Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Zerp]

Well, that’s easy to fix. We cannot take any motion blur leaks seriously.

• 2014 E3 leaks were angled, but definitely not shaky. Insert photoshopped Little Mac for Shulk and all that, still turned out to be true.
• 2018 Ken leaks weren’t shaky either. Thankfully nobody thought he was photoshopped… I hope.

Yeah, I think not trusting any leak with heavy motion blur is a good idea. Not even just for this whole new AI stuff but like, in general too. I don't think any "leaks" with it were ever real aside from the Smash 3DS gameplay one, and that one was video footage. No way on earth anyone's going to have an AI generate believable gameplay lol. Anyway, for Ken I think a couple people thought he was photoshopped at the time but yeah, consensus was he was real. I remember at the time thinking "no way someone would fake him clipping his foot into the ground" as my reasoning for why I nearly 100% trusted it lol.

Spoiler: Ken Leak Image

If you look at his foot on the left you'll see it's clipping to the surface. Which like, I doubt any fake leaker at the time would even think about.

I want to see what the unblurred fake Waluigi looks like. Release that man from his prison!

Spoiler: WOAH, WALUIGI REAL

My prompt was "Gameplay image of Super Smash Bros Ultimate with Waluigi in it", so uh, yeah, if you're wondering where that dragon came from? I have no idea. Gotta love Waluigified Mario and Waluigi's third row of teeth though, truly a haunting image.

 

[Borskaboska]

I feel this is a pretty minimalist way at looking at the characters.

Firstly, ZSS isn't the only non-magical female fighter, base Samus is an immediate example that comes to mind.

Secondly, that pigeonholes multiple characters into one group when they're very distinct and unique from each other. Not even getting into the argument of whether she counts to your point, Bayonetta does not play anything like Zelda, nor does either really play like Peach, and that applies to most other examples. If the team is prioritizing keeping multiple movesets, then the majority of those 'magical women fighters' would be kept since there's a large variety to them, their portrayals, and how they play that is not being expressed in how you're describing them.

That also applies to the 'fire breathing dragons' as Bowser, Charizard, and Ridley do not play the same at all either and are pretty distinct from each other.

Thirdly, pigeonholing characters into moveset archetypes ignores other factors that would be considered for keeping them. Ridley for instance isn't just 'fire breathing dragon', he's the archnemesis to the main protagonist who commonly appears in his franchise and is a major fan requests. There's multiple reasons to keep characters on top of moveset consideration, and Ridley does have multiple reasons to consider, and that applies to many other characters.

Moveset is a factor to consider, but you're approaching the idea of that importance by diminishing other important aspects of many characters. Ridley does not look, play, or act the same as Charizard, Peach does not play, act, or look the same as Palutena, and so on. There's more to these characters that are not being given credit in this argument and the development team would have more consideration to those aspects.

Dog i think you are really missing my point. I did not say it was the only thing that matters, just something i think the smash team considers. There aren't a lot of women characters in general, and of them ZSS is the only one that is a pure martial artist with no magic. I think thats worth considering and personally I think that makes her more likely than a lot of other characters.

When i say character archetype, i think its obvious I mean in terms of aesthetics and theme, not moveset. I know ridley and charizard play differently.

You call it 'pigeonholing' but we've seen pages from sakurai's project proposals for smash games, we know that when he is deciding on characters he boils them down to a single phrase that encapsulates their design philosophy (https://sourcegaming.info/2015/07/04/english-smash4-project-proposal-slides/) Like having unique movesets is important, but you also want the roster to be thematically diverse too. And youre being silly if you think ridley and charizard are equally as aesthetically dissimilar to each other as ridley and palutena.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

About the Direct rumor thing people are talking about:

Spoiler

If Dragalia actually shows up in this Direct, I would be so happy. I'm frankly still upset that the main cast didn't get Spirits in Ultimate (especially Cleo since she was my favorite) because of the lack of mobile content minus the one FE Heroes music track.

 

[Guynamednelson]

Spoiler: WOAH, WALUIGI REAL

View attachment 391178
My prompt was "Gameplay image of Super Smash Bros Ultimate with Waluigi in it", so uh, yeah, if you're wondering where that dragon came from? I have no idea. Gotta love Waluigified Mario and Waluigi's third row of teeth though, truly a haunting image.

Well, it got Waluigi's hands and his Γ on his cap right at least...and his hands are conveniently angled so the AI image generator didn't have to draw the Γ's on his gloves.

That said it seems like AI's biggest Achilles' heel when it comes to Smash leaks will be trying to make plausible backgrounds. Your image seems like it's trying to do Animal Crossing trees and cliffs for a bit, but then it derails into a cyberpunk city and random crowds and not really matching up with any of the games represented or the aesthetics of Battlefield/Final Destination.

 

[TheQuester]

You know, I really don't get it. Why do people go through the trouble of creating fake smash leaks? Like what even is the point?

So people talk about whatever characters the leaker puts into the leak or several stuff they want into the game, even if it's just for a week.

 

[HyperSomari64]

Well, it got Waluigi's hands and his Γ on his cap right at least...and his hands are conveniently angled so the AI image generator didn't have to draw the Γ's on his gloves.

That said it seems like AI's biggest Achilles' heel when it comes to Smash leaks will be trying to make plausible backgrounds. Your image seems like it's trying to do Animal Crossing trees and cliffs for a bit, but then it derails into a cyberpunk city and random crowds and not really matching up with any of the games represented or the aesthetics of Battlefield/Final Destination.

I was thinking about a Battlefield that mixes both nature and technology. Maybe that dragon is the villain of the Adventure mode. He looks it was created with magic, but he's actually a science creation.
Now I can't imagine thing without remembering the 2005 Altered Beast game lol

 

[Arcanir]

Dog i think you are really missing my point. I did not say it was the only thing that matters, just something i think the smash team considers. There aren't a lot of women characters in general, and of them ZSS is the only one that is a pure martial artist with no magic. I think thats worth considering and personally I think that makes her more likely than a lot of other characters.

When i say character archetype, i think its obvious I mean in terms of aesthetics and theme, not moveset. I know ridley and charizard play differently.

You call it 'pigeonholing' but we've seen pages from sakurai's project proposals for smash games, we know that when he is deciding on characters he boils them down to a single phrase that encapsulates their design philosophy (https://sourcegaming.info/2015/07/04/english-smash4-project-proposal-slides/) Like having unique movesets is important, but you also want the roster to be thematically diverse too. And youre being silly if you think ridley and charizard are equally as aesthetically dissimilar to each other as ridley and palutena.

And if you read my point, my issue is with how you're diminishing those aspects. Again, those female magic users don't really play the same, hell, in that very link you post Sakurai lists a distinct theme for two 'magical female fighters' in Rosalina being a puppet fighter and (F)Robin being built around their sword, magic, and limited uses. Both of those are unique aspects worth considering, hell, Rosalina on her own is very unique as we don't have any other puppet fighter like her on the roster period, so by your own point she should be held in higher regard than even ZSS for what she provides in that respect.

And aesthetically and thematically, Ridley and Charizard are very dissimilar. Charizard is a big, friendlyish looking, orange dragon who works alongside two buddies to fight for their trainer, Ridley is a xenomorph-pterosaur-dragon hybrid who's a sociopathic murderer and takes sadistic glee in the pain he causes. Hell, Sakurai in an interview said that Ridley's theme is 'pure evil', that is nothing like Charizard (or even Bowser) and is immediately distinctive. They may not be as aesthetically dissimilar as Ridley from Palutena, but to say they're even similar enough to the point that you'd just generically call them 'fire breathing dragons is still a great disservice to what makes them distinct as characters and how they were designed.

ZSS having something unique to give isn't something I'll argue against, I will argue with trying to downplay the aspects of other characters. Examples like Rosalina are not generically a magical fighter, and the work that goes into her puppet fighter motif should be given far more weight than is being credit for in this argument, and that applies to multiple characters that are being similarly dismissed.

 

[fogbadge]

this conversation has made me realize that even leakers can't escape the atomization of their work

 

[Will]

Spoiler: WOAH, WALUIGI REAL

View attachment 391178
My prompt was "Gameplay image of Super Smash Bros Ultimate with Waluigi in it", so uh, yeah, if you're wondering where that dragon came from? I have no idea. Gotta love Waluigified Mario and Waluigi's third row of teeth though, truly a haunting image.

Honestly? It’s got the CSS art style down pat. It’s a solid render, but it has a long way to go before we reach something that looks real.

I’m definitely trashing every blurry leak from now on. The difference between the clear and blurred images is jarring. I’m honestly surprised the hat logo didn’t get distorted.

 

[cashregister9]

Oh boy...

Spoiler: Potential spoiler for the Direct.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1di46cr/dragalia_losts_site_has_been_updated_in_june/

Never thought I'd see Dragalia Lost potentially being hinted at.

EDIT: wait nevermind you can't see Twitter likes anymore, out with the trash, I do this to myself

 

[PeridotGX]

Well, it got Waluigi's hands and his Γ on his cap right at least...and his hands are conveniently angled so the AI image generator didn't have to draw the Γ's on his gloves.

That said it seems like AI's biggest Achilles' heel when it comes to Smash leaks will be trying to make plausible backgrounds. Your image seems like it's trying to do Animal Crossing trees and cliffs for a bit, but then it derails into a cyberpunk city and random crowds and not really matching up with any of the games represented or the aesthetics of Battlefield/Final Destination.

It's a flaw, yes, but not an insurmountable one. What you could do is make the AI spit out an image like that, isolate the character, and put it onto an actual background image. I made an ai generate this image of my most wanted fighting mario

obviously not real. But if i do what i mentioned earlier...

Slightly more believable. It's still obviously fake, but someone willing to put in the elbow grease could definitely make a convincing leak this way. AI "Artists" aren't known for effort, but this is a monkeys and typewriters situation imo.

 

[CannonStreak]

It's a flaw, yes, but not an insurmountable one. What you could do is make the AI spit out an image like that, isolate the character, and put it onto an actual background image. I made an ai generate this image of my most wanted fighting mario
View attachment 391185
obviously not real. But if i do what i mentioned earlier...
View attachment 391186
Slightly more believable. It's still obviously fake, but someone willing to put in the elbow grease could definitely make a convincing leak this way. AI "Artists" aren't known for effort, but this is a monkeys and typewriters situation imo.

Not to bad, though I kind of think it is imperfect, (no offense) if the crab's leg in the second picture being over the banana is one thing, as well as a lack of shadow.

By the way, obligatory...

"Here's this giant enemy crab..."

 

[Noipoi]

It's a flaw, yes, but not an insurmountable one. What you could do is make the AI spit out an image like that, isolate the character, and put it onto an actual background image. I made an ai generate this image of my most wanted fighting mario
View attachment 391185
obviously not real. But if i do what i mentioned earlier...
View attachment 391186
Slightly more believable. It's still obviously fake, but someone willing to put in the elbow grease could definitely make a convincing leak this way. AI "Artists" aren't known for effort, but this is a monkeys and typewriters situation imo.

Bro I’ve always wanted crab in Smash

 

[Sucumbio]

Hello, this is Sucumbio’s mother.
I opened up this app due to the notifications and would like to let you all know his phone has been confiscated for the time being and we will be having a conversation about this account. The things he has been saying on this app are disgusting.

Edit

 

[HyperSomari64]

It's a flaw, yes, but not an insurmountable one. What you could do is make the AI spit out an image like that, isolate the character, and put it onto an actual background image. I made an ai generate this image of my most wanted fighting mario
View attachment 391185
obviously not real. But if i do what i mentioned earlier...
View attachment 391186
Slightly more believable. It's still obviously fake, but someone willing to put in the elbow grease could definitely make a convincing leak this way. AI "Artists" aren't known for effort, but this is a monkeys and typewriters situation imo.

Quoting Sid the Sloth in Ice Age: Continental Drift...
HOLY CRAB!!

 

[DarthEnderX]

I love Star Fox and want Krystal playable and I want a new Star Fox Adventures with multiple landing party members with their Smash movesets in use and then tons of interplanetary flying missions OH and a Space Academy to train your team and bro I want a giant ass Star Fox experience cause it's so much potential.

I love StarFox and want StarFox 2 to get the StarFox 64 treatment. Tell the same story, but be a completely new game with none of the jank(and none of the terrible real-time star map bits).

And I want Krystal, Miyu and Fay to form, like, a Squadron B of the StarFox team.

 

[TheQuester]

I've asked the AI to make a believable Super Smash Bros. leak, oh boy :

"Hey there, fellow gaming enthusiasts! So, picture this: I’ve just caught a sneak peek of the trailer for the next Super Smash Bros. game, and it’s called Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN. The big reveal happened at the Game Awards 2025, and let me tell you, it’s got us all hyped up! Here are the highlights:

• The Darkened Room: We start in a dimly lit room, like we’re backstage at a TV show. Mysterious silhouettes stand on the stage, and the suspense is real.
• DJ Octavio Takes the Stage: Suddenly, a spotlight hits one of the silhouettes, and guess who? DJ Octavio from Splatoon! His ink-slinging moves light up the screen, and we catch a glimpse of the “Alterna” stage from Splatoon 3. Ink-tastic!
• Officer Howard Joins In: Next up, Officer Howard from Astral Chain steps into the limelight. His gameplay trailer plays on the TV screen, but here’s the twist: the stage he’s on? A desert with a giant water jar. Mystery vibes, my friend.
• Zagreus, the Underworld Rockstar: And finally, the crowd loses it. Zagreus from HADES struts onto the stage. His trailer reveals a stage that screams “Underworld chic,” and there’s this new item—a green bomb that zaps with electricity. Shockingly cool!
• The Big Reveal: The announcer’s voice echoes: “Get ready!” The TV screen lights up, and there it is—the flashy logo: Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN! Neon lights flicker, and we’re all in for a wild ride.

Get those controllers ready, because this showdown is gonna be legendary! "


I think text leakers will still not have to worry about AI anytime soon .

 

[dream1ng]

I've asked the AI to make a believable Super Smash Bros. leak, oh boy :

"Hey there, fellow gaming enthusiasts! So, picture this: I’ve just caught a sneak peek of the trailer for the next Super Smash Bros. game, and it’s called Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN. The big reveal happened at the Game Awards 2025, and let me tell you, it’s got us all hyped up! Here are the highlights:

• The Darkened Room: We start in a dimly lit room, like we’re backstage at a TV show. Mysterious silhouettes stand on the stage, and the suspense is real.
• DJ Octavio Takes the Stage: Suddenly, a spotlight hits one of the silhouettes, and guess who? DJ Octavio from Splatoon! His ink-slinging moves light up the screen, and we catch a glimpse of the “Alterna” stage from Splatoon 3. Ink-tastic!
• Officer Howard Joins In: Next up, Officer Howard from Astral Chain steps into the limelight. His gameplay trailer plays on the TV screen, but here’s the twist: the stage he’s on? A desert with a giant water jar. Mystery vibes, my friend.
• Zagreus, the Underworld Rockstar: And finally, the crowd loses it. Zagreus from HADES struts onto the stage. His trailer reveals a stage that screams “Underworld chic,” and there’s this new item—a green bomb that zaps with electricity. Shockingly cool!
• The Big Reveal: The announcer’s voice echoes: “Get ready!” The TV screen lights up, and there it is—the flashy logo: Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN! Neon lights flicker, and we’re all in for a wild ride.

Get those controllers ready, because this showdown is gonna be legendary! "


I think text leakers will still not have to worry about AI anytime soon .

Especially since a real text leak with this info would be like:

New Smash to be revealed at Game Awards:

• DJ Octavio, protagonist from Astral Chain, Zagreus are in, each has a new stage
• new green bomb item
• game is called Smash Bros. Showdown

I dgaf if you believe me, you [insert insult].

Leaks with a ton of fluff are usually just the creator getting too deep into fanfic

 

[Gengar84]

I've asked the AI to make a believable Super Smash Bros. leak, oh boy :

"Hey there, fellow gaming enthusiasts! So, picture this: I’ve just caught a sneak peek of the trailer for the next Super Smash Bros. game, and it’s called Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN. The big reveal happened at the Game Awards 2025, and let me tell you, it’s got us all hyped up! Here are the highlights:

• The Darkened Room: We start in a dimly lit room, like we’re backstage at a TV show. Mysterious silhouettes stand on the stage, and the suspense is real.
• DJ Octavio Takes the Stage: Suddenly, a spotlight hits one of the silhouettes, and guess who? DJ Octavio from Splatoon! His ink-slinging moves light up the screen, and we catch a glimpse of the “Alterna” stage from Splatoon 3. Ink-tastic!
• Officer Howard Joins In: Next up, Officer Howard from Astral Chain steps into the limelight. His gameplay trailer plays on the TV screen, but here’s the twist: the stage he’s on? A desert with a giant water jar. Mystery vibes, my friend.
• Zagreus, the Underworld Rockstar: And finally, the crowd loses it. Zagreus from HADES struts onto the stage. His trailer reveals a stage that screams “Underworld chic,” and there’s this new item—a green bomb that zaps with electricity. Shockingly cool!
• The Big Reveal: The announcer’s voice echoes: “Get ready!” The TV screen lights up, and there it is—the flashy logo: Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN! Neon lights flicker, and we’re all in for a wild ride.

Get those controllers ready, because this showdown is gonna be legendary! "


I think text leakers will still not have to worry about AI anytime soon .

Yeah, I’ve asked it to make concepts for Smash trailers multiple times and it’s always mostly the same every time. The characters appear from a portal fighting a group of monsters from whatever game they’re from. Creativity doesn’t seem to be its strongest attribute yet. Who knows how much it will improve in a couple years though. I never would have expected to be this far just a few years ago.

 

[Mamboo07]

It's a flaw, yes, but not an insurmountable one. What you could do is make the AI spit out an image like that, isolate the character, and put it onto an actual background image. I made an ai generate this image of my most wanted fighting mario
View attachment 391185
obviously not real. But if i do what i mentioned earlier...
View attachment 391186
Slightly more believable. It's still obviously fake, but someone willing to put in the elbow grease could definitely make a convincing leak this way. AI "Artists" aren't known for effort, but this is a monkeys and typewriters situation imo.

I'm just imaging the Crab from Fight Crab as a fighter...
(There's lots of playable crabs, but my pick would be Snow Crab since it's kinda the main one)

Lots of moveset potential since that game has LOTS OF WEAPONS to use in battle.
(Swords, melee weapons, objects, and more...)

 

[TheQuester]

View attachment 391191
I'm just imaging the Crab from Fight Crab as a fighter...
(There's lots of playable crabs, but my pick would be Snow Crab since it's kinda the main one)

Lots of moveset potential since that game has LOTS OF WEAPONS to use in battle.
(Swords, melee weapons, objects, and more...)

...I though that was an AI image lol.

 

[Will]

Especially since a real text leak with this info would be like:

New Smash to be revealed at Game Awards:

• DJ Octavio, protagonist from Astral Chain, Zagreus are in, each has a new stage
• new green bomb item
• game is called Smash Bros. Showdown

I dgaf if you believe me, you [insert insult].

Leaks with a ton of fluff are usually just the creator getting too deep into fanfic

Piranha Plant leaked this way.

 

[superprincess]

Tomorrow's Nintendo Direct, by nature of (presumably) being the final one to focus solely on Switch games, will probably be the last Direct where people aren't clamoring for Smash 6 news at every chance.

I'm not too excited for tomorrow, but I really can't wait for what's to come. The wait for the next console and therefore the next Smash game announcement will be a crazy ride.

Piranha Plant leaked this way.

So did the whole E3 2018 presentation. It was too late for anyone to really pick up on but it happened before the trailer.

 

[dream1ng]

Piranha Plant leaked this way.

Most valid text leaks are extremely concise. At least in the actual disclosure of info. For one, they wouldn't actually know the personal nonsense fake leaks are rampant with, like Sakurai's opinion on stuff. And two, the more context they give the easier it becomes for ninjas to narrow down their source.

 

[SharkLord]

I had no idea about this, I've been rooting for him to have a dedicated extra mode for a little while now. I was actually kind of disappointed he didn't have one in Forgotten Land, since I didn't play the game co-op I've never really had the opportunity to play as him. And he's like... right there, he has a full moveset. At least let me try to run the arena with him or something, lol. Would have fit with how much of a focus Waddle Dees were in general.

But yeah, if BWD eventually gets his Meta Knightmare-esque mode I feel like that unofficially seals the deal on his graduation into main character status. I'd love to see how they could construct an adventure unique to him and maybe lean into his unexpected underdog role. Helper to Hero, as they say.

Huh...I didn't realize that. Now I'm honestly even sadder that BWD didn't get his own Extra Mode in Forgotten Land.

Yup
Kirby Star Arise Vol.2 Yamanashi Direct Interview Part 2 (from the May 2018 issue) – Nintendo DREAM WEB (ndw.jp)

As for Forgotten Land, I'd imagine they wanted to preserve the multiplayer aspect. If there's no Kirby, they'd need to figure something out for the Player 2. Of course, they could've pulled a clone out of the ether or something, but that's my guess as to why they did what they did.

Also worth mentioning is that Magolor technically got a solo Extra Mode before BWD, in RtDL DX. That said, BWD was also playable in that game, and Bandana Dee still makes far more supporting appearances than Magolor. Actually, Bandana Dee's been playable in all three games Magolor's been playable in (RtDL DX, Star Allies, and Kirby Fighters 2), on top of the original release of RtDL, Rainbow Curse, and Forgotten Land.

Magolor is arguably the most important character after the main four set by RtDL, but he's not quite on the same level.

 

[Mamboo07]

I guess the direct comes tomorrow for those who live on the other hemisphere, which makes sense?

 

[dream1ng]

I guess the direct comes tomorrow for those who live on the other hemisphere, which makes sense?

time zones amirite

 

[Gorgonzales]

Most valid text leaks are extremely concise. At least in the actual disclosure of info. For one, they wouldn't actually know the personal nonsense fake leaks are rampant with, like Sakurai's opinion on stuff. And two, the more context they give the easier it becomes for ninjas to narrow down their source.

This. People who make fake leaks get wayyy too caught up in the details, while the real deals typically just tell you what they know. The real deals typically don't explain reveal trailers in excruciating detail to the point where it feels like they're reading off a fanfiction, or every little point of a presentation.

The Piranha Plant leak was so unceremonious that the original thread received a whopping zero replies when it was active, even though it all ended up being true.

It's almost comical how straight and to-the-point it is.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

I made an ai generate this image of my most wanted fighting mario

generic, small crab.

small crab.

Mario is shorter than Kirby confirmed?

"Hey there, fellow gaming enthusiasts! So, picture this: I’ve just caught a sneak peek of the trailer for the next Super Smash Bros. game, and it’s called Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN. The big reveal happened at the Game Awards 2025, and let me tell you, it’s got us all hyped up! Here are the highlights:

• The Darkened Room: We start in a dimly lit room, like we’re backstage at a TV show. Mysterious silhouettes stand on the stage, and the suspense is real.
• DJ Octavio Takes the Stage: Suddenly, a spotlight hits one of the silhouettes, and guess who? DJ Octavio from Splatoon! His ink-slinging moves light up the screen, and we catch a glimpse of the “Alterna” stage from Splatoon 3. Ink-tastic!
• Officer Howard Joins In: Next up, Officer Howard from Astral Chain steps into the limelight. His gameplay trailer plays on the TV screen, but here’s the twist: the stage he’s on? A desert with a giant water jar. Mystery vibes, my friend.
• Zagreus, the Underworld Rockstar: And finally, the crowd loses it. Zagreus from HADES struts onto the stage. His trailer reveals a stage that screams “Underworld chic,” and there’s this new item—a green bomb that zaps with electricity. Shockingly cool!
• The Big Reveal: The announcer’s voice echoes: “Get ready!” The TV screen lights up, and there it is—the flashy logo: Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN! Neon lights flicker, and we’re all in for a wild ride.

Get those controllers ready, because this showdown is gonna be legendary! "

I never thought I'd see the day that a emoji using time traveling frat bro would leak a Super Smash Bros. game but oh man, what a reveal! I'm a little disappointed to learn that Officer Howard just gets a generic tagline, but the three reveals this early will be hype. I wonder what the jar stage is. My first thought was Ever Oasis, but I'm not sure if it quite matches the description. It's also interesting that part of the title is in all caps. I don't think that was the case in any of the previous entries. Oh yeah, and I can't wait to see Zagreus strut his stuff in a new Hades stage in all of it's Underworld chic glory.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

I've asked the AI to make a believable Super Smash Bros. leak, oh boy :

"Hey there, fellow gaming enthusiasts! So, picture this: I’ve just caught a sneak peek of the trailer for the next Super Smash Bros. game, and it’s called Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN. The big reveal happened at the Game Awards 2025, and let me tell you, it’s got us all hyped up! Here are the highlights:

• The Darkened Room: We start in a dimly lit room, like we’re backstage at a TV show. Mysterious silhouettes stand on the stage, and the suspense is real.
• DJ Octavio Takes the Stage: Suddenly, a spotlight hits one of the silhouettes, and guess who? DJ Octavio from Splatoon! His ink-slinging moves light up the screen, and we catch a glimpse of the “Alterna” stage from Splatoon 3. Ink-tastic!
• Officer Howard Joins In: Next up, Officer Howard from Astral Chain steps into the limelight. His gameplay trailer plays on the TV screen, but here’s the twist: the stage he’s on? A desert with a giant water jar. Mystery vibes, my friend.
• Zagreus, the Underworld Rockstar: And finally, the crowd loses it. Zagreus from HADES struts onto the stage. His trailer reveals a stage that screams “Underworld chic,” and there’s this new item—a green bomb that zaps with electricity. Shockingly cool!
• The Big Reveal: The announcer’s voice echoes: “Get ready!” The TV screen lights up, and there it is—the flashy logo: Super Smash Bros. SHOWDOWN! Neon lights flicker, and we’re all in for a wild ride.

Get those controllers ready, because this showdown is gonna be legendary! "


I think text leakers will still not have to worry about AI anytime soon .

I'm assuming the stages were AI-generated because of the "desert with giant water jar" and "screams Underworld chic" being really vague as opposed to a specific location like Alterna (though you may have fed it that one), but you know, as goofy as most of this is, I actually don't think I'd mind an Alterna stage for Splatoon. I doubt they'd do it over one of the multiplayer maps like how Ultimate had Moray Towers over something like Octo Canyon, but still.

Also makes me think about how I'd love for Lab Discovera from Kirby and the Forgotten Land to be a stage, but that's probably even LESS likely, considering Sakurai's track record with Kirby stages basically all being from Super Star and earlier lol

 

[smashkirby]

maybe. i just thought of it that way round cause it's always ayumi we're talking about getting in

Fair point. Granted, I'd take either one, but Ayumi slightly edges out Taro for me.

This is a separate topic, but I've been reflecting on something maybe a little controversial about Kirby's representation thus far. Bandana Dee was probably not in a real position to be playable in Smash 4, and arguably hadn't reached that level by the the time Ultimate character selection began either.

His major appearances had been regulated to spinoffs after RTDL, or a supporting background role in Triple Deluxe and Robobot. He has never been an obvious addition up until now. Making him playable in Smash 4, a roster which was decided in 2012, would have been in response to his role in a single game as the fourth most important character. Not that much of a breakout role yet. Without the hindsight bias, it's easy to write this off as something of a filler pick for P4.

He had upgraded into Player 2 in Rainbow Curse, but his most significant supporting role didn't come until he was established as the defacto player 2 in Forgotten Land (a "mainline" title). Even Star Allies, where he slotted in among the "core four" once again, came too late to influence Ultimate's roster. And at that point arguably applies less exclusively to him, because of the addition of more Dream Friends later. However it's worth mentioning that Bandana Dee actually the first Dream Friend you can summon in this one, so perhaps he's become Kirby's true BFF at this point.

So when we talk about how this apparent no brainer Kirby newcomer missed the boat for the last two games... it makes a lot of sense, really. Going completionist on a Player 4 character in a single game would be kind of an odd thing to do. Now with Forgotten Land under his belt, not only releasing with more optimal timing for roster consideration but also propelling Bandana Dee into his most important role yet, there's real incentive for them to have that conversation. But the more I've thought about it, the more I really don't think anyone can fault the team for not immediately backing this character with fairly inconsistent main series roles, and before both Star Allies and Forgotten Land. Which, mind you, are also two of Kirby's biggest successes to date.

Pretty much my thoughts on B.W.D.. While I would have been perfectly fine with him showing up WAY earlier, I do understand that in hindsight? There was almost no way he was getting into Smash THAT soon. Still though, I sincerely hope Sakurai and the team understand we want him to be playable....

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Also makes me think about how I'd love for Lab Discovera from Kirby and the Forgotten Land to be a stage, but that's probably even LESS likely, considering Sakurai's track record with Kirby stages basically all being from Super Star and earlier lol

Spoiler: Kirby & The Forgotten Land Spoilers

Lab Discovera's Rooftop would go so hard. You could have Fecto Elfilis as a stage boss who would attack periodically, altering the stage in certain ways. He could create new platforms with the debris from his meteor attacks, and gate off certain sections of the stage by coating it in fire. If you dealt enough damage to him over the course of the match, you can free Elfilin, who gives you a buff for a bit.

Or you could have Fecto Elfilis summon portals to other dimensions, altering the stage based on the locations he pulls. He could throw in stage elements from iconic Kirby levels, and/or he could summon terrain from areas from other franchises. The possiblities are endless with that idea.

EDIT: On another note, I wonder how they'll handle Suite: The Star-Conquering Traveler. Given how the series tends to shy away from letting songs even be 5 minutes long, and its tendency to remove emotional sections from songs, I'd imagine each movement will be separated into their own tracks, and Final Movement: Sparkling Star will just not appear at all. Do you think we'll get the rest of them though?

 

[Wonder Smash]

I'm curious to see how visual novel characters like Ayumi would play in Smash Bros.

If she gets in, the support for Phoenix Wright will probably shoot through the roof in an instant.

 

[cashregister9]

Truly I am shocked that the Plagiarism engine does not generate original or coherent ideas.

 

[dream1ng]

I'm curious to see how visual novel characters like Ayumi would play in Smash Bros.

If she gets in, the support for Phoenix Wright will probably shoot through the roof in an instant.

Kinda doubt it, getting one character doesn't inherently make another related only by genre markedly more popular. Plus it's not like Phoenix Wright is hampered by detractions of dubious feasibility. People have seen him in a fighting game before.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

Spoiler: Kirby & The Forgotten Land Spoilers

Lab Discovera's Rooftop would go so hard. You could have Fecto Elfilis as a stage boss who would attack periodically, altering the stage in certain ways. He could create new platforms with the debris from his meteor attacks, and gate off certain sections of the stage by coating it in fire. If you dealt enough damage to him over the course of the match, you can free Elfilin, who gives you a buff for a bit.

Or you could have Fecto Elfilis summon portals to other dimensions, altering the stage based on the locations he pulls. He could throw in stage elements from iconic Kirby levels, and/or he could summon terrain from areas from other franchises. The possiblities are endless with that idea.

EDIT: On another note, I wonder how they'll handle Suite: The Star-Conquering Traveler. Given how the series tends to shy away from letting songs even be 5 minutes long, and its tendency to remove emotional sections from songs, I'd imagine each movement will be separated into their own tracks, and Final Movement: Sparkling Star will just not appear at all. Do you think we'll get the rest of them though?

Considering that song is True Arena-specific I'm pretty sure, they might just not bother with it and put in Void Termina's theme from the story battle lol

Or they'll do me dirty like they did by not adding Star Dream's first phase theme even though I put that track on Halberd in Smash 4 with mods and the song literally picks up from the intro EXACTLY when the wings of the Halberd in the background unfurl. Still kinda ticked about that not getting in considering you LITERALLY PLAY AS THE HALBERD IN THAT FIGHT, but ah well.

Genuinely at this point, I'm just kinda hoping for Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit (specifically Phase 2) just because I want people with no prior knowledge on Kirby things to be really confused when a Kirby track has a name like that lmao

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Considering that song is True Arena-specific I'm pretty sure, they might just not bother with it and put in Void Termina's theme from the story battle lol

Or they'll do me dirty like they did by not adding Star Dream's first phase theme even though I put that track on Halberd in Smash 4 with mods and the song literally picks up from the intro EXACTLY when the wings of the Halberd in the background unfurl. Still kinda ticked about that not getting in considering you LITERALLY PLAY AS THE HALBERD IN THAT FIGHT, but ah well.

Genuinely at this point, I'm just kinda hoping for Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit (specifically Phase 2) just because I want people with no prior knowledge on Kirby things to be really confused when a Kirby track has a name like that lmao

• 6 Minutes Long
• Has a tone that the series tries to avoid
• Technically not even a part of the final boss theme

Yeah it really doesn't have a chance does it? I'm very curious to see if they'll do the other four movements together, separately, or if they'll just cherry pick one or two (the fourth movement is the most widely applicable so I could see it getting in by itself, especially if all the Kirby stages are Green Greens or similar in atmosphere to it). It would make for the longest song title though. Suite: The Star-Conquering Traveler - Fourth Movement: Hope of Birth. Probably even more confusing out of context too. lol

I don't have any worries about Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit. They seem to be making an effort to include each final boss theme since Kirby's Return to Dreamland, and I don't see any reason why they would stop at Kirby's big new 3D game.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Kinda doubt it, getting one character doesn't inherently make another related only by genre markedly more popular. Plus it's not like Phoenix Wright is hampered by detractions of dubious feasibility. People have seen him in a fighting game before.

Nobody has ever seen visual novel characters work in this kind of gameplay though. Even though Phoenix Wright was in MvC game, that doesn't mean he'll work the same way in Smash Bros., as we've seen with Mega Man. Seeing what elements a character like Ayumi would bring can give people a better idea of how other characters from the same genre would be like if they were in Smash.

 

[dream1ng]

Nobody has ever seen visual novel characters work in this kind of gameplay though. Even though Phoenix Wright was in MvC game, that doesn't mean he'll work the same way in Smash Bros., as we've seen with Mega Man. Seeing what elements a character like Ayumi would bring can give people a better idea of how other characters from the same genre would be like if they were in Smash.

No he would presumably be different than in MvC (even though, conceptually, that's not a bad way to integrate Phoenix Wright into a fighting game), but that doesn't really matter, because the point is he's not seen to be a character that's infeasible. So getting some completely different visual novel character won't change much. Because people already think he could work.

Also just because characters share a genre doesn't mean they'd operate in at all the same fashion in Smash. Jigglypuff and Sephiroth come from the same genre. Kazuya and Min Min come from the same genre. Does Olimar give you a good idea of how Illidan Stormrage would be in Smash?

 

[fogbadge]

Creativity doesn’t seem to be its strongest attribute yet.

it's AI it doesn't have creativity