Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Wonder Smash]

I’ve probably said mostly the same thing before but I thought I’d try to clarify my stance a bit. As far the requirement that a character has to have appeared on a Nintendo console, I think we need to stop and think what the purpose of that restriction is if it even exists. In my view, the only reasons something like that would make any sense are either to increase the chance that Nintendo fans are familiar with the character or if Nintendo wanted to celebrate a part of their history.

With a character as iconic as Master Chief, I don’t think you have to worry about the first part. He was technically present on a Nintendo console through a skin in Minecraft but that doesn’t really help with the second goal either. Same goes for other major characters with minor appearances on Nintendo platforms. In essence, I think those minor appearances are kind of irrelevant to the decision. If Chief makes it in, I don’t think his Minecraft skin will have anything to do with it. Similarly, I feel like Cloud would have made it in with or without his appearance in Theatrhythm or other minor cameos.

I think a lot of people are too focused on sticking to some kind of pattern without stopping to ask why. I feel this way about many aspects of Smash speculation. Patterns are broken pretty regularly throughout the series so I don’t put too much stock in them. Just because something hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it can’t.

I just see it as how Sakurai view Smash Bros; it's a Nintendo crossover first, so a series needs a Nintendo connection first. Basically, he's putting the theme first before anything else. It may seem silly to some but creators have certain views on their series and maybe that's just his view on Smash. And really, having some kind of restrictions like that shouldn't be much of a surprise. People's speculation and expectations are already wild as it is. We'd be hearing about PC, PlayStation, and Xbox console characters almost every time if the Nintendo connection was not taken into consideration. It'd be a complete mess.

 

[Gengar84]

I just see it as how Sakurai view Smash Bros; it's a Nintendo crossover first, so a series needs a Nintendo connection first. Basically, he's putting the theme first before anything else. It may seem silly to some but creators have certain views on their series and maybe that's just his view on Smash.

I agree with the general sentiment here. I just think that if they’re going to have that restriction, the Nintendo connection should be significant in some way. A character getting a minor cameo doesn’t really do that in my opinion. While I’d like the majority of the third parties to have at least some connection to Nintendo’s history, I also think it would be cool to get more general gaming icons here and there. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Capybara Gaming]

Funny. Hi-fi Rush was announced for Switch... Are you seriously going to suggest that they will priotize Chai over Master Chief?

First, no, I never said that, and second, it actually hasn't been announced for switch yet. It's rumored to be coming, but there's not been any official announcement.

 

[Nabbitfan730]

I don't think anyone would have been that devastated that Min Min wouldn't play like she was lifted directly from the game, unlike series that have such a clearly defined identity already.

No, they definitely would. Most fans would sacrifice half the roster because they believe Smash portrays most of its characters inaccurately and liberally.

Mario, Wario, Mega Man, Ganondorf, Samus, Bowser, Link, DK, Olimar, Most veterans before Smash 4 etc all are all considered outdated or inaccurate.

Character authenticity and representation is the utmost importance to fans. If Min-Min was Dhalsim-clone instead how she was in the games, they would be definitely be an outroar.

 

[RouffWestie]

I just see it as how Sakurai view Smash Bros; it's a Nintendo crossover first, so a series needs a Nintendo connection first. Basically, he's putting the theme first before anything else. It may seem silly to some but creators have certain views on their series and maybe that's just his view on Smash. And really, having some kind of restrictions like that shouldn't be much of a surprise. People's speculation and expectations are already wild as it is. We'd be hearing about PC, PlayStation, and Xbox console characters almost every time if the Nintendo connection was not taken into consideration. It'd be a complete mess.

Actually Sakurai ahs been pretty upfront about why characters get chose. He was specifically asked why Cloud was added despite FF7 not being on a Nintendo console, and he didn't point out that his cameo appearances, he stated it was simply because Cloud was the most popular Final Fantasy character

Here's the full article, where according to the translation, he also reveals that actually feels the opposite way about competitor consoles
https://sourcegaming.info/2016/02/23/nintendo-dream-interview-with-sakurai-part-2/

 

[Kirbeh]

Yeah I meant to tap into this but decided to just leave it positive regarding how fun I think Min Min's visual design is and how much that conveys the unique charm of her game. I don't think I trashed Spring Man's moveset potential, and I like his design in a vacuum. Don't remember how many other posts there were about it but I have no beef with Spring Man, just think Min Min is a more compelling choice.

Unfortunately yeah, outside of Min Min's kicks, her moveset was built to be as exchangeable as possible with any other ARMS character. I do still believe Min Min was the ideal choice with those kicks in mind, it makes her moveset marginally more diverse, but the lack of creative execution of such a defining character trait is a real shame. I'm not totally sure how I'd rework her, or if I anticipate it, but we deserved to have our Dhalsim in Smash and instead we got a faithful-to-a-fault portrayal of a deliberately simple video game. It's the same trap the likes of Sonic or Olimar get into, where these characters are boring as a result of their authenticity. I don't like to discourage Smash's creativity but sometimes I would just rather they try to play it straight and build a character around the unique strengths of Smash rather than trying to recreate the game in Smash to varying results.

And I mean, it's one thing for a beloved series like Street Fighter and Minecraft and another for ARMS. I don't think anyone would have been that devastated that Min Min wouldn't play like she was lifted directly from the game, unlike series that have such a clearly defined identity already.

You didn't rag on him but a few others did. And like I said I don't fault anyone for thinking he's less interesting, but it's the "a nothing character, no one actually cares about" attitude I take issue with.

As for creativity, I would argue the played straight route is actually the one to one portrayal. It does take creativity and ingenuity to pluck a character from their own game and make that gameplay or some approximation of it work in Smash, I get that.

But I think the best designed characters are ones that transfer over whatever canon abilities feel most natural in a setting like Smash and then fudge the details to make some others work or make up completely new material if it serves to make the character more cohesive and fun.

In this respect I think Min Min fails. It does ultimately come down to personal preference as plenty of people like how Min Min functions. Personally I just wish there was more Min Min in her kit as opposed to "ARMS on a 2D plane."

I did at one point make movesets for roughly half of the ARMs cast. Maybe I'll post them if anyone wants to see. Just not right now as I'm still at work.

 

[Louie G.]

No, they definitely would. Most fans would sacrifice half the roster because they believe Smash portrays most of its characters inaccurately and liberally.

Mario, Wario, Mega Man, Ganondorf, Samus, Bowser, Link, DK, Olimar, Most veterans before Smash 4 etc all are all considered outdated or inaccurate.

Character authenticity and representation is the utmost importance to fans. If Min-Min was Dhalsim-clone instead how she was in the games, they would be definitely be an outroar.

Adding "clone" here is a little reductive of what I was trying to say, I was acknowledging a fighting game archetype that Min Min was capable of filling. My point is that there should be a comfortable balance between authenticity to source material and a satisfying and compelling game feel. Min Min is an example, to me, of accuracy to the source material taking precedent over making a character as fun as they could be. We have samey attacks that make up a bulk of her kit on the grounds that this is how ARMS plays, even though we're not playing ARMS. Ideally you should still feel like you're playing Min Min but be delivered a fresh take on the character allowed uniquely through Smash.

I can't really imagine anybody complaining that Min Min does a cool, albeit made-up version of a punch or kick that suits her character and plays nicely into her design philosophy. There are plenty of ways to maintain her essence as a ranged fighter without sacrificing her character and I don't think every sentiment of creative liberty should be assumed to be a disservice. It just serves to make her more interesting, even fans of the character and series like Kirbeh are clearly a little bit disappointed by how sterile she feels.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Actually Sakurai ahs been pretty upfront about why characters get chose. He was specifically asked why Cloud was added despite FF7 not being on a Nintendo console, and he didn't point out that his cameo appearances, he stated it was simply because Cloud was the most popular Final Fantasy character
Here's the full article, where according to the translation, he also reveals that actually feels the opposite way about competitor consoles
https://sourcegaming.info/2016/02/23/nintendo-dream-interview-with-sakurai-part-2/

But he also admitted that he might have had misgivings if Cloud never appeared on any Nintendo consoles in any form (which does reference his previous appearances), so that is something that he takes into consideration when adding characters to Smash.

All it means that he saw Cloud as the best choice to represent FF and he wanted him in but he's uncertain that would have happened had he not have any previous appearances on Nintendo consoles already.

 

[YeppersPeppers]

I like Min Min. She's definitely in my top 3 favourite ARMS characters and I understand the choice to go with her, but...

Looks at profile pic

...I will always be slightly salty over my guy not getting in.

 

[fogbadge]

I like Min Min. She's definitely in my top 3 favourite ARMS characters and I understand the choice to go with her, but...

Looks at profile pic

...I will always be slightly salty over my guy not getting in.

and you every right to be salty

 

[Noipoi]

Remember how, going into Ultimate, everyone was 100% certain that Spring Man, Decidueye, and Rex were locks? Instead we got Min-Min, Incineroar, and Pyra.

Wonder if something like that will happen again. Instead of the fighters we're all gunning for, we get the next character over, so to speak.

 

[Guynamednelson]

Remember how, going into Ultimate, everyone was 100% certain that Spring Man, Decidueye, and Rex were locks? Instead we got Min-Min, Incineroar, and Pyra.

Wonder if something like that will happen again. Instead of the fighters we're all gunning for, we get the next character over, so to speak.

Instead of Waluigi, we get...Baby Daisy?

 

[RileyXY1]

Remember how, going into Ultimate, everyone was 100% certain that Spring Man, Decidueye, and Rex were locks? Instead we got Min-Min, Incineroar, and Pyra.

Wonder if something like that will happen again. Instead of the fighters we're all gunning for, we get the next character over, so to speak.

Pretty much. You can never be certain about who gets in Smash, because they love to throw curveballs at the audience.

 

[Sucumbio]

Maybe a hot take but personally I don't feel as if the character representation choices are outdated or inaccurate, and I never felt this way. Each game has modernized its aesthetic to match its generation or "feel" to align with its contemporaries. The moves themselves are artistic choices meant to bring non-fighting game characters into a fighting game world. So except for Ryu/Ken, Kazuya and Terry, none of these characters moves "make sense" except in relativity -to each other- and them being "out of date" is just a subjective complaint based on the notion that each character "should" change as they change in their home series.

 

[Noipoi]

Instead of Waluigi, we get...Baby Daisy?

Pink Gold Peach

 

[Louie G.]

Remember how, going into Ultimate, everyone was 100% certain that Spring Man, Decidueye, and Rex were locks? Instead we got Min-Min, Incineroar, and Pyra.

Wonder if something like that will happen again. Instead of the fighters we're all gunning for, we get the next character over, so to speak.

Well Decidueye withstanding, there was that factor of not having enough time to implement them. I think the current equivalent is contemporary faces with more fleeting relevance like Alear or Noah / Mio. There’s a high chance those characters will be rendered less relevant with a new entry on the way, and then those characters will be speculated instead and potentially fall into the Spring Man / Rex trap.

If there’s any comparable subversion, I’m banking a little bit on us getting a new Fire Emblem character but being a bit detached from the most recent game - like Lyn instead of Alear for example. People judge FE additions on such a basic level that even the sentiment of “this character is not from the last game” would blow their minds.

I mean, technically Lyn is from Engage but you get the idea.

 

[Kirbeh]

Maybe a hot take but personally I don't feel as if the character representation choices are outdated or inaccurate, and I never felt this way. Each game has modernized its aesthetic to match its generation or "feel" to align with its contemporaries. The moves themselves are artistic choices meant to bring non-fighting game characters into a fighting game world. So except for Ryu/Ken, Kazuya and Terry, none of these characters moves "make sense" except in relativity -to each other- and them being "out of date" is just a subjective complaint based on the notion that each character "should" change as they change in their home series.

I'm kinda half and half on this. I am in the camp that want a good chunk of characters to receive updates/changes but it's not a matter of certain moves being "dated." I just don't like some particulars of their kit or think they feel a little stale after being largely unchanged for 20+ years.

FLUDD is a common example. I don't care if it gets replaced by another single game move or something else that's older and more "dated." I just want a different move that I find to be more fun on it's own or in conjunction with the rest of his moves set.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Pink Gold Peach

Baby Metal Dr Fire Tanooki Mario and Pink Gold Dr Ice Baby Peach.

 

[Sucumbio]

I'm kinda half and half on this. I am in the camp that want a good chunk of characters to receive updates/changes but it's not a matter of certain moves being "dated." I just don't like some particulars of their kit or think they feel a little stale after being largely unchanged for 20+ years.

FLUDD is a common example. I don't care if it gets replaced by another single game move or something else that's older and more "dated." I just want a different move that I find to be more fun on it's own or in conjunction with the rest of his moves set.

I don't mind fludd but I get why it's not well liked by some. If anything this is a example of the devs trying not to let a character get stale over time, by using a reference that under performed with the fans. When they changed Ike's uair from they helicopter swing to just an arc I was miffed but after like 5 minutes realized as a button it's far more effective and changed his whole game plan really.

 

[Jave]

Somewhere out there, there's an alternate universe where we got Simon and Richter in Melee instead of Marth and Roy.

Then by the end of the Ultimate DLC, there are eight Castlevania characters in the Smash series.

• Simon Belmont
• Richter Belmont
• Trevor Belmont
• Alucard
• Reinhardt Schneider
• Juste Belmont
• Maria Renard
• Julius Belmont

Dracula is still a boss.

Oh, and the only FE characters in the series are Marth and Roy, first added in Ultimate.

What a world would that be, huh?

 

[cashregister9]

Remember how, going into Ultimate, everyone was 100% certain that Spring Man, Decidueye, and Rex were locks? Instead we got Min-Min, Incineroar, and Pyra.

Wonder if something like that will happen again. Instead of the fighters we're all gunning for, we get the next character over, so to speak.

Will it be Sommie's time to shine?

 

[Kirbeh]

I don't mind fludd but I get why it's not well liked by some. If anything this is a example of the devs trying not to let a character get stale over time, by using a reference that under performed with the fans. When they changed Ike's uair from they helicopter swing to just an arc I was miffed but after like 5 minutes realized as a button it's far more effective and changed his whole game plan really.

I was actually the opposite with Ike. I thought the round swing was too slow and kinda awkward looking animation wise. The new animation is admittedly less visually interesting, by I think it really sells how adept and strong Ike is by swinging Ragnell so quickly and seemingly effortlessly even while airborne. Plus it helps that it's a pretty decent up air.

 

[Gengar84]

I was actually the opposite with Ike. I thought the round swing was too slow and kinda awkward looking animation wise. The new animation is admittedly less visually interesting, by I think it really sells how adept and strong Ike is by swinging Ragnell so quickly and seemingly effortlessly even while airborne. Plus it helps that it's a pretty decent up air.

I just mostly miss Ike’s forward aerial from Brawl. It feels like they really killed its range after that.

I think range should be a last resort when nerfing characters with weapons. It just makes it feel a bit awkward to have this giant sword and not have particularly great range on several attacks compared to characters that fight bare handed. I think they did this with at least one attack with Cloud. I’m okay with nerfing him but the way they did it made him feel a bit weird in my opinion.

 

[Sucumbio]

I just mostly miss Ike’s forward aerial from Brawl. It feels like they really killed its range after that.

I think range should be a last resort when nerfing characters with weapons. It just makes it feel a bit awkward to have this giant sword and not have particularly great range on several attacks compared to characters that fight bare handed. I think they did this with at least one attack with Cloud. I’m okay with nerfing him but the way they did it made him feel a bit weird in my opinion.

It's so much faster tho

 

[Gengar84]

It's so much faster tho

I just want to smack someone with a giant sword. Being faster makes it feel even weirder lol.

I do wish the solution to everything wasn’t just to make the character faster. As someone that mains Ganondorf in Smash and Astaroth in Soul Calibur, there’s an appeal to playing hulking slow heavy hitters and making them faster takes away from the fun of that a bit in my opinion. I like when attacks have a real weight behind them. It just makes them so much more satisfying to land in my opinion. There’s got to be a way to keep some characters relatively slow while not making them useless competitively.

 

[Diddy Kong]

Remember how, going into Ultimate, everyone was 100% certain that Spring Man, Decidueye, and Rex were locks? Instead we got Min-Min, Incineroar, and Pyra.

Wonder if something like that will happen again. Instead of the fighters we're all gunning for, we get the next character over, so to speak.

Good one. With Smash 4 we where also certain we'd get Chrom, ended up with Lucina and Robin. Can't really think of better examples since the other high expected characters got in too; namely Little Mac, Palutena, Shulk and Villager.

With a next game it's very much up in the air I think. I think most of us expect a newcomer from DKC, Kirby and Zelda, but which character that'll be is a big question. I personally for example think Cranky Kong might have a slight edge over Dixie, with Kirby everyone expects Bandana Dee but am not 100% convinced, and with Zelda? Who knows. I hope for Impa but they might just choose... someone else.

Only character am about 90% convinced of at this current time is Noah. XBC3 was huge. Can't see him not making it.

 

[Gengar84]

Good one. With Smash 4 we where also certain we'd get Chrom, ended up with Lucina and Robin. Can't really think of better examples since the other high expected characters got in too; namely Little Mac, Palutena, Shulk and Villager.

With a next game it's very much up in the air I think. I think most of us expect a newcomer from DKC, Kirby and Zelda, but which character that'll be is a big question. I personally for example think Cranky Kong might have a slight edge over Dixie, with Kirby everyone expects Bandana Dee but am not 100% convinced, and with Zelda? Who knows. I hope for Impa but they might just choose... someone else.

Only character am about 90% convinced of at this current time is Noah. XBC3 was huge. Can't see him not making it.

From what I read (admittedly an outdated source), Xenoblade 3 sold a respectable 1.86 million units at the time of that report. While that is pretty good, I’m not sure if huge is a bit of an overstatement compared to their other titles.

For comparison, ARMS and Xenoblade 2 sold around 2.7 million units. Splatoon 3 sold 11.7 million, Metroid Dread sold just over 3 million, Fire Emblem Engage sold 1.6 million and Astral Chain also sold over a million.

 

[Ivander]

Remember how, going into Ultimate, everyone was 100% certain that Spring Man, Decidueye, and Rex were locks? Instead we got Min-Min, Incineroar, and Pyra.

Wonder if something like that will happen again. Instead of the fighters we're all gunning for, we get the next character over, so to speak.

We keep thinking it's Alear. Instead we get Hiya Papaya.

---
Joking aside, I can't really think of any aside from maybe Meowscarada and Noah. For the former, most people look at them because they are a Starter and the most popular Starter of Gen 9. But the reason I say maybe is because there are more people who are either see the chance of another Gen 9 Pokemon like Ceruledge, Ogerpon, Gholdengo, Koraidon and Miraidon, Tinkaton, etc, or they think Gen 10 is a likely lock because of Sakurai lately looking at Pokemon during their concepts to choose, like Greninja and Incineroar.

Noah is in that spot where he's pretty likely, but there is also Mio, who last time I checked is just as important as Noah, much like how Pyra and Mythra are just as important as Rex. And Rex was originally chosen, until the issues with trying to be accurate with their playstyle in Xenoblade 2 got in the way IIRC so they went with Pyra and Mythra for simplicity and even then, Rex is still a part of Pyra and Mythra, being in their Final Smash, one of their taunts and two of their victory poses respectively. So it feels like either Noah or Mio could be chosen and whichever one gets in, the other will likely be a part of them.

 

[Gengar84]

The one character I’m most confident over anyone else is Octoling. It could also be another character from the series but with how huge the games have become, I think it’s the safest bet that we’ll at least get someone else. Even then, I’m not going so far as to say it’s a lock because I’m not Shulk and I can’t see the future but it makes the most logical sense to me.

 

[Noipoi]

Actually, since Alear's been brought up, ya boy just had a thought.

Considering how things are looking for the Switch 2's release, and subsequently the next Smash's hypothetical release, I actually feel like Alear might miss the boat. Most of the FE characters are a case of right place right time, the timing aligned for all of their inclusions. But if the next game is in like 2026/7, that's far enough away from Engage (Which didn't exactly set the world on fire in the first place) that there's a chance they may get passed on.

Of course I'm probably wrong, but I'm just spitballing here.

 

[fogbadge]

We keep thinking it's Alear. Instead we get Hiya Papaya.

---
Joking aside, I can't really think of any aside from maybe Meowscarada and Noah. For the former, most people look at them because they are a Starter and the most popular Starter of Gen 9. But the reason I say maybe is because there are more people who are either see the chance of another Gen 9 Pokemon like Ceruledge, Ogerpon, Gholdengo, Koraidon and Miraidon, Tinkaton, etc, or they think Gen 10 is a likely lock because of Sakurai lately looking at Pokemon during their concepts to choose, like Greninja and Incineroar.

Noah is in that spot where he's pretty likely, but there is also Mio, who last time I checked is just as important as Noah, much like how Pyra and Mythra are just as important as Rex. And Rex was originally chosen, until the issues with trying to be accurate with their playstyle in Xenoblade 2 got in the way IIRC so they went with Pyra and Mythra for simplicity and even then, Rex is still a part of Pyra and Mythra, being in their Final Smash, one of their taunts and two of their victory poses respectively. So it feels like either Noah or Mio could be chosen and whichever one gets in, the other will likely be a part of them.

i recall hearing some where that cats are Japans favourite pet so that may factor into meowscarade

also in the case Rex, he was considered to be part of the transformation duo

 

[Gengar84]

i recall hearing some where that cats are Japans favourite pet so that may factor into meowscarade

also in the case Rex, he was considered to be part of the transformation duo

I don’t think a Rex/Pyra transformation would have made much sense mechanically. If we got Rex, I think it would have been a weapon swap system rather than a traditional transformation and Pyra/Mythra would have been in the background like Pokemon Trainer and would have swapped with the weapon.

Actually, since Alear's been brought up, ya boy just had a thought.

Considering how things are looking for the Switch 2's release, and subsequently the next Smash's hypothetical release, I actually feel like Alear might miss the boat. Most of the FE characters are a case of right place right time, the timing aligned for all of their inclusions. But if the next game is in like 2026/7, that's far enough away from Engage (Which didn't exactly set the world on fire in the first place) that there's a chance they may get passed on.

Of course I'm probably wrong, but I'm just spitballing here.

I agree. I think being from the most recent entry of a series is only an advantage if there’s still a reason to advertise the game. If that game is already several years old, I don’t think there’s any reason why it would need a character since everyone would be done with the game at that point. Adding any popular Fire Emblem character would probably accomplish the same goal in advertising the series as a whole. Probably more so if it’s a classic character with a big fan base.

Please disregard this argument with the Tales series though. I just don’t think the same applies for reasons I won’t get into. It has nothing to do with the fact that I really want Shionne and don’t particularly care for Lloyd .

 

[fogbadge]

I don’t think a Rex/Pyra transformation would have made much sense mechanically. If we got Rex, I think it would have been a weapon swap system rather than a traditional transformation and Pyra/Mythra would have been in the background like Pokemon Trainer and would have swapped with the weapon.

sure if you wanted to try a evoke the source material but we know that’s not a must for the roster

 

[DarthEnderX]

• Simon Belmont
• Richter Belmont
• Trevor Belmont
• Alucard
• Reinhardt Schneider Soma Cruz
• Juste Belmont Jonathan & Charlotte
• Maria Renard
• Julius Belmont Shanoa

Dracula is still a boss.

Fixed.

 

[Gorgonzales]

With a next game it's very much up in the air I think. I think most of us expect a newcomer from DKC, Kirby and Zelda, but which character that'll be is a big question. I personally for example think Cranky Kong might have a slight edge over Dixie, with Kirby everyone expects Bandana Dee but am not 100% convinced, and with Zelda? Who knows. I hope for Impa but they might just choose... someone else.

For DKC my heart says Cranky but my brain says it'll probably be Dixie, if we even end up getting a DK rep at all. Funky's not entirely out of the question either.

I can honestly see eye-to-eye with you on not being 100% convinced on Bandana Dee's chances. They could easily go for another Kirby character, it's not like the series has a shortage of names.

One thing I will say is that next game is definitely make-or-break for Bandana Dee. If he doesn't make it in next game, he probably won't ever make it as long as Sakurai is directing the series.

 

[BritishGuy54]

For DKC my heart says Cranky but my brain says it'll probably be Dixie, if we even end up getting a DK rep at all. Funky's not entirely out of the question either.

I can honestly see eye-to-eye with you on not being 100% convinced on Bandana Dee's chances. They could easily go for another Kirby character, it's not like the series has a shortage of names.

One thing I will say is that next game is definitely make-or-break for Bandana Dee. If he doesn't make it in next game, he probably won't ever make it as long as Sakurai is directing the series.

I feel like the next game really is a make or break for many characters, even aside from Bandana Dee.

Take for example, Geno. He recently got the Mario RPG remake. It released in Europe for the first time physically, and has seen good sales. But if next Smash game still skips out on him? That will hurt for people, and may be his last chance, despite having more going for him than ever.

I think something else to add is when people discuss newcomers, they usually go off precedent. This happened during Ultimate’s DLC, where after big name third parties all in a row, it just had to be another one, but instead we got Byleth.

Going into next game, people are going to be expecting the Pokémon/FE/Xenoblade character. This implies we’ll never get a character as negatively received as Byleth again.

Likewise, people are also predicting the series to scale up even further, which is why Master Chief has got attention. Ultimate raised the stakes, so must next game apparently.

Timeless characters will usually have a shot every game. This makes me think between the big two Mario fan picks, Waluigi has the edge over Geno, if it had to be one of them.

People are passionate about their favourite characters, and that’s something that shows how important it is on who gets in Smash.

The next game will likely be a turning point for the series. All I can say is keep expectations reasonable. And when those expectations are broken, that makes it more special, in my opinion.

 

[Ivander]

Actually, since Alear's been brought up, ya boy just had a thought.

Considering how things are looking for the Switch 2's release, and subsequently the next Smash's hypothetical release, I actually feel like Alear might miss the boat. Most of the FE characters are a case of right place right time, the timing aligned for all of their inclusions. But if the next game is in like 2026/7, that's far enough away from Engage (Which didn't exactly set the world on fire in the first place) that there's a chance they may get passed on.

Of course I'm probably wrong, but I'm just spitballing here.

I honestly think anything is possible, especially if the rumors are true that the next Fire Emblem game is supposedly a Genealogy remake, similar to Fire Emblem Echoes. Quite a bunch of us thought that the most likely FE character before Chrom was confirmed was either Alm or Celica, especially her after she appeared in Fire Emblem Warriors. To our surprise, they didn't do Echoes and instead did Chrom due to him being a popular Ballot pick.
So the fact they were willing to skip Echoes in favor of Chrom shows the possibility that if the next FE game is indeed a Genealogy Remake, they could potentially skip on that as well even if it were to be the latest, and it could pretty much be anybody's guess on who the next FE rep will be.

Fixed.

That's not a fix.

• Simon Belmont /w Trevor Belmont being an Alternate Character skin.
• Richter Belmont /w Julius Belmont being an Alternate Character skin.
• Alucard
• Trevor Belmont Cornell (Who uses some of his own attacks from Legacy of Darkness as well as attacks from the Werewolf Boss Enemy)
• Reinhardt Schneider Soma Cruz
• Juste Belmont Jonathan & Charlotte
• Maria Renard
• Julius Belmont Shanoa

 

[Louie G.]

Actually, since Alear's been brought up, ya boy just had a thought.

Considering how things are looking for the Switch 2's release, and subsequently the next Smash's hypothetical release, I actually feel like Alear might miss the boat. Most of the FE characters are a case of right place right time, the timing aligned for all of their inclusions. But if the next game is in like 2026/7, that's far enough away from Engage (Which didn't exactly set the world on fire in the first place) that there's a chance they may get passed on.

Of course I'm probably wrong, but I'm just spitballing here.

Nah, I think you're absolutely right. Engage is barely a year old at the moment, but it didn't create nearly the same buzz that Three Houses did. Alear is a well received protagonist and from what I've heard the gameplay is quite good, but I'm not sure the push is quite there. Consider that Awakening was the last FE game to get representation on the base roster, a game that literally saved the series and welcomed in a new era of success. Fates and Three Houses received DLC because those games were extremely recent, so it allowed the roster to stay up to date. Engage doesn't really have any of this going for it.

I also think with Byleth, and to a lesser extent Pyra / Mythra, the next game may feel less motivated to push the newest protagonists in those respective series when they just got DLC characters and both of those games fell within the Switch era. They are still relatively fresh.

Xenoblade 3, at the very least, certainly deserves some meaningful content but I don't think it's guaranteed a full on playable character either. XB3 was received well but it feels like XB2 has been far more culturally persistent. Its predecessor felt like much more of a glaring omission in a rapidly changing series, whereas XB3 feels like a more humble extension of this growth. I'm sure there are some more dedicated Xenoblade fans who disagree with me on this front but I'm choosing to be the contrarian on this one, I apologize. Not saying it absolutely won't happen but I wouldn't be surprised at all if it doesn't.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 fans worrying that timing and the legacy of an older title may hurt the game's chances of strong Smash representation

Xenoblade Chronicles X Fans:

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

I honestly think anything is possible, especially if the rumors are true that the next Fire Emblem game is supposedly a Genealogy remake, similar to Fire Emblem Echoes. Quite a bunch of us thought that the most likely FE character before Chrom was confirmed was either Alm or Celica, especially her after she appeared in Fire Emblem Warriors. To our surprise, they didn't do Echoes and instead did Chrom due to him being a popular Ballot pick.
So the fact they were willing to skip Echoes in favor of Chrom shows the possibility that if the next FE game is indeed a Genealogy Remake, they could potentially skip on that as well even if it were to be the latest, and it could pretty much be anybody's guess on who the next FE rep will be.

Bear in mind Shadows of Valentia wasn't even a thing when Ultimate's design document was drafted.
It didn't get "skipped over" in favor of Chrom, it was never a factor to begin with.
Fates still hadn't been even released outside Japan at the time and Corrin was already going to be DLC for the previous Smash.