Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[osby]

Speaking of Fire Emblem, with Engage being out now how do people feel about the Divine One Alear ?

They definitely have a fun personality but I'm kinda drawing a blank on how they'd play other than a likely install mechanic.

 

[Gengar84]

So Considering the Next Smash could come Out During 2024
Lets All Try To Agree Which Characters Should be Prioritized for the most Happy People while also keeping in mind Which Franchises have gotten A LOT!
Mario, Pokemon, FE: Nothing? Cuts And Replacements if so who? And Even More Unbalanced Roster?
Zelda: Impa? Skullkid?
Kirby: Bandana Waddle Dee
Splatoon: Octoling
Earthbound: A New Rep?
A Indie Rep?

I Do Atleast hope that BWD Finnaly has no big Pushback Anymore! He Had Huge Pushback in rthe Past!

BWD is cool. I enjoy Kirby games and I don’t have any issues with his inclusion. He’s just not really one of the characters I’d get particularly hyped about. I was always partial to Buggzy but that’s never happening.

 

[TCT~Phantom]

I’d be cool with those, especially Officer Howard and Noah/Mio but I’m hoping they still give representation to their classic characters as well. I’d love a good mix of modern and retro characters from Nintendo and third parties.

I mean, I do not think any classic characters are out of the question, but I do think that unless they go nuclear and do a hard reboot you should bet on a roster that is assembled more like Smash 4's than Ultimate's. One of the biggest reasons we got a roster the way we did in Ultimate is that 2014-2016 Nintendo, where they would predominantly be pulling from for Ultimate, was not a great time. The 3DS was seeing better days, and the Wii U was on life support. With the Switch, there are tons of big success stories you could call back to.

Here is a short list of a few first parties I have my eye on for the next game. I do not think all of them will make it in, but I think these all have a pretty strong argument to appear.

• Bandana Waddle Dee
• Pauline
• Ring Fit Trainee
• Officer Howard
• Waluigi
• Isaac
• Noah/Mio
• A Gen 9 Pokemon (My gut says Meowscarada)
• A Gen 8 or Hisui Mon?
• Alear
• Octolings
• Tom Nook
• Rhythm Heaven
• Skull Kid
• Impa
• Dixie Kong
• Ashley
• Takamaru
• Excitebiker

This is not a end all be all list, but here are a few I would keep your eyes on.

 

[Geno Boost]

Curious why hasn’t been upgraded an echo when he was originally gonna become his own fighter during sm4sh was he no longer a priority around ultimate?

 

[Gengar84]

I mean, I do not think any classic characters are out of the question, but I do think that unless they go nuclear and do a hard reboot you should bet on a roster that is assembled more like Smash 4's than Ultimate's. One of the biggest reasons we got a roster the way we did in Ultimate is that 2014-2016 Nintendo, where they would predominantly be pulling from for Ultimate, was not a great time. The 3DS was seeing better days, and the Wii U was on life support. With the Switch, there are tons of big success stories you could call back to.

Here is a short list of a few first parties I have my eye on for the next game. I do not think all of them will make it in, but I think these all have a pretty strong argument to appear.

• Bandana Waddle Dee
• Pauline
• Ring Fit Trainee
• Officer Howard
• Waluigi
• Isaac
• Noah/Mio
• A Gen 9 Pokemon (My gut says Meowscarada)
• A Gen 8 or Hisui Mon?
• Alear
• Octolings
• Tom Nook
• Rhythm Heaven
• Skull Kid
• Impa
• Dixie Kong
• Ashley
• Takamaru
• Excitebiker

This is not a end all be all list, but here are a few I would keep your eyes on.

For me, Smash is more of a celebration of gaming history rather than simply an advertisement for all the newest games. I still think we should get a good amount of newer characters like Howard, Noah/Mio, and Raven Beak but I think it’s equally important to get classics like Dixie Kong and Toad. There are also a ton of third party characters I’d still like to see that debuted in the NES and SNES eras along with others that debuted since Ultimate. That’s why I think a good mix of both old and new characters would be ideal.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

I know it probably wont happen, but i hopethe next smash has presentations for it's newcomers like Ultimate did.
Those were fun.

that they could give him the moveset of any other FE character

They could easily cheap out and have Colgate use the moves of other FE lords who are already in smash, saves development costs.

 

[CannonStreak]

So Considering the Next Smash could come Out During 2024
Lets All Try To Agree Which Characters Should be Prioritized for the most Happy People while also keeping in mind Which Franchises have gotten A LOT!
Mario, Pokemon, FE: Nothing? Cuts And Replacements if so who? And Even More Unbalanced Roster?
Zelda: Impa? Skullkid?
Kirby: Bandana Waddle Dee
Splatoon: Octoling
Earthbound: A New Rep?
A Indie Rep?

I Do Atleast hope that BWD Finnaly has no big Pushback Anymore! He Had Huge Pushback in rthe Past!

Wait, how is the next Smash game coming out in 2024? I believe that is a further ways away from now, even from 2024. I will admit, I would like to see an Indie rep myself.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Wait, how is the next Smash game coming out in 2024? I believe that is a further ways away from now, even from 2024. I will admit, I would like to see an Indie rep myself.

I think it's because rumors are circulating about Nintendo's next console and usually a Smash game happens around the beginning of a new console cycle.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

As someone still convinced we're getting the next console circa late 2024, I don't think we're getting the next Smash till mid 2026 at the earliest.

 

[CannonStreak]

As someone still convinced we're getting the next console circa late 2024, I don't think we're getting the next Smash till mid 2026 at the earliest.

Or 2025, and in this case, that is ONLY the year when it is announced, but not released. I would say it would release in the following year, which is 2026, of course.

I think it's because rumors are circulating about Nintendo's next console and usually a Smash game happens around the beginning of a new console cycle.

Yeah, I have heard the kinds of things saying a reveal for the next Nintendo console may be soon. Still, if they do have to get Sakurai back for this, Sakurai needs all the time he can get to relax. I don't personally see a need to rush him.

 

[Gengar84]

From what I’ve read, Smash Bros. seems to sell better in the west than it does in Japan. I can’t really find up to date numbers exactly but one statistic I found from a few years ago had it at 45% US sales, 28% in Japan and 16% in Europe. I’m not sure whether those percentages have held up over time but it does make me think.

I realize that Smash tends to favor characters made in Japan over those made in the west, which makes a ton of sense considering that it is made by Japanese developers. However, since the bulk of its sales seem to come from outside Japan, I wonder if it would be smart to increase the amount of western characters we get going forward. There are tons of characters I’d love to see from both Japan and the west. While I do prefer Japanese made games overall, I find that a lot of my most wanted characters come from the west, likely because the Japanese side is already well represented and a lot of my favorite characters (at least the realistic ones) are already here. That said, there’s still a ton left to tap into from Japan. Western characters have just started appearing in Smash with Banjo and Steve so I feel that there is even more untapped potential on that front.

Anyway, I’m probably rambling at this point and I’m not sure if many people feel the same. I was just throwing out ideas.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Or 2025, and in this case, that is ONLY the year when it is announced, but not released. I would say it would release in the following year, which is 2026, of course.

The time between a Nintendo home console release and a Smash Bros game coming averages to about a year and a half, so a holiday 2024 release for the Switch 2, a Smash announcement at a 2025 Direct, followed by a summer release in 2026 feels fairly plausible.

 

[Gengar84]

Time between a Nintendo home console release and a Smash Bros game coming averages to about a year and a half, so a holiday release for the Switch 2, followed by a summer release in 2026 for Smash 6 feels fairly plausible.

Am I just weird or does anyone else almost get more hyped for the reveal trailers than the actual game release? Don’t get me wrong, I love playing Smash and I’m still playing Ultimate on and off but Smash always gave me something to look forward to and get excited about in Nintendo Directs. I’ve had a hard time getting excited for Directs since Smash DLC ended. I particularly loved the Brawl Dojo during that game’s hype cycle. Basically, even if the actual game doesn’t launch until 2025 or 2026, I still have a ton to look forward to in the year or months leading up to that point.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Am I just weird or does anyone else almost get more hyped for the reveal trailers than the actual game release? Don’t get me wrong, I love playing Smash and I’m still playing Ultimate on and off but Smash always gave me something to look forward to and get excited about in Nintendo Directs. I’ve had a hard time getting excited for Directs since Smash DLC ended. I particularly loved the Brawl Dojo during that game’s hype cycle. Basically, even if the actual game doesn’t launch until 2025 or 2026, I still have a ton to look forward to in the year or months leading up to that point.

Things certainly have felt... emptier without Smash reveals lol

 

[CannonStreak]

Things certainly have felt... emptier without Smash reveals lol

I know how that feels. I guess I liked them more myself. Anticipating which character will be in the next trailer was always fun.

 

[HyperSomari64]

Things certainly have felt... emptier without Smash reveals lol

Wait until at the end of the direct, there will be a fakeout trailer where you think it's a Smash reveal, but instead you get Tokyo Mirage Sessions II.
(Yeah, i'm starting to misuse the icon)

 

[CannonStreak]

Wait until at the end of the direct, there will be a fakeout trailer where you think it's a Smash reveal, but instead you get Tokyo Mirage Sessions II.
(Yeah, i'm starting to misuse the icon)

In other words...

"You thought it was going to be Smash being revealed at the end, but it was I, TMS II!"

Sorry, but I had to.

 

[HyperSomari64]

In other words...

"You thought it was going to be Smash being revealed at the end, but it was I, TMS II!"

Sorry, but I had to.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions 2, to be specific.

 

[Zerp]

Am I just weird or does anyone else almost get more hyped for the reveal trailers than the actual game release? Don’t get me wrong, I love playing Smash and I’m still playing Ultimate on and off but Smash always gave me something to look forward to and get excited about in Nintendo Directs. I’ve had a hard time getting excited for Directs since Smash DLC ended. I particularly loved the Brawl Dojo during that game’s hype cycle. Basically, even if the actual game doesn’t launch until 2025 or 2026, I still have a ton to look forward to in the year or months leading up to that point.

I don't but I think you're in the majority honestly. Smash's marketing cycle generate an insane amount of attention. It's practically unrivaled in the gaming world, it's not weird to care for it. And like, I've seen people literally cry tears of joy over announcements. Tears! There's definitely a lot of passion for the trailers!

 

[CannonStreak]

Tokyo Mirage Sessions 2, to be specific.

Yeah, I know. I just felt the full name was too long to include.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Curious why hasn’t been upgraded an echo when he was originally gonna become his own fighter during sm4sh was he no longer a priority around ultimate?

Pikmin basically had nothing new during that time period, sooooooo, lower priority.

Also, keep in mind that Pikmin & Captain is the actual character. Those little buggers are quite important overall, so even if you can Nolimar(rather poorly now. It was easy in Brawl, but come 4 and Ultimate they made the Up B not require any Pikmin out, so it's technically harder to do. Though I don't know if he's competitively easier to go without Pikmin than he was in Brawl?), it's not actually the intended way to play. I mean, not that any way is wrong either, but the moveset is designed so you should be playing with both. We just got a bad translation that misinterprets the characters overall.

The important thing to remember, though, is that with the moveset made with Pikmin and the Captain in mind, making any kind of Echo or Clone means the Pikmin are still an important part of said moveset. So Alph not being separated also has to factor in "why didn't Sakurai see any fun ideas with the Pikmin themselves"? In 4, at least we know that it was too time consuming for a quick clone. Justified in that it was already difficult to make Pikmin & Olimar work properly, reducing the Pikmin themselves to a max of 3. Rock Pikmin weren't even let loose(albeit, it was designed as an Olimar option, not specifically for Alph), which also implies the Pikmin alone were difficult to program at the time. Come Ultimate, and Pikmin having no new games, you already have low priority. Then you have the question of "what do they want to do"? The only caveat is that Alph outright has no unique abilities from Olimar with at most having different Pikmin choices. And with no new Pikmin being introduced, that also means ideas for a more unique character would go up in smoke.

So either way, you have no moveset ideas and an understandable case of low priority. With Pikmin 4 being a thing, though, we have a fair chance for a new character(it might not be Alph, though at that point, an Echo would be nice. Just add personality to Olimar and Alph, so they have fully unique taunts, and replace the Purple Pikmin with Rock Pikmin, including some differences in how they affect gameplay, and you're set for an easy enough one. Maybe).

 

[HyperSomari64]

Remember that the Pikmin species are featured in Super Nintendo World, and it's the only non-Mario series to be featured.

 

[MrMcNuts]

From what I’ve read, Smash Bros. seems to sell better in the west than it does in Japan. I can’t really find up to date numbers exactly but one statistic I found from a few years ago had it at 45% US sales, 28% in Japan and 16% in Europe. I’m not sure whether those percentages have held up over time but it does make me think.

I realize that Smash tends to favor characters made in Japan over those made in the west, which makes a ton of sense considering that it is made by Japanese developers. However, since the bulk of its sales seem to come from outside Japan, I wonder if it would be smart to increase the amount of western characters we get going forward. There are tons of characters I’d love to see from both Japan and the west. While I do prefer Japanese made games overall, I find that a lot of my most wanted characters come from the west, likely because the Japanese side is already well represented and a lot of my favorite characters (at least the realistic ones) are already here. That said, there’s still a ton left to tap into from Japan. Western characters have just started appearing in Smash with Banjo and Steve so I feel that there is even more untapped potential on that front.

Anyway, I’m probably rambling at this point and I’m not sure if many people feel the same. I was just throwing out ideas.

As the resident Rayman enjoyer I'm obligated to tell you you're 100% spittin facts. Hopefully we can see some picks like Rayman and Doom etc who are massively requested in the west but with very little Japan popularity.

After all back in melee no one in the west knew Fire Emblem and Marth and Roy became some of the most loved characters.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Wait until at the end of the direct, there will be a fakeout trailer where you think it's a Smash reveal, but instead you get Tokyo Mirage Sessions II.
(Yeah, i'm starting to misuse the icon)

I find that to be a very underrated game.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Wait until at the end of the direct, there will be a fakeout trailer where you think it's a Smash reveal, but instead you get Tokyo Mirage Sessions II.
(Yeah, i'm starting to misuse the icon)

"Its time to bring back a major favorite to the Switch, I hope you all enjoy Super Smash..."

Fans worldwide get hyped

"TV, returning to Nintendo consoles!"

Fans stare blankly in disbelief

 

[HyperSomari64]

"Its time to bring back a major favorite to the Switch, I hope you all enjoy Super Smash..."

Fans worldwide get hyped








View attachment 367588

"TV, returning to Nintendo consoles!"

Fans stare blankly in disbelief

Darn it, i wish Warner Bros. made a new Midway collection. But then i remember what's happening to the company now.

 

[chocolatejr9]

Things certainly have felt... emptier without Smash reveals lol

Yeah, there are things I'd like to talk about but can't since I'd have to find a way to tie it into Smash.

(Granted, one of those things is a fighter idea, but it's from a series I'm not sure many people here care about so... shrug).

Darn it, i wish Warner Bros. made a new Midway collection. But then i remember what's happening to the company now.

Well, last time I checked, WB's gaming division was still doing fine. Then again, that was back when Skywalker Saga and MultiVersus were still new, so IDK if anything's changed since then.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Yeah, there are things I'd like to talk about but can't since I'd have to find a way to tie it into Smash.

(Granted, one of those things is a fighter idea, but it's from a series I'm not sure many people here care about so... shrug).

Relatable, i had the idea to post something kinda related to my SRW smash bros fighter idea but i know no one would care. lol

 

[Swamp Sensei]

I actually don't want Smash at the moment.

I know we all love the hype cycle and all. But its exhausting and I don't trust people to hype responsibly.

I'm more than satisfied letting other games be made. My backlog is huge enough as it is, and there are so many games out there that I want to play.

 

[CannonStreak]

I actually don't want Smash at the moment.

I know we all love the hype cycle and all. But its exhausting and I don't trust people to hype responsibly.

I'm more than satisfied letting other games be made. My backlog is huge enough as it is, and there are so many games out there that I want to play.

On the bolded part, I know what you mean. I tried telling Geno fans to hype responsibly, it didn't go so well.

 

[DarthEnderX]

Lets All Try To Agree Which Characters Should be Prioritized for the most Happy People while also keeping in mind Which Franchises have gotten A LOT!

Impossible!

 

[chocolatejr9]

On the bolded part, I know what you mean. I tried telling Geno fans to hype responsibly, it didn't go so well.

Can confirm: I was a witness.

That, and... certain other experiences I'd rather not remind people of due to how long ago they were by now. Don't wanna reopen old wounds, y'know?

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

The Ultimate hype cycle was unique in that both Smash was one of the most massively celebrated franchises (which makes sense given the number of series in it) and that we literally got news about it every single general Direct from March 2018 through September 2021; it was thus both mega popular and consistently something to look forward to. Especially during the pandemic and the latter half of the Switch's life cycle (which has had its dips in terms of major releases) excitement over it remained.

Essentially its hard to think of any other title that quite matches that circumstance; even the Mario Kart 8 DLC (the closest example there is) while exciting, just isn't the same. And yeah, certain presentations since do feel a bit impacted in not having SSB as bit of a crutch for viral hype. Getting Smash news in the infamous farming simulator/JRPG Direct last September might mitigated the meh reaction some portions of the fanbase felt when that one ended.

 

[dream1ng]

From what I’ve read, Smash Bros. seems to sell better in the west than it does in Japan. I can’t really find up to date numbers exactly but one statistic I found from a few years ago had it at 45% US sales, 28% in Japan and 16% in Europe. I’m not sure whether those percentages have held up over time but it does make me think.

I realize that Smash tends to favor characters made in Japan over those made in the west, which makes a ton of sense considering that it is made by Japanese developers. However, since the bulk of its sales seem to come from outside Japan, I wonder if it would be smart to increase the amount of western characters we get going forward. There are tons of characters I’d love to see from both Japan and the west. While I do prefer Japanese made games overall, I find that a lot of my most wanted characters come from the west, likely because the Japanese side is already well represented and a lot of my favorite characters (at least the realistic ones) are already here. That said, there’s still a ton left to tap into from Japan. Western characters have just started appearing in Smash with Banjo and Steve so I feel that there is even more untapped potential on that front.

Anyway, I’m probably rambling at this point and I’m not sure if many people feel the same. I was just throwing out ideas.

I think we will increase the amount of western characters going forward just because the scope of the series increases, more parties get drawn to the table, and the big, demanded western series are going to start sticking out as the Japanese ones continue to be gradually included at a much higher rate.

Having said that, including Japanese characters doesn't not appeal to the west as well. It's not like they're all Hero. And there's still a good number left with strong western appeal: Dante, RE characters, MH, Dark Souls, Ryu Hayabusa, Travis, 2B. Plus the well of Sonic/FF/SF/MM/Castlevania/etc they can keep tapping.

On the other hand, there are a much more limited number of western characters that have that crossover appeal. And that is what Smash tends to go for. Steve and Banjo both satisfied it. Crash would, as would a number of indies. Or perhaps we could get a character so huge outside Japan that it's worth taking the hit, like Master Chief. But I think our western inclusions are going to come from those two options, primarily, for the foreseeable future. It's not inconceivable to get a character that defies those parameters, but... they will probably be scarce, if they happen at all.

 

[Dukefire]

It is going to be either easy or hard for more third party characters as negotiations must be done on rights and business.

We already know that Sakurai is done with Smash Bros Ultimate, but where does the series go from here should another teaser reveal appear one day? I'm still burnt out from the last character reveal months ago.......

 

[dream1ng]

Honestly the next Smash will probably come out a year or two into the next system's lifespan, because Nintendo likes to front-load their systems with their prestige IP. There's always the chance it comes out later but... if the next thing launches next year... Smash coming around 2025, maybe 26, is probably how things play out.

Or if somehow we get the next thing this year, just move it up to 24 or 25.

And most of those outcomes entail development of it having already begun. At least in pre-production.

 

[Dukefire]

Honestly the next Smash will probably come out a year or two into the next system's lifespan, because Nintendo likes to front-load their systems with their prestige IP. There's always the chance it comes out later but... if the next thing launches next year... Smash coming around 2025, maybe 26, is probably how things play out.

Or if somehow we get the next thing this year, just move it up to 24 or 25.

And most of those outcomes entail development of it having already begun. At least in pre-production.

Correct me if I'm wrong. Ultimate's development started during Smash 4's DLC development in 2014 and that was 4 years before the reveal in 2018. Man, Sakurai and the Smash team really cooked up a big product beyond the world's expectations at the time.

 

[MrMcNuts]

Crash would, as would a number of indies.

I feel like Undertale is the only break out indie hit that's big in both regions, at least of indie characters that are speculated.

I know shovel knight was published by Nintendo in Japan but I have no idea how well it did over there.

 

[Sucumbio]

Hey... Pst.. HyperSomari64 . I got a new 4th party character for you to consider!

The Chinese Weather Balloon!

And if that don't work we do have a proper Nintendo rep in Balloon Fight

 

[dream1ng]

Correct me if I'm wrong. Ultimate's development started during Smash 4's DLC development in 2014 and that was 4 years before the reveal in 2018. Man, Sakurai and the Smash team really cooked up a big product beyond the world's expectations at the time.

I believe Ultimate's development started in 2015, where the project plan was being formed concurrently with the ballot. You can tell how much the ballot shaped base as well, between bringing back cut vets, to like half the newcomers owing their inclusion to it.

So I would expect the next Smash to have started development about three years, give or take, from when it releases.