Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[TheQuester]

I wouldn't be surprised if Andy made it in it still even if the remake did just okay (I think Rhythm Tengoku rep or Golden Sun rep is more likely, but not by that much)
Advance Wars is a legacy series, i think it deserves a regarldess of how the remake did (but it would definitely helps).

 

[smashkirby]

Say, I want to say something that is partly an extension of the unlockables thing I asked yesterday. It is this: Whether or not there ARE unlockables in the next Smash Bros. game...

Do you think they will reveal the whole base roster like they did with Smash Bros. Ultimate and all, with all veterans revealed and all newcomers gradually revealed over time in Smash Bros. Directs and regular Directs? I ask because unlockable characters and unlockables in general, as some people said, are becoming less of a thing nowadays, if they are a thing anymore.

I am talking about characters for the base game, by the way.

You know, I've wondered something very similar ever since Ultimate's base game came out. Personally, I wouldn't mind them going back to pre-Ultimate characters reveals where newcomers were saved for Directs and veterans are given random reveal drops.

Hey, it gives me something to look forward to nearly every month.

Honestly with how much people have suggested Goku as a character, you'd think there would be, y'know... a modern take on a Shonen Jump platform fighter by now.

I remember seeing someone talk about one on the...DS? It's gimmick was that your abilities would be determined by manga panels that you could place on your bottom screen. Stronger ones used bigger panels so it was a choice of quality or quantity in your loadout. The system might also have determined what character you play, but don't quote me on that.

Uhh...



It's funny, the moment Spirits were revealed to be a thing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the manga panel system of these games were the first thing I likened the concept of Spirits to.

 

[SPEN18]

I mean, if you still have a problem with it twenty years later, you'd either have left or by now would just keep it to yourself.

Actually tbh I still don't really like the way Snake was added. That whole situation was kind of a strange way to go about opening the doors to third parties, and Snake in particular would definitely not have been my choice to be the first third party character. You could say we'd probably still be in almost the same situation third-party-wise without Snake even happening, that the marketing appeal of guest characters would have won them over to its side in one way or another anyway, and that would be fine, but I still think they could've been more intentional with such a big shift in expectations for what's possible.

I know that's not a popular opinion these days but lol just sayin, I'm still here.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

You could say we'd probably still be in almost the same situation third-party-wise without Snake even happening, that the marketing appeal of guest characters would have won them over to its side in one way or another anyway, and that would be fine, but I still think they could've been more intentional with such a big shift in expectations for what's possible.

I mean I'm pretty sure we would almost certainly be in this exact same situation regardless of Snake or not, it just would've been because of Sonic instead. Since he was heavily considered for Melee (according to Yuji Naka) to the point that Miyamoto and Sakurai would have approved him for Melee if it didn't have such a tight development window and then would've probably ended up in Brawl anyway.

Honestly I think it's kind of wild that if Melee had more dev time we could've seen third parties in Smash as early as 2001, but yeah we'd almost certainly still have third parties anyway.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

It's funny, the moment Spirits were revealed to be a thing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the manga panel system of these games were the first thing I likened the concept of Spirits to.

Hey I got the console right!

It would be cool if Spirits gave you access to a pre-assigned assist move, which could be further enhanced by support spirits. So like, say you equip Genesect, who has three support slots, and grants you an assist attack that fires a projectile. Then you could equip compatible Support Spirits that modify the projectile attack in some way; For example, the Fire Flower ups the damage slightly, the Squid Sisters cause it to ink opponents, and Bass reduces the power and buffs the speed of the move.

You could even have some special Primary Spirits that would make a bigger change to how the move functions (potentially at the cost of having 1 less slot). For example, Birdo could turn the afrementioned projectile assist into an item projectile, or Dan could make the projectile have basically no range for the lulz.

 

[dream1ng]

Actually tbh I still don't really like the way Snake was added. That whole situation was kind of a strange way to go about opening the doors to third parties, and Snake in particular would definitely not have been my choice to be the first third party character. You could say we'd probably still be in almost the same situation third-party-wise without Snake even happening, that the marketing appeal of guest characters would have won them over to its side in one way or another anyway, and that would be fine, but I still think they could've been more intentional with such a big shift in expectations for what's possible.

I know that's not a popular opinion these days but lol just sayin, I'm still here.

Yeah I agree with Poppy, I think the only difference would be Snake/MG himself. The Brawl poll still would've happened, Sonic still would've been first, and that all still would've played out the same. They were open to third parties since Melee, it just didn't work out until Brawl.

And even if they started with Sonic, it still would've been a strange way to open the doors. Not with the choice itself, Sonic makes a lot of sense as the first, but presumably because he still would've been added late, and then still probably wouldn't have been revealed until suddenly showing up on the DOJO to offset Brawl's first delay. I don't think he would've been the centerpiece of some E3 showing or anything.

Though yes I won't argue that without the context Snake is a strange choice to start with. He's not the type that would've been accepted without pushback until more recently, and were he not added, Simon and Bomberman still would've been more popular.

 

[DKing]

Would you in favor to see a 3D model of the spirits/trophy on the next smash bros?

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

I mean I'm pretty sure we would almost certainly be in this exact same situation regardless of Snake or not, it just would've been because of Sonic instead. Since he was heavily considered for Melee (according to Yuji Naka) to the point that Miyamoto and Sakurai would have approved him for Melee if it didn't have such a tight development window and then would've probably ended up in Brawl anyway.

Honestly I think it's kind of wild that if Melee had more dev time we could've seen third parties in Smash as early as 2001, but yeah we'd almost certainly still have third parties anyway.

Ehh...that Yuji Naka thing isn't accurate.

How Misinformation Disseminates

A mistranslation from a SXSW’s Sonic 25th Anniversary Panel leads to the quick spread of misinformation.

sourcegaming.info

Naka asked Sakurai at E3 when Melee was shown off, but it was obviously too late.
The idea of "having more development time" wouldn't have made a difference.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

Ehh...that Yuji Naka thing isn't accurate.

How Misinformation Disseminates

A mistranslation from a SXSW’s Sonic 25th Anniversary Panel leads to the quick spread of misinformation.

sourcegaming.info

Naka asked Sakurai at E3 when Melee was shown off, but it was obviously too late.
The idea of "having more development time" wouldn't have made a difference.

Ah okay, admittedly I was going off of SmashWiki, so I probably should've assumed some inaccuracy lol

Still, pretty sure it all would've played out the same in the end.

 

[DKing]

Would be based as hell

I really like the design of Shiren, his design is so unique.

 

[smashkirby]

Hey I got the console right!

It would be cool if Spirits gave you access to a pre-assigned assist move, which could be further enhanced by support spirits. So like, say you equip Genesect, who has three support slots, and grants you an assist attack that fires a projectile. Then you could equip compatible Support Spirits that modify the projectile attack in some way; For example, the Fire Flower ups the damage slightly, the Squid Sisters cause it to ink opponents, and Bass reduces the power and buffs the speed of the move.

You could even have some special Primary Spirits that would make a bigger change to how the move functions (potentially at the cost of having 1 less slot). For example, Birdo could turn the aforementioned projectile assist into an item projectile, or Dan could make the projectile have basically no range for the lulz.

Wow! That's really intuitive (labor-intensive as it might sound)! Definitely a fascinating way to incorporate Spirits even further.

You know, something I was kind of hoping Spirits would do (like in the Jump Stars games) was for some (Support) Spirits to have special interactions with other (Primary) Spirits. Like, a brief convo or something.

 

[dream1ng]

Would you in favor to see a 3D model of the spirits/trophy on the next smash bros?

Of course, but it's so much more resource intensive, even with a lot of them reusing models, that I can't imagine they go back to it, unless it's a small selection. At least with this they can easily fold in a bunch more series relatively easily.

 

[Gorgonzales]

I think Trophies should always be a part of Smash. If it's too resource intensive to make trophies now, then they should only include trophies of the playable characters; that's the bare minimum for me. You have the models already, so all you'd have to do is pose them and give them descriptions, which goes a very long way. It would be like the character bios in 64 that tell you a bit about each fighter, which I think is very important for newer players who are looking to learn more about these characters.

 

[BritishGuy54]

I think Trophies should always be a part of Smash. If it's too resource intensive to make trophies now, then they should only include trophies of the playable characters; that's the bare minimum for me. You have the models already, so all you'd have to do is pose them and give them descriptions, which goes a very long way. It would be like the character bios in 64 that tell you a bit about each fighter, which I think is very important for newer players who are looking to learn more about these characters.

I thought about this the other day. At least letting playable fighters have bios and explanations of who they are would give some much needed depth and allow people to learn about who these characters are.

 

[fogbadge]

Ehh...that Yuji Naka thing isn't accurate.

How Misinformation Disseminates

A mistranslation from a SXSW’s Sonic 25th Anniversary Panel leads to the quick spread of misinformation.

sourcegaming.info

Naka asked Sakurai at E3 when Melee was shown off, but it was obviously too late.
The idea of "having more development time" wouldn't have made a difference.

i'd always thought that story sounded a little off. glad to see something that clears it up

 

[Gengar84]

So what does everyone think will be the hook for the next Smash that sets it apart from all the rest? As much as I loved “Everyone is Here!”, EiH2 doesn’t quite have the same impact the second time around. Not to say that I wouldn’t still love it but even in the best case scenario, it risks feeling like just more of the same. For the roster selection, I can think of a few directions they could go that could be pretty exciting.

The first and most obvious idea is expanding the selection to more Western third party characters. I’d love if Smash became a more general global celebration of gaming that reached beyond just one region. While I do tend to prefer Japanese games as a whole, there’s plenty of Western developed games and characters I’d love to see as well.

The second is turning Smash into a “Nintendo vs X”. This would allow for a more static roster size between games of around 50-60 characters total without the expectation of an ever expanding roster. With each game, at least 50% of the characters would be completely fresh since they’d pair off with a different company. It would also presumably make character negotiations easier since they only have to deal with a single company per game.

Finally, and most controversially, they could open the “forbidden door” to characters like we’ve been talking about for the last few pages. I feel this approach is high risk high reward because it has a good chance to lose the support of a lot of current Smash fans but also has the highest likelihood of bringing in the most new fans.

 

[RileyXY1]

So what does everyone think will be the hook for the next Smash that sets it apart from all the rest? As much as I loved “Everyone is Here!”, EiH2 doesn’t quite have the same impact the second time around. For the roster selection, I can think of a few directions they could go that could be pretty exciting.

The first and most obvious idea is expanding the selection to more Western third party characters. I’d love if Smash became a more general global celebration of gaming that reached beyond just one region. While I do tend to prefer Japanese games as a whole, there’s plenty of Western developed games and characters I’d love to see as well.

The second is turning Smash into a “Nintendo vs X”. This would allow for a more static roster size between games of around 50-60 characters total without the expectation of an ever expanding roster. With each game, at least 50% of the characters would be completely fresh since they’d pair off with a different company. It would also presumably make character negotiations easier since they only have to deal with a single company per game.

Finally, and most controversially, they could open the “forbidden door” to characters like we’ve been talking about for the last few pages. I feel this approach is high risk high reward because it has a good chance to lose the support of a lot of current Smash fans but also has the highest likelihood of bringing in the most new fans.

I don't think the next game really needs one.

 

[pitchfulprocessing]

So what does everyone think will be the hook for the next Smash that sets it apart from all the rest? As much as I loved “Everyone is Here!”, EiH2 doesn’t quite have the same impact the second time around. Not to say that I wouldn’t still love it but even in the best case scenario, it risks feeling like just more of the same. For the roster selection, I can think of a few directions they could go that could be pretty exciting.

The first and most obvious idea is expanding the selection to more Western third party characters. I’d love if Smash became a more general global celebration of gaming that reached beyond just one region. While I do tend to prefer Japanese games as a whole, there’s plenty of Western developed games and characters I’d love to see as well.

The second is turning Smash into a “Nintendo vs X”. This would allow for a more static roster size between games of around 50-60 characters total without the expectation of an ever expanding roster. With each game, at least 50% of the characters would be completely fresh since they’d pair off with a different company. It would also presumably make character negotiations easier since they only have to deal with a single company per game.

Finally, and most controversially, they could open the “forbidden door” to characters like we’ve been talking about for the last few pages. I feel this approach is high risk high reward because it has a good chance to lose the support of a lot of current Smash fans but also has the highest likelihood of bringing in the most new fans.

Imo they should call it Super Smash Bros: Nightmares and make it like a dark and twisted version of normal Smash. The roster could be Evil Mario, Horror Luigi, Malevolent Kirby, Slaughter Link, Sonic.EXE, etc. Instead of Final Smashes they would be called Last Omens and the final boss would be Bloodied Hand, I think it would be cool.

 

[Gengar84]

I don't think the next game really needs one.

That’s also possible. My biggest worry there is if they just go back to a Smash 4 sized roster without offering something exciting and different, a lot of people might just stick with Ultimate. Now, the hook doesn’t even necessarily have to be with the roster itself. A big, ambitious adventure mode like Subspace Emissary could be enough even with a smaller roster. Big improvements to existing modes like Stage Builder could be exciting too. They could even change up the existing gameplay mechanics to make even the veterans feel new and exciting.

 

[BritishGuy54]

So what does everyone think will be the hook for the next Smash that sets it apart from all the rest? As much as I loved “Everyone is Here!”, EiH2 doesn’t quite have the same impact the second time around. Not to say that I wouldn’t still love it but even in the best case scenario, it risks feeling like just more of the same. For the roster selection, I can think of a few directions they could go that could be pretty exciting.

The first and most obvious idea is expanding the selection to more Western third party characters. I’d love if Smash became a more general global celebration of gaming that reached beyond just one region. While I do tend to prefer Japanese games as a whole, there’s plenty of Western developed games and characters I’d love to see as well.

The second is turning Smash into a “Nintendo vs X”. This would allow for a more static roster size between games of around 50-60 characters total without the expectation of an ever expanding roster. With each game, at least 50% of the characters would be completely fresh since they’d pair off with a different company. It would also presumably make character negotiations easier since they only have to deal with a single company per game.

Finally, and most controversially, they could open the “forbidden door” to characters like we’ve been talking about for the last few pages. I feel this approach is high risk high reward because it has a good chance to lose the support of a lot of current Smash fans but also has the highest likelihood of bringing in the most new fans.

I think a hook for the next game could be promoting the new content that has arrived since the Switch launched. A celebration of the Switch era would be appreciated after Ultimate’s celebration of everything prior.

And to tone down on the third parties until DLC. I imagine only Sega, Namco, Capcom, and SNK will return for base game.

 

[Gengar84]

I think a hook for the next game could be promoting the new content that has arrived since the Switch launched. A celebration of the Switch era would be appreciated after Ultimate’s celebration of everything prior.

And to tone down on the third parties until DLC. I imagine only Sega, Namco, Capcom, and SNK will return for base game.

Yeah, if past Smash games are anything to go by, we should probably only expect around 2-3 base game third party newcomers with most being saved for DLC. While I prefer a more balanced character selection from across gaming history, there are a good amount of Switch era characters that could be fun inclusions to the base roster. Here’s just a few of my favorites:

Rauru
Mipha
Urbosa
Nia (with or without Dromarch)
Noah/Mio
Officer Howard
Jenna Anderson
Hisuian Zoroark
Miraidon
Professor Sada/Turo
E.M.M.I.
Raven Beak
Petra
Shamir

Some of those aren’t particularly likely but I’d be excited to see any of them in Smash.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

I think roster wise it's a bit tricky to think of another hook except for maybe the third-party heavy hitters that haven't appeared yet and even Nintendo might be reluctant to get into the practice of escalating the sheer scope of Smash in negotiations for that. I actually think it might be more prudent to further expand on the companies they're working with now, especially given that Nintendo's in a stronger position now than they were during Ultimate's development.

Given the Japanese market has becoming increasingly dominated by the Switch and that will likely continue with the Switch 2, it's within the best interest of Nintendo and the third parties they're working with now to keep that synergy going. Konami, SE, Sega, Namco, Capcom, all have enough IP's to appeal to Eastern and Western tastes, and there's numerous scenarios where a Simon/Richter or Hero/Banjo style double reveal could effectively maximize the hype in the two most critical regions for Smash sales.

Western companies certainly have some great options, and the likes of the Doom Slayer, Rayman, Master Chief, Crash, John Marston, etc would all do solid numbers. However, if the easier/less expensive option is to continue with the companies they're working with back home (Microsoft with Steve & maybe Banjo excepted), that's a consideration that Nintendo might very well keep in mind for Smash.

 

[Oracle Link]

, there are a good amount of Switch era characters that could be fun inclusions to the base roster. Here’s just a few of my favorites:

Rauru
Mipha
Urbosa
Nia (with or without Dromarch)
Noah/Mio
Officer Howard
Jenna Anderson
Hisuian Zoroark
Miraidon
Professor Sada/Turo
E.M.M.I.
Raven Beak
Petra
Shamir

Some of those aren’t particularly likely but I’d be excited to see any of them in Smash.

And heres my favourites:

Toy Link (Does he count?)
Yunobo/ Daruk
Mipha
Impa (AOC)
Ganondorf (TOTK)
Elfilin
Morphoknight
Void Termina

Yeah i know its just kirby and zelda but still!

 

[Wonder Smash]

Would you in favor to see a 3D model of the spirits/trophy on the next smash bros?

Yeah, if they can.

But if they can't, then I won't complain.

 

[Perkilator]

Sakurai’s channel is gonna release its final episode in a little while.

チャンネル最終話の収録を終えました｡
まだ公開は先になると思いますが､それまでは通常回でお楽しみください…

— 桜井 政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) June 15, 2024

 

[TheQuester]

I really like the design of Shiren, his design is so unique.

I could see him as an Assist Trophy, tbh.

 

[Sucumbio]

Anyone jammin with the mega man games on NSO GBA?

 

[Louie G.]

So what does everyone think will be the hook for the next Smash that sets it apart from all the rest?

I know I'm reiterating what many have said already, but I expect the roster to progress as usual. Bringing in fresh new faces, expanding on mainstay series. I think the most abnormal thing about next game's base roster of newcomers may be the way third parties are handled - not that we're going to see a ton of new third party series (probably one or two, as usual), but rather series like Sonic and Street Fighter expanding and further cementing their presence on the roster. This kind of evolution keeps things exciting and boosts the crossover appeal without going too extreme into the kind of wild surprises we're more likely to see as DLC later. They're some of the biggest names available with the least additional risk or expense involved.

I think we do have to see some sort of gameplay hook though. Part of me is really hoping for Smash to further emphasize some sort of tag team mode or retooled co-op / team play. Squad Strike is a cool idea that gets close in spirit that I hope they might keep around, although switching characters on the fly MVC style would really be something. The main complication being how this would affect transforming characters like Pokemon Trainer or Pythra, if at all. In any case... I'm hoping for more single player options too, but vs battles are the heart of the series and I hope they'll maybe give us some more exciting options since the modes most readily available (in say, online lobbies) are the same as ever. Even letting us do Smashdown or Squad Strike online would be a big upgrade for me.

 

[Wonder Smash]

So what does everyone think will be the hook for the next Smash that sets it apart from all the rest? As much as I loved “Everyone is Here!”, EiH2 doesn’t quite have the same impact the second time around. Not to say that I wouldn’t still love it but even in the best case scenario, it risks feeling like just more of the same. For the roster selection, I can think of a few directions they could go that could be pretty exciting.

The first and most obvious idea is expanding the selection to more Western third party characters. I’d love if Smash became a more general global celebration of gaming that reached beyond just one region. While I do tend to prefer Japanese games as a whole, there’s plenty of Western developed games and characters I’d love to see as well.

The second is turning Smash into a “Nintendo vs X”. This would allow for a more static roster size between games of around 50-60 characters total without the expectation of an ever expanding roster. With each game, at least 50% of the characters would be completely fresh since they’d pair off with a different company. It would also presumably make character negotiations easier since they only have to deal with a single company per game.

Finally, and most controversially, they could open the “forbidden door” to characters like we’ve been talking about for the last few pages. I feel this approach is high risk high reward because it has a good chance to lose the support of a lot of current Smash fans but also has the highest likelihood of bringing in the most new fans.

How about Everyone is Here and expanding to more Western third party characters? Throw in not only characters like Doom Slayer and Crash Bandicoot but also some Mortal Kombat characters in it.

I'd rather Nintendo vs X be its own thing separate from Smash and the forbidden door just remain closed.

 

[superprincess]

I really hope the next game has a selling point beyond its roster. We already did that with Ultimate, it was fun while it lasted, but I'm ready for something new and different.

100 characters would be appealing I guess but even that feels too similar to Ultimate's "hey, we've got a ton of characters, including all your faves from the previous games". Plus, it's probably not even an achievable goal even if the next game is a port of Ultimate.

I can't really think of any worthwhile selling point aside from substantial singleplayer/co-op content but I just know they won't do that. I'm aware the general public doesn't really care about singleplayer Smash and the focus is skewed heavily towards the versus mode.

Maybe they can focus on customization, but actually do it right this time? Or perhaps, as I've said before, Assists can have a more active role in a brand new mode that focuses on summoning them freely during battle, instead of relying on the item randomly spawning.

 

[Zerp]

Optimal Selling Hook: It's just like the forbidden children's party game that starts with a "P" and ends with a "M" but for Ultimate and it has rollback netcode.

So what does everyone think will be the hook for the next Smash that sets it apart from all the rest?

Really though, I think they'll just have a relatively unimportant gimmick mode they'll use for marketing. They don't really need a huge selling point outside of "it's Smash". Add literally any character and they'll be the talk of the internet for like two weeks minimum, Smash basically markets itself at this point. Like, remember Smash 4? The big drives were custom moves, Smash Run (on 3DS) and 8-player smash (On Wii U), all of which barely got attention after the game came out. I'd expect something like a big side mode, some kind of gimmick smash mode, and/or the return of custom moves.

Honestly, custom moves returning can probably be justified as the big selling point on it's own. All they'd have to do is make them actually accessible this time. Not sure if everyone here remembers but like half the reason they never saw widespread play was because they took five bajillion years to unlock lol.

 

[Perkilator]

TBH, I can think of three selling points:

1. Plenty of veteran overhauls
2. A roguelike Adventure Mode
3. Smash Run is back, baybeeeee!

 

[Louie G.]

How about Everyone is Here and expanding to more Western third party characters? Throw in not only characters like Doom Slayer and Crash Bandicoot but also some Mortal Kombat characters in it.

I don't think it's very feasible to see this on the base roster, at least going off our current precedent. I can definitely see one or two of these characters being added, but the language barrier and intense back and forth communication involved with workshopping a western character probably makes it more practical for that to happen later as DLC. The existing connections to Microsoft probably make a couple of these easier but it would involve communication within different divisions of the company.

Also, for the record, this wouldn't incentivize Japanese fans toward the game at all. Smash needs to sell to a worldwide market so to the other side of the world Ultimate + Doomguy and Scorpion doesn't amount to all that much. Not that they can't be added, I just don't see this being the focal point of a new title.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

I've said it before; this is a worldwide series. It can't cater just to one region. That was at most Smash 64, where it wasn't even sure it would sell.

Melee you could somewhat count, but by then, more franchises were worldwide. Brawl of course had more AT's with Western influence, and Smash 4 and Ultimate easily had more Western characters.

But they still had quite a few Eastern Picks, and EU ones too. Overall, now that it's worldwide, a good roster is going to cater at best to at least two of them(EU doesn't seem to get as much lately), with it being usually Eastern mostly.

 

[Perkilator]

I've said it before; this is a worldwide series. It can't cater just to one region. That was at most Smash 64, where it wasn't even sure it would sell.

Melee you could somewhat count, but by then, more franchises were worldwide. Brawl of course had more AT's with Western influence, and Smash 4 and Ultimate easily had more Western characters.

But they still had quite a few Eastern Picks, and EU ones too. Overall, now that it's worldwide, a good roster is going to cater at best to at least two of them(EU doesn't seem to get as much lately), with it being usually Eastern mostly.

This is why I like to make rosters that try to appeal to everyone, even if my bias steers the way sometimes.

 

[dream1ng]

I think we'll be lucky to get more than a single western third-party with a negligible fanbase in Japan, like Doom or Rayman. If any. And I don't think MK really has much chance at all, given it barely exists there. At least the former two still get released.

When Smash's goal with third-parties is typically to appeal outward and globally, there are just options with more utility than those which are highly focused on one region to the exclusion of the other. I think if there are exceptions, they'll be quite few and far between, and probably closer to the DQ and Halo level, where they're massive in one region and maybe not big in the other, but not fairly tiny either.

And that cuts the other way as well; as in I hold out minimal hope for things like Sakura Wars, Phantasy Star, Touhou, or even a character like Arle over one like Kiryu. It'd be one thing if there were no remaining characters from big series or of notable popularity who appeal globally, but there are still many.

 

[RileyXY1]

I'm not expecting much in the way of Western third parties.

 

[Noipoi]

There's no way us filthy gaijins getting more than a few of our stupid American characters in the next Smash.

One or two, absolutely! More than that? Keep dreaming.

 

[dream1ng]

I'm not expecting much in the way of Western third parties.

I don't think we'll get fewer new ones than Ultimate had, and we'll probably get more. How many more, who knows.

It is no doubt an effort to negotiate and work with western third-parties in ways different than Japanese companies, but I don't think it's so arduous as to not expand. Sakurai was talking about how difficult it was to work with third-parties in Brawl, when there were... two. Now look at things.

I'm sure Sakurai is provided a whole team of producers, translators, and other intermediaries to expedite collaboration with foreign devs. Especially if the impetus for a specific inclusion comes from Nintendo. Which allegedly it does often, for the third-parties.

And it also helps that MS now basically owns more of the likelier (non-indie) western candidates than not.

 

[Wonder Smash]

I don't think it's very feasible to see this on the base roster, at least going off our current precedent. I can definitely see one or two of these characters being added, but the language barrier and intense back and forth communication involved with workshopping a western character probably makes it more practical for that to happen later as DLC. The existing connections to Microsoft probably make a couple of these easier but it would involve communication within different divisions of the company.

Also, for the record, this wouldn't incentivize Japanese fans toward the game at all. Smash needs to sell to a worldwide market so to the other side of the world Ultimate + Doomguy and Scorpion doesn't amount to all that much. Not that they can't be added, I just don't see this being the focal point of a new title.

I'm not concern about them being base roster. If they're DLC, that's fine with me too. Just as long as they're in the game.

Also, adding some more western 3rd party characters shouldn't do any harm. Not saying they should completely stop adding more Japanese characters but they should be more open to Western characters if they want to consider Smash a celebration of video games. Plus, being in Smash could also draw more interest to the series too.