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Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

KillerCage

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There's so many characters you cut that I highly doubt will be cut:
Daisy: Her increased prominence in the series nowadays, especially with her grand return to the mainline series in Mario Wonder, makes me think she'll stay.
Young Link: He's basically the de facto rep of classic Link now that the regular Link was modified to match Breath of the Wild.
Falco: He's too iconic due to his prominence in the Melee competitive scene, which was why I think that he was specifically kept over Wolf in Smash 4.
Charizard: He's one of the most iconic Pokémon in existence and Ash's 2nd most prominent Pokémon, only behind Pikachu.
Lucario: He's the most recognizable Pokémon not from Gen 1 who got his own movie, is frequently used by trainers like Maylene, Cynthia, Korrina, Gladion, and even Ash, and was prominently highlighted in XY as the intro to the game's new mechanic, Mega Evolution.
Chrom and Lucina: I'm keeping these two simply because of how massively popular and iconic Awakening is. It saved the entire franchise from death after all.
Byleth: Three Houses was a massive success and one of the biggest Fire Emblem games ever.
Isabelle: She's basically the face of modern Animal Crossing. No way is she getting cut.
Simon: Konami was very much on board with Castlevania getting in, with the series getting a second rep right out of the gate, a whole world based on it in WOL, a boss, and over 30 songs. I highly doubt he's going anywhere.
Snake: If Simon's staying around, why not keep their other iconic veteran too?
Terry: The fact that he came with so much content, even from outside of Fatal Fury itself, makes me think he's staying. Sakurai even came up with a list of 50 songs he wanted to ask SNK to include and they responded with "all of it".
Mega Man: He's very much an iconic character, and Capcom is a very lenient company to work with. They even allowed Mega Man to die in a trailer.

Also, your DLC list has no Square Enix reps, not even veterans like Cloud, Sephiroth, Hero, and Sora, and is heavily tailored towards Western audiences over the Japanese audience.
Daisy and Lucina: If Echo Fighters were included in the roster, Daisy and Lucina would have been listed. I made the decision to not include them as they are considered "bonus characters." Even if I did include the Echo Fighters, Chrom still would have gotten cut since he was an Echo of Roy.
Young Link and Falco: Both are clones/semi-clones and I didn't have a lot a place. Link can be revised and Impa could inherit the abilities from BotW and TotK so I didn't see a reason for Young Link to stay and Starfox as a franchise is not in a healthy state so I couldn't justify keeping keeping either Falco or Wolf.
Simon, Terry, and Megaman: I had to restrict myself to three 3rd party characters in the base roster and two of the spots had to go to Sonic (the only 3rd party to be in Brawl, Smash 4, and Ultimate) and Pac-man (because Bandai Namco would most likely be deleveloping the next title.) That left one spot and it PAINED me to cut Simon, Megaman, and Terry. What made me choose Ryu was his archetype which was unique prior to Ultimate though I could swap him out for Terry in a future roster.
Snake: He is a Kojima character and Konami does not like Kojima. We were lucky to get him back in Ultimate and I don't think we will so lucky next time.
Charizard, Lucario, Isabelle, and Byleth: All of these were victims of space though I did consider keep Isabelle while cutting Villager. I feel bad for Lucario as I frequently forget he is in Ultimate and I used him a LOT in Brawl. If I had more space, I would have kept Byleth; Robin felt more important.
It’s okay. But it feels dull. A few of my favourites are gone. The veteran roster feels very weak and stuck in the past. I remember a few pages back here where we saw a veteran roster of 30 which felt weak, and it shows here too. I wonder how a more modern-leaning roster of 30 would turn out.

Having newer characters from the Switch era while cutting Ultimate’s newcomers from the Switch era feels wrong. The base game newcomers are all very solid though. Though I’m still not convinced Konami will play ball next game.

The DLC feels… questionable. It feels very stereotypical western fan-demand centric. Even in Ultimate, we only got Banjo and Sora as the big obvious fan picks (1/6 of all DLC characters).
I did consider 2B and Layton in Monokuma's place. I held back on 2B due to Issac, Ike, and Alear being in the DLC and adding 2B would have meant 40% of the DLC were swordfighters to varying degrees. Layton only got swapped out for Monokuma because at the time I wanted another non-human fighter though in hihnsight I had plenty already.

Thank you for the feedback.
 

Perkilator

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I'll say this much, even as someone with a few quibbles towards the Ultimate roster (no Dixie, Impa, or BWD) seeing the back-and-forth debates about hypothetical rosters really does make me respect what Nintendo and Sakurai went for with fighter selections. Given the numerous different types of fans it was aiming to please and the understandable profit aims involved, Ultimate being fairly unpredictable while still pretty satisfying with its choices is quite impressive.
That’s how I design my fan rosters as well; not just for Smash, but for other hypothetical crossovers. Essentially, I cast as wide a net as possible depending on the demographic of a hypothetical crossover.
 

Sucumbio

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Speaking of DK stuff question about Donkey Kong 64, what is the opinion of it? I didn't play it and know nothing about it I was actually surprised to learn of it's existence recently but it seems the game was a disappointment to some...
 

Swamp Sensei

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Speaking of DK stuff question about Donkey Kong 64, what is the opinion of it? I didn't play it and know nothing about it I was actually surprised to learn of it's existence recently but it seems the game was a disappointment to some...
It was massively praised at release only to get a more negative reputation later.

Nowadays it's a fondly remembered but flawed game. It's just way too much.
 

Verde Coeden Scalesworth

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DK64 is cool in many ways, but the camera is atrocious. The collection rate is off the charts, but is still a very fun game to play on its own.

I'd love a remake of it or at least a polished port, though~

.....Right, my off the charts wants "that'll never happen" is Brian from Quest 64.
 
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Pupp135

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You know, I only have my first draft on me.

I'll post it anyways, but it's slightly outdated.

View attachment 385678
This list feels very reasonable. The only things that I’d change are Ice Climbers and Isabelle, where I’d put Icies in the same position as Pokemon Trainer, and Isabelle would be in the immune category.

Here’s my priority list from this thread. It is biased as Icies, Cloud, and Sora are higher priority than what I actually expect (I think Icies are around Sheik/Falco’s position, snd Cloud and Sora are probably after I guess Banjo, but I think Cloud and Sora will be DLC anyway). I grouped the echo fighter with their parent for convenience:
:ultmario::ultkirby::ultlink::ultpikachu::ultsamus::ultyoshi::ultdk::ultfox::ultvillager::ultinkling::ultmarth::ultbowser:
:ultpit::ultzelda::ultpeach::ultluigi::ultshulk::ultsonic::ultmiifighters::ultfalcon:

:ultpokemontrainer::ultganondorf::ultisabelle::ultness::ultolimar::ultgnw::ulticeclimbers::ultpacman::ultmegaman::ultwario::ultkingdedede::ultdiddy:
:ultlucario::ultmetaknight::ultridley::ultryu:

:ultbayonetta::ultike::ultrosalina::ultkrool::ultjigglypuff::ultsheik::ultfalco::ultrobin::ultmewtwo::ultcloud::ultsora::ultsteve:
:ultbanjokazooie::ultgreninja::ultmythra::ultbyleth::ultwiifittrainer::ultlittlemac::ulttoonlink:

:ultroy::ultzss::ultrob::ultsnake::ultsimon::ulthero2::ultjoker::ult_terry::ultduckhunt::ultminmin:ultpalutena::ultkazuya:
:ultsephiroth::ultpiranha::ultbowserjr::ultincineroar::ultlucas::ultpichu::ultwolf::ultcorrin::ultdoc::ultyounglink:


What are some pure BIAS Most Wanted?
I Know she will NEVER get in in any form, but Marina Liteyears would be just below Shantae for me in terms of hype. Smash Remix is the best I can get and frankly its quality is on par with an official Smash release.
Tidus from FFX and Amy from Sonic
 
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Kirbeh

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What are some pure BIAS Most Wanted?
I'm not good at picking favorites, but I'll echo Marina and Shantae. This is also why I don't particpate in roster/list making. I'd drown everyone in my indecisive 2K+ roster with half the Pokedex, 50 Fire Emblem characters and the full rosters of every other fighting game I like.
 

Ivander

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What are some pure BIAS Most Wanted?
I Know she will NEVER get in in any form, but Marina Liteyears would be just below Shantae for me in terms of hype. Smash Remix is the best I can get and frankly its quality is on par with an official Smash release.
Despite the reception to mobile games and what some people think about it, I really want to see Fire Emblem Heroes get a rep. My pure biased pick would be Reginn. The most likely pick IMO would be Veronica, since aside from being one of the main characters of FEH, she also appeared in Engage as an Emblem.

My absolute most biased pick would be Ray 01 from Custom Robo/CR Battle Revolution in JP. They are easily my most wanted 1st Party character of all time.
Speaking of DK stuff question about Donkey Kong 64, what is the opinion of it? I didn't play it and know nothing about it I was actually surprised to learn of it's existence recently but it seems the game was a disappointment to some...
The common consensus I see is that it's far from a bad game by itself, it's just a really really big hassle going for 100%. I honestly want to see another game like it, but like many others, just tone down the amount of collecting. Also have the maps have some more hub-elements to them like the 7th level, Creepy Castle, because I've seen alot of people really love the 7th level due to the main set of warp spaces being adjacent to each other in a hub-like space allowing for more easier navigating and travelling.
 

Gengar84

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What are some pure BIAS Most Wanted?
I Know she will NEVER get in in any form, but Marina Liteyears would be just below Shantae for me in terms of hype. Smash Remix is the best I can get and frankly its quality is on par with an official Smash release.
I talk about mine here all the time, I have a lot of them. I’ll never pass up the chance to post my favorites whenever someone asks. I’d gladly discuss any of them but I don’t think too many people share my interests. Here’s some of the characters I’d love to see, realistic or not (mostly not).

First Party:

Gengar (Pokémon)
Impa HW (Legend of Zelda)
The Black Knight (Fire Emblem)
Dixie Kong (Donkey Kong Country)
Goombella (Paper Mario)
Bugzzy (Kirby)
Nia (Xenoblade)
Jenna Anderson (Astral Chain)
Medusa (Kid Icarus)
E.M.M.I. (Metroid)

Third Party:

Zegram Ghart (Rogue Galaxy)
Rash/Pimple/Zitz (Battletoads)
Magus (Chrono Trigger)
Fulgore (Killer Instinct)
Illidan Stormrage (WarCraft)
Sarah Kerrigan (StarCraft)
Bill Rizer/Lance Bean (Contra)
Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)
Alphen and Shionne (Tales)
Xemnas (Kingdom Hearts)
Lu Bu (Dynasty Warriors)
Zero (Mega Man)
Jinx (League of Legends)
H’aanit (Octopath Traveller)
Etna (Disgaea)
Garnet (Final Fantasy)
Raziel (Soul Reaver)
Death (Darksiders)
Guile (Street Fighter)
Nightmare (Soul Calibur)
Gaige (Borderlands)
Ogremon (Digimon)
Diablo (Diablo)
Date Masamune (Sengoku Basara)
Knuckles (Sonic the Hedgehog)
Bad Mr. Frosty (ClayFighter)

Non Gaming:

Raphael (TMNT)
Venom (Spider-Man)
Gambit (X-Men)
Spawn (Spawn)
The Undertaker (WWE)
Predator (Predator)
Alien (Alien)
Teysa Karlov (Magic the Gathering)
Renji Abarai (Bleach)
Orochimaru (Naruto)
All Might (My Hero)
Solf J. Kimblee (Full Metal Alchemist)
 
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Louie G.

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As we’re discussing cuts, one thing that I’m interested in seeing is lists of how everyone would prioritize characters for returning to the next game. I’ll review mine before posting.
This is a good question and how I've been mentally preparing myself for how things might pan out. I've got a rough idea of what that looks like so let me try and map it out best I can. Some of these distinctions are pretty marginal so I wouldn't read into it too hard between like, "Top" and "High" for example. It's just an arbitrary cutoff point. Also I'm just going to do first parties for now, I don't really feel like getting too deep into the weeds of those weird third party politics. These aren't gonna be perfect and they don't reflect my personal desires either, it's just how I could potentially see this going.

TOP PRIORITY - Highly marketed / profitable characters and the faces of Nintendo's biggest IPs. These are pretty much the characters who I'm convinced Nintendo would mandate into the game if they weren't already there. Yes, I opted for Isabelle instead of Villager here... slight personal bias, but it's pretty hard to deny that she's effectively the series mascot. Miis are here by default because they've become such an essential part of Smash's economy.
:ultmario::ultlink::ultkirby::ultpikachu::ultsamus::ultisabelle::ultinkling::ultmarth::ultolimar::ultdk::ultluigi::ultpeach::ultbowser::ultbrawler::ultgunner::ultswordfighter:

HIGH PRIORITY - Smash mainstays, major / popular supporting characters from important Nintendo IPs. They're as good as confirmed in my eyes, just a bit more supplemental.
:ultfox::ultfalcon::ultness::ultpit::ultshulk::ultyoshi::ultwario::ultzelda::ultganondorf::ultdiddy::ultkingdedede::ultmetaknight::ultcharizard::ultlucario::ultvillager::ultike::ultridley::ultgnw:

"WE JUST GOT HERE!" - Small sub category put aside for some of the brand new faces that I think will stick around. We are not so far detached from the preceding Switch era and I think they will see it as important to maintain some of the more contemporary additions of the previous game. Just feel like there isn't much reason not to. I'm especially sure Pyra + Mythra will return.
:ultpyra::ultmythra::ultbyleth::ultminmin

IN GOOD SHAPE - About equal with the previous category. These characters feel like good bets, but are less of a surefire guarantee than the previous designation for any number of reasons. Whether we're talking a less active franchise, are a bit less popular in their respective series or just come from an already fruitful series in Smash that may experience pruning. Some of these may end up being cut but I think most of them will stand.
:ultrosalina::ultbowserjr::ultkrool::ultjigglypuff::ultmewtwo::ultgreninja::ultrobin::ultlittlemac::ulttoonlink::ultpalutena::ultfalco:

WILDCARD - Still not totally sure what to make of these guys. Some of these are pretty iconic Smash characters who just don't have a lot going for them externally, others are significant characters who aren't offering a whole lot of potential content or growth. They may hinge on fulfilling a notable archetype, providing a valuable novelty or simply being insularly popular. There are some characters here that I very much do not want to have here but I'm still vaguely uncertain about them and I don't wanna make this category too small. The weirdo / retro characters in this category hinge more on how much priority is being dealt toward bringing back every represented IP in some fashion.
:ultsheik::ulticeclimbers::ultwiifittrainer::ultrob::ultduckhunt::ultpokemontrainer::ultsquirtle::ultivysaur::ultwolf::ultincineroar::ultroy::ultzss:

LOW PRIORITY - Characters who I unfortunately can't reason with myself to prioritize over others. Lucas especially hurts me but I see him as one of the first targets being a derivative character from a notoriously unlocalized game from an inactive, small IP. He's lucky to be here at all. Plant and Corrin are the least popular / most expendable unique characters in their respective series, both of which are gonna be near first in line to receive cuts. And the other three are pretty self explanatory. I suppose Dr. Mario came back once but he's a very obvious character on deck to be removed if cuts are even remotely substantial.
:ultlucas::ultpiranha::ultcorrin::ultdoc::ultyounglink::ultpichu:
 
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Among Waddle Dees

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What are some pure BIAS Most Wanted?
I Know she will NEVER get in in any form, but Marina Liteyears would be just below Shantae for me in terms of hype. Smash Remix is the best I can get and frankly its quality is on par with an official Smash release.
I've always fancied the inclusion of Adeleine. Kirby 64 was the only mainline Kirby title of its time to get nothing added in Ultimate, and even in other Smash titles its attention to detail has been kind of up in the air. Her ability to summon other Kirby creatures to fight in her defense ideally would make her a means to use further character references, which could show off aspects of Kirby that have never been displayed. Granted, in a pool of highly potent Kirby candidates, she'd likely be best used as an assist or as a cameo, but even that'd be better than the nothing she's historically gotten through Smash titles.
 

superprincess

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While we're on the topic of character priority and cuts, I'll share an opinion that might upset some, but feels very reasonable to me.

I think clones/semi-clones who aren't classified as echoes are the biggest risk of being cut. Especially the ones who've already been cut before. So basically, Dr. Mario, Pichu, Young Link, Roy, Lucas, and Wolf.

These characters don't offer the experience of a totally unique fighter, but are also not as low-effort and easy to include as actual echo fighters are. They're very much in a lose-lose situation.
 

Gengar84

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While we're on the topic of character priority and cuts, I'll share an opinion that might upset some, but feels very reasonable to me.

I think clones/semi-clones who aren't classified as echoes are the biggest risk of being cut. Especially the ones who've already been cut before. So basically, Dr. Mario, Pichu, Young Link, Roy, Lucas, and Wolf.

These characters don't offer the experience of a totally unique fighter, but are also not as low-effort and easy to include as actual echo fighters are. They're very much in a lose-lose situation.
I think that’s a reasonable take. I think some of the semiclones would likely stay due to their popularity or importance to the series but I can easily see others not being prioritized if they need to make cuts due to time constraints.
 

superprincess

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I think that’s a reasonable take. I think some of the semiclones would likely stay due to their popularity or importance to the series but I can easily see others not being prioritized if they need to make cuts due to time constraints.
The semiclones I think are exempt from this are Falco and Isabelle. Falco for his legacy within Smash itself, and Isabelle for her wide appeal.

Also, fun fact that some people don't seem to notice, especially those who claim "Dr. Mario/Pichu/Young Link should just be echoes!" Some of those characters don't share a single animation with their source fighter. The only one who does is Dr. Mario and even he is straying away from Mario steadily. Pichu and Young Link have totally unique, made-from-the-ground-up animations. And that's why I think they will be cut.
 

Gengar84

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The semiclones I think are exempt from this are Falco and Isabelle. Falco for his legacy within Smash itself, and Isabelle for her wide appeal.

Also, fun fact that some people don't seem to notice, especially those who claim "Dr. Mario/Pichu/Young Link should just be echoes!" Some of those characters don't share a single animation with their source fighter. The only one who does is Dr. Mario and even he is straying away from Mario steadily. Pichu and Young Link have totally unique, made-from-the-ground-up animations. And that's why I think they will be cut.
To be fair, I’ve always thought Doctor Mario should have been a costume instead of a full character. I never really understood why he was there besides being easy to make. There must have been some other clone that was more deserving of a spot than Mario in a doctor’s outfit.
 

Louie G.

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While we're on the topic of character priority and cuts, I'll share an opinion that might upset some, but feels very reasonable to me.

I think clones/semi-clones who aren't classified as echoes are the biggest risk of being cut. Especially the ones who've already been cut before. So basically, Dr. Mario, Pichu, Young Link, Roy, Lucas, and Wolf.

These characters don't offer the experience of a totally unique fighter, but are also not as low-effort and easy to include as actual echo fighters are. They're very much in a lose-lose situation.
I think this is a pretty safe stance to have, the only variable for me is really Wolf. Because Wolf has been cut in the past, but he's also become fairly popular in Ultimate and offers a very very distinct playstyle from Fox. I think there's a universe out there somewhere where Wolf gets in over Falco next time, but it's probably not the most likely scenario either. I wouldn't mind keeping all three but I do have trouble imagining us having that while also cutting like 20+ characters.

I just feel like Wolf is kind of a victim of circumstance in how often he gets lumped into this, I don't think it's entirely deserved but I also hesitate to claim it's completely wrong. He's just in very odd standing. He bears little resemblance with how Fox plays, several of his specials work entirely different and use completely different assets and visual effects, he just happened to be an easy character to toss in last minute because of his similar build and if I'm not mistaken being able to borrow from some other fighters as well. He really came into his own with Ultimate and although I can't say I'm incredibly confident in his return, I would be pretty sad to see him go after such a glow-up. Lucas shares a lot of this too, but also Lucas is totally getting cut.

It kinda makes me question how rigidly we should follow Smash's previous trends and priority. In just bringing back every character who we just automatically assume will come back every game, it does kind of sterilize the roster longterm when we've reached such a big number. Just as a relevant example, would it be the most heinous crime if we cut Falco and kept Wolf? Would it be better to let a character become further realized instead of kneecapping their potential immediately after they return? These aren't rhetorical questions, and they're not questions I really know how to answer yet either, it's just something I've been thinking about. Certainly shedding off some of these traditions that we consider to be a given would make a new roster stand on its own a little bit better, although cutting mainstay characters is always a hot potato nobody wants to touch.

No disrespect to Falco either, I think the whole Star Fox crew is great. Just thinking out loud.
 
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RileyXY1

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To be fair, I’ve always thought Doctor Mario should have been a costume instead of a full character. I never really understood why he was there besides being easy to make. There must have been some other clone that was more deserving of a spot than Mario in a doctor’s outfit.
In Smash 4 they originally planned to have him be just an alt for Mario, but they decided to make him his own character because they saw having him be an alt as an insult to all the players who mained him back in Melee.
The semiclones I think are exempt from this are Falco and Isabelle. Falco for his legacy within Smash itself, and Isabelle for her wide appeal.

Also, fun fact that some people don't seem to notice, especially those who claim "Dr. Mario/Pichu/Young Link should just be echoes!" Some of those characters don't share a single animation with their source fighter. The only one who does is Dr. Mario and even he is straying away from Mario steadily. Pichu and Young Link have totally unique, made-from-the-ground-up animations. And that's why I think they will be cut.
I think Young Link's sticking around as the rep of "classic Link" now that Link represents BOTW, and this is especially seen multiple times throughout Ultimate itself.
 

DarthEnderX

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You only cut Doc, Toon Link, Wolf, Bowser Jr., Corrin and Kazuya?

Like, I can't wrap my head around cutting Jr. And Kazuya but keeping Pichu.
I can't wrap my head around bothering to have cuts at all if you're only going to cut 6.

Bowser Jr. doesn’t need the Koopalings. I’d be okay leaving them out next time and just having Jr. Other than that, he still has his place here.
The Koopalings are the only reason that slot is cool. They're all better than Bowser Jr. himself.
 
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Verde Coeden Scalesworth

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Dr. Mario could've worked as an Alt if introduced first in Smash 4, with one of the customs as a Megavitamin. But it only really works under that condition.

That said, the second we saw Mario's customs, it was very obvious to me that Dr. Mario wouldn't be an alt due to a lack of that particular projectile. This didn't make it clear he would be playable again, just not an alt.

Frankly, it's pointless to make him an alt because his moves will have some differences regardless. This doesn't work in Smash. Even the most minor of differences justifies another slot. Dr. Mario works fine as a clone anyway(and he's further moving away from Mario as mentioned above). Really, there's ones who need way more help(hi, Dark Pit(somewhat), Daisy, Richter, Dark Samus...).
 

DarthEnderX

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As for newcomers, I’ll try to make a good mix of popular requests and my own personal wants:
Same. If I was in charge of picking newcomers for Smash 6, the first thing I'd do is hold another Smash Ballot. Then I'd alternate between my personal most wanted, and ballot winners.
  1. Ryu Hayabusa [Ninja Gaiden]
  2. Ballot Winner
  3. Bill Rizer/Lance Bean [Contra]
  4. Ballot 2nd Place
  5. Arthur [Ghosts ‘n Goblins]
  6. Ballot 3rd Place
  7. etc.
 

Swamp Sensei

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Personally I think Wolf's chances of returning are widely overestimated.

Both Falco and Wolf are derivative characters and yes, Wolf is slightly more unique. But they are BOTH derivative. They're both semi-clones and debating which one is slightly more unique isn't very helpful. But...

  • Falco has been included since Brawl and even got a decloning to become more unique.
  • We know Falco was high priority for Brawl because he had a prominent role in SSE.
  • Falco was chosen to be the secondary Star Fox character in Smash 4, not Wolf. We have no reason to believe Falco was lower priority.
  • Falco is a very popular character in Melee and Brawl's competitive scene. He's so common in Melee that he's nearly synonymous with it.
  • Wolf was cut and we have no reason to think he was intended to come back for Smash 4.
  • Wolf barely made it into Brawl, being the last character added barring Sonic, who had unique circumstances.
  • Wolf actually got a lot of undeserved hate back when Brawl released. Star Fox used to be the old Fire Emblem.
I love Wolf. I really do. But I'd be shocked if he made it in over Falco at this point. And personally, I love Falco more than all of the other Star Fox characters. He's just so much fun to play after his decloning in Brawl.
 

Louie G.

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Personally I think Wolf's chances of returning are widely overestimated.
Are they? I see most people cutting him without much of a second thought. For what it's worth, I wasn't really making a case for why he is more valuable than Falco, just that it's weird to see him lumped in with the likes of Pichu or Young Link on paper when he does have some things going for him.

I think Falco probably gets first dibs too, but I'm just questioning how closely Smash should continue to follow its established priorities and whether or not they should take new liberties so they don't get too predictable and sterile. I don't think a character being intentionally cut once should immediately mean they shouldn't be prioritized after returning, if that return is an especially successful one and that character becomes fleshed out and loved in a way he wasn't before. Wolf's demand to return was entirely conditional to how few characters we had lost prior, but he's grown into quite a popular character across a diverse audience of casual and competitive players independent of that. When he was revealed nobody could shut up about how cool he looked. So I feel like how they choose to prioritize him should be reassessed and not founded on where he stood 10+ years ago.

His popularity isn't unique to him though - it extends out to Falco and Fox. The spacies are just very well designed and fun characters, utilizing an intuitive base to build three very distinct and capable fighters. So it's hard to part with any of them, really. I think it's fairly likely Wolf will get cut, but I also think there's a scenario where he doesn't. And I'd just like to speak in his favor instead of simply assuming someone who didn't make it back once will just probably not make it back again. It's good to keep an eye on precedent but seeing that Wolf has had such a substantial glow-up in Ultimate, in both the success of his design and his favor within the community, I just think it's worth the conversation. If there's a way to keep all three of them that's what I'd want, ultimately.
 
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SPEN18

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Idk, I think Falco's chances may be overrated. I get the history of Falco being prioritized over Wolf, and even though Wolf did well in the ballot, that tells us nothing about how he compares with Falco; so if you want to put him over Wolf, then okay. In that case, I get that it would seem weird to some to cut Star Fox down to just one character. But maybe that's what'll happen?
Because considering Falco in isolation of Wolf, he's another character not of the type that usually gets added or prioritized: a non-relevant, sidekick character. At least Wolf can kind of pass off as the villainish type that some fans obsess over. Anyway, Falco's easier to make than a full unique, which may end up saving him, but he's different enough that maybe not. He's another character that I think people have just kind of gotten used to being there, but if you forget about seniority, there's not really much going for him aside from potentially subjective feelings on his gameplay. What I can say almost for sure, though, is I don't think Nintendo cares that he was relevant to the Melee scene.
 

DarthEnderX

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As we’re discussing cuts, one thing that I’m interested in seeing is lists of how everyone would prioritize characters for returning to the next game.
I'm against all cuts, but if forced, I would prioritize representing as many series as possible. By only having one character per series, and cutting all the one-hit-wonders.

Smash 40 Roster:
1709181595626.png


looks at Smash 4 with Ice Climbers, Squirtle, Ivysaur, Lucas, Wolf and Snake
And I couldn't wrap my head around it!
 
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7NATOR

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Thats just cause Sans has an unhinged fandom attached to his series, Not to crap on Undertale or Sans but I definitely saw some overblown reactions for Sans.



Yeah but a ton of people HATED what MVC3 and UMvC did in terms of the cuts and newcomers, no Megaman ****ed with People
a revision of my hypothetical would take what you said, Id cut Pichu Young Link, maybe Toon Link, either Incineroar or Greninja, Diddy, Dr Mario, Corrin, maybe Roy.
It's weird, because when I played MVC1, One of my Favorite characters to play was Mega Man himself, But I guess I was fine with him not being in UMVC3 and just having Zero in there

Like If Mega Man (whether Classic or X) was in there, that would be better, but I guess I"m not someone that gets that hung up on Absenses like that if the New characters are Badass

As another Example, With FighterZ, It was Unfortunate that Broly wasn't on the Base roster (even if he was one of 1st DLC) but I was fine with it Because I had Hit, and Especially Goku Black in base

So that's why I sure the Newcomers hit. There's always going to be the wish that old Favorites could also return, but I think it's more important for New Stuff to be in there as well

This would honestly have the opposite affect for me, for the rest of the games lifespan, I would be asking "How could you cut Rosalina and then add someone as niche as Geno"
I'm just guessing the Geno would probably be played more Since While I think he would be Flashy and have some Timed hit Shenigans, He'd be simple to Pilot. Rosalina is cool, but not many play her like that because she is such a Specliazed character

We do need characters like that in the roster because it adds varieties and appeals to minds that might not be like me or your's, but that's where I'm going with it

To be fair, I’ve always thought Doctor Mario should have been a costume instead of a full character. I never really understood why he was there besides being easy to make. There must have been some other clone that was more deserving of a spot than Mario in a doctor’s outfit.
The Pill makes all the Difference.

It might sound hypocritical coming from me since I'm someone that's against the Idea of Paper Mario being on the Roster, and Honestly if Dr.Mario was proposed today, it would get an eye from me in terms of him being a Seperate character

But now that he is here, I'd be sad to see him go because the Doctor's Outfit is just too snazzy, especially in Black, but I like all the colors, which we wouldn't get if he was just a Alt costume of Regular Mario. It also adds some interesting lore about this Mario focusing on Doctoring instead of Platforming, which is why he's so Slow and unmobile, but he knows how to exert more strength from his body and how to hit specfic spots to hit people at weird angles.

Honestly Something like Dr.Mario kind of reminds me that it would be cool if Smash took more from King of Fighters and had some "EX" variations of some of the characters

EX Variations are pretty much different versions of a paritcular character. They are the same character, and have the Same general moveset, but they have some different moves (Particularly Specials) which can effect how they are played

As an example, you have Kyo (Main Character of King of Fighters) who has his regular version with the Rekkas, and then the EX Version that has the Fire Ball.

Maybe we wouldn't get Custom Moves back, but I think it would be interesting to have more than just one way to Play each character. It would allow characters like Ganondorf to get a "More Canon moveset" while still keeping his Iconic "Falcon Inspired" moveset

While we're on the topic of character priority and cuts, I'll share an opinion that might upset some, but feels very reasonable to me.

I think clones/semi-clones who aren't classified as echoes are the biggest risk of being cut. Especially the ones who've already been cut before. So basically, Dr. Mario, Pichu, Young Link, Roy, Lucas, and Wolf.

These characters don't offer the experience of a totally unique fighter, but are also not as low-effort and easy to include as actual echo fighters are. They're very much in a lose-lose situation.
Most of the Cuts in the series have been Clones/Semi-Clones. Most of the ones that weren't (Ice Climbers, Pokemon Trainer with Squirtle and Ivysuar, Snake,) had some Technical or likely Negotiational issues going with them. Mewtwo is kind of the odd case, but some would say that could be attributed to Lucario taking the Reign in some aspects.

So this kind of lines up

It would be a Shame because For me, I typically prefer the Semi-Clones over the Originals, or at least on Equal level.

What are some pure BIAS Most Wanted?
I Know she will NEVER get in in any form, but Marina Liteyears would be just below Shantae for me in terms of hype. Smash Remix is the best I can get and frankly its quality is on par with an official Smash release.

For characters already in, I don't mind Terry, but I would have definitely chosen Kyo or Iori over him, especially Iori. I'd also be down for any of the KOF Bosses in Rugal, Igniz, Orochi, among others. I'd also be down for Throwing Shermie in there with her Orochi form

Actually for Fighting games characters in General, I'd rather just choose the Boss characters or the Edgier characters, or even some of the Badass, hot Sexy women in the game, even if over the Main Character.

So for Street Fighter, Gill, Seth, and I guess M.Bision as long as he could do his Super Psycho Crusher. Of course I Would Definitly add Akuma in there. I'd play Akuma over Ryu and Ken. I also think Juri would be a much better fit for Smash than Chun-Li, even if I could admit it would be weird to see, but Juri is literally perfect for Smash. Makoto is also cool too.

For Mortal Kombat, Noob Saibot all the way

For Tekken I'm actually glad they Chose Kazuya. even before Kazuya got in, I was always adament that Kazuya or Jin would have been the better pick. My pure bias would be Unknown from the Tag games, but she can't even get into a Mainline Tekken game. However Reina seems cool.

For Guilty Gear, I would choose Ramalethal, I-No, or Baiken.

I'd also put in Yuzuriha from Under Night-in Birth. She does Iaido with a Sephiroth long Blade and she's hot and cool.

Not a Fighting game, but For FNAF, Springtrap over all the others

For Devil May Cry, Vergil over Dante


Even for Non-Video Game Characters I'd prefer Venom over Spiderman, Broly, Goku Black, or Vegeta over Goku (Especially if Majain Vegeta is in there).


I think this is a pretty safe stance to have, the only variable for me is really Wolf. Because Wolf has been cut in the past, but he's also become fairly popular in Ultimate and offers a very very distinct playstyle from Fox. I think there's a universe out there somewhere where Wolf gets in over Falco next time, but it's probably not the most likely scenario either. I wouldn't mind keeping all three but I do have trouble imagining us having that while also cutting like 20+ characters.

I just feel like Wolf is kind of a victim of circumstance in how often he gets lumped into this, I don't think it's entirely deserved but I also hesitate to claim it's completely wrong. He's just in very odd standing. He bears little resemblance with how Fox plays, several of his specials work entirely different and use completely different assets and visual effects, he just happened to be an easy character to toss in last minute because of his similar build and if I'm not mistaken being able to borrow from some other fighters as well. He really came into his own with Ultimate and although I can't say I'm incredibly confident in his return, I would be pretty sad to see him go after such a glow-up. Lucas shares a lot of this too, but also Lucas is totally getting cut.

It kinda makes me question how rigidly we should follow Smash's previous trends and priority. In just bringing back every character who we just automatically assume will come back every game, it does kind of sterilize the roster longterm when we've reached such a big number. Just as a relevant example, would it be the most heinous crime if we cut Falco and kept Wolf? Would it be better to let a character become further realized instead of kneecapping their potential immediately after they return? These aren't rhetorical questions, and they're not questions I really know how to answer yet either, it's just something I've been thinking about. Certainly shedding off some of these traditions that we consider to be a given would make a new roster stand on its own a little bit better, although cutting mainstay characters is always a hot potato nobody wants to touch.

No disrespect to Falco either, I think the whole Star Fox crew is great. Just thinking out loud.
That's something I've always wondered, but was Falco more Popular than Wolf back then? was that why he got into Melee and Not Wolf, and it took until the Last minute of Brawl for Wolf to get in

It would make sense but these days where Star Fox is currently more of a Smash franchise than it's own Franchise, I could see it going either way these days. From that Japan poll on Smash character playrate, Wolf was actually the most Played Spacie of the 3, So he's come into his own.
 

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I'm against all cuts, but if forced, I would prioritize representing as many series as possible. By only having one character per series, and cutting all the one-hit-wonders.

Smash 40 Roster:
View attachment 385682

And I couldn't wrap my head around it!
If you kept all non one hit wonders, how come Wii Fit Trainer isn't there? She's got three games.

And why is Steve gone? There are tons of Minecraft games.
 

Opossum

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looks at Smash 4 with Ice Climbers, Squirtle, Ivysaur, Lucas, Wolf and Snake
I mean... there's a big difference between cutting six characters from a previous roster of 39, and cutting six characters from a previous roster of 89.

One is a much more significant chunk than the other.
 

SPEN18

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I wonder if online usage will factor in to who is or isn't prioritized
I think they'll at least look at it, but there's a lot of pitfalls in trying to draw conclusions from that data.

Online usage is heavily influenced by who's perceived to be strong competitively, not necessarily reflective of the popularity of the character themselves.

You have to ask if the online player base is a sample reflective of the entire player base. I'm also not sure if the numbers for online would match up well with the hypothetical numbers for local multiplayer, which is perhaps more likely to include newbies.

Obviously even if they use it, it will only be one factor; Mario could be the least-used character by a landslide and he'd still be in.
 

Ivander

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I mean... there's a big difference between cutting six characters from a previous roster of 39, and cutting six characters from a previous roster of 89.

One is a much more significant chunk than the other.
Oh, I knew. But still, I couldn't help but point that out because it was 6 characters cut.

We almost had 6 cut from Melee to Brawl too. We had Pichu, Young Link, Dr. Mario, Mewtwo and Roy cut and we almost lost Jigglypuff. Imagine if 6 did get cut. Imagine all the "Smash only cuts 6 characters per game when cuts happen" theories. :emptysheep:
 

Wonder Smash

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There's still a lot of competition for more Microsoft reps, especially with Activision Blizzard now under their umbrella. And even among Bethesda reps, there's also the Dragonborn from Skyrim as well, as Skyrim is a far more popular game among Japanese players and also has massive significance to Nintendo, with it being the very first third party title announced to be on the Switch. And also in that Switch port, it has a Nintendo-related bonus as the Dragonborn can wear Link's default outfit from Breath of the Wild.
Aside from already having content in Smash, DOOM is a very iconic series, pioneering the FPS genre (something Sakurai has pointed out), has its whole series on Nintendo consoles, and the Doom Slayer Mii costume itself was one pf the best selling costumes in Ultimate among Japanese players. There's not really much standing in the way of Doom Slayer being a playable character in Smash.
 
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Jave

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What are some pure BIAS Most Wanted?
I Know she will NEVER get in in any form, but Marina Liteyears would be just below Shantae for me in terms of hype. Smash Remix is the best I can get and frankly its quality is on par with an official Smash release.
Marina Liteyears is perhaps my favorite video game character of all time, and her being in Smash is my absolute impossible dream. The reason I never talk about her in prediction/want topics is because I just KNOW that, as the situation is now, she's never getting in. Being trapped in a single-console game with copyrights so all over the place that it has never been ported or re-released, it's simply not worth discussing her possibilities in Smash, because there are none.

If there is one thing I hope will happen someday, is that Mischief Makers gets picked up by Nintendo and gets a revival like they did with Bayonetta. That would absolutely open the "Marina for Smash" floodgates.
 

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Marina Liteyears is perhaps my favorite video game character of all time, and her being in Smash is my absolute impossible dream. The reason I never talk about her in prediction/want topics is because I just KNOW that, as the situation is now, she's never getting in. Being trapped in a single-console game with copyrights so all over the place that it has never been ported or re-released, it's simply not worth discussing her possibilities in Smash, because there are none.

If there is one thing I hope will happen someday, is that Mischief Makers gets picked up by Nintendo and gets a revival like they did with Bayonetta. That would absolutely open the "Marina for Smash" floodgates.
Have you played Smash Remix?
 

Scrimblo Bimblo

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Speaking of DK stuff question about Donkey Kong 64, what is the opinion of it? I didn't play it and know nothing about it I was actually surprised to learn of it's existence recently but it seems the game was a disappointment to some...
I liked it as a kid but not too much, replaying it some years ago (for the first time to full completion) I've found it holds up pretty nicely. Probably the most I've ever enjoyed it, tbh.
It has nothing to do with DKC gameplay-wise, it's more of another spin on the Mario 64 formula except this time you can play as 5 Kongs each of which has exclusive abilities and collectibles. For some people it's too much as you can only change characters at certain spots and that implies lots of backtracking, but I feel like tag barrels are plentyful enough that it never really becomes much of a chore. Plus it's not like you actually have to collect everything.
Levels are gigantic but pretty easy to navigate for the most part, from what I remember. There's a lot of bosses and they're way more dynamic and dangerous than pretty much any other boss on the N64. Graphics, music and presentation in general are pure unfiltered '90s Rare - pretty great if you like that style.

It's a good time if you're in the mood for it. A step below Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie though, the design is just less tight and at one point there's way too many minigames. Also Diddy is the only character who can move around decently fast. And some of the mandatory collectibles are just too much (among other things, you need to complete the original arcade DK game in order to reach the final boss of this game). Plus the controls aren't as tight as Mario 64, and where Banjo-Kazooie would have a puzzle that asks you to organically figure out which ability to use in order to interact with a certain object, DK64 just slaps there a switch with Diddy's face on it. Most of the challenge here comes from keeping track of which parts of the level are accessible to which Kongs while you explore, which is fine but a little less involved than completing a platforming challenge or figuring out how to solve a puzzle.
These are the major shortcomings of the game in my opinion, wouldn't say the abundance of collectibles or the alleged backtracking actually hinder it all that much.

Overall it's definitely a way over-hated game in my opinion. It's not a masterpiece, but it's not this disaster that people online tout it as either. It's a solid platformer/adventure game, with some very memorable stuff piled under the huge amount of content and some excesses that certainly don't improve the experience. Sometimes best enjoyed in a turn-your-brain-off kind of mood. Good game overall.
 
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NintenRob

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DK 64 left me with a sour taste unfortunately. There's a glitch/oversight right at the of the game that locks you out 100% completion.

If you don't collect the last 5 banana medals in the final area before leaving, you are locked out of them forever. Note that this section puts you on time limit and these are the only banana medals in the game that you physically grab.

I did not clue that these were grabable after doing the barrel challenge. I thought they were decorative.
 

BritishGuy54

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Cuts are a difficult topic to talk about. We don’t know what the companies involved are thinking and dealing with.

Cutting down a roster of 89 is no easy task. So, let’s discuss some series chances.

:ultmario: - I honestly think the Mario series could lose Plant and Doc, but that may end up being it. Mario doesn’t have the same issues of rotating casts like other series like Pokémon and Fire Emblem.

:ultdk:- DK’s inactivity does harm its chances a bit, but more so K. Rool’s absence from the Returns series.

:ultlink:- I have a feeling cutting the other Links and Sheik may have no consolation. Maybe we get Impa or Rauru, but Zelda is a series that really should have more, but doesn’t due to curcumstance.

:ultsamus: - Metroid may be one of the series that breaks even. We may lose one, and gain one. I think Ridley will stay, though.

:ultyoshi: - Completely fine. Part of the extended Mario cast.

:ultkirby: - Fine. The current three present are perfect. I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t get a new character next game.

:ultfox: - This will hurt for older fans. I think Falco and Wolf are both gone. Fox stays, and is in the same tier now as Ness and Falcon currently are.

:ultpikachu: - I think some cuts depend on Legends Z-A. Greninja will likely stay, but maybe Incineroar too? Other than that, this may be the time Jigglypuff finally leaves.

:ultness: - I think we lose Lucas, but Ness stays.

:ultfalcon: - F-Zero 99 boosted his chances of staying. Good for him.

:ultmarth: - People are either too lax or too harsh when it comes to Fire Emblem cuts. Perhaps at least 5 characters is fine for the series.

:ultpit: - Similar situation to Fox, except he only got one game since the GB. I think Pit stays, but we lose Dark Pit and Palutena. Though keep Palutena’s guidance.

:ultwario: - Fine. Likely won’t gain another character.

:ultolimar: - I’m unsure on a second Pikmin character. Perhaps they too get the Alph treatment.

:ultvillager: - Animal Crossing should totally gain another character. But will it? I don’t know.

:ultshulk: - Pythra likely stays. Noah/Mio will likely come. I could also see the series double dipping if dev time allows it.

:ultinkling: - Splatoon… it’s huge. It should have another character. But I have a gut feeling that Octoling will just end up as a skin.

This is just my opinion on how series may end up being cut.
 
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