard King showcase.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Both should get in

Kunio gets in base, Sol as DLC, done and done

I wouldn't mind that.

Also, I recently downloaded River City Girls Zero (which I'd rather just call Super River City Ransom). I'm really liking it so far.

 

[chocolatejr9]

Both should get in

Kunio gets in base, Sol as DLC, done and done

And then there's me, the one weird guy who wants Ragna the Bloodedge.

remembers the Blazblue creator left ArcSys awhile back

Like THAT'S ever gonna happen...

 

[PeridotGX]

And then there's me, the one weird guy who wants Ragna the Bloodedge.

remembers the Blazblue creator left ArcSys awhile back

Like THAT'S ever gonna happen...

Sorry buddy. Best I can offer you is Nu-13 in a Brawl mod

 

[HyperSomari64]

And then there's me, the one weird guy who wants Ragna the Bloodedge.

remembers the Blazblue creator left ArcSys awhile back

Like THAT'S ever gonna happen...

Y*j* N*k* quit SEGA before Sonic got announced for Brawl. I don't see the problem

 

[chocolatejr9]

Y*j* N*k* quit SEGA before Sonic got announced for Brawl. I don't see the problem

The problem is, for all intents and purposes, Blazblue is DEAD now. Especially now that Guilty Gear has become ArcSys' flagship IP.

 

[HyperSomari64]

The problem is, for all intents and purposes, Blazblue is DEAD now. Especially now that Guilty Gear has become ArcSys' flagship IP.

It would be dead, until Team Red decides to pay homage in Strive with...
Some sort of composite astral god that plays like a BlazBlue character (control scheme included) and has every moveset from every character from the series

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Y*j* N*k* quit SEGA before Sonic got announced for Brawl. I don't see the problem

Why are you censoring Yuji Naka's name?

Sure he's a criminal now but... he isn't Voldemort or anything.

 

[Zerp]

Why are you censoring Yuji Naka's name?

Sure he's a criminal now but... he isn't Voldemort or anything.

Woah, you didn't hear? Square and Arzest told us that we must avoid mentioning the forbidden one by name. You've gotta understand, it's to keep the world safe from an extreme danger. If we say his name too loudly people might remember Balan Wonderworld exists!

 

[chocolatejr9]

Woah, you didn't hear? Square and Arzest told us that we must avoid mentioning the forbidden one by name. You've gotta understand, it's to keep the world safe from an extreme danger. If we say his name too loudly people might remember Balan Wonderworld exists!

But you see, I will ALWAYS remember...