Things I would focus on in SSB4:
- More characters
- Get rid of some crappy tech stuff: IE Tripping.
- Better Story Mode: Enemies & Stages pulling in from character's games ie Samus' level's play like a metriod game...might be harder to do with things like Pokemon, though.
- Better online: No lag, more rule options, scoreboard, maybe even bigger 8 player stages.
I don't understand why people think there are "rules" for certain characters getting into the Smash series. At this point, there are no rules. Any character can "fit" into the games no matter what they are, like take Snake (3rd Party, realistic), Mr. G&W (kind of made up for smash based on the past G&W games and is 2-D) and even toon link (cel-shaded). Popularity does have some part in it, but that's not the whole thing: look at Mr.G&W and ROB.
There are no real 'rules', but it would be sensible to not add generic characters like Dry Bones, and on. Chances of them appearing are basically none. It's basically the main protagonist, antagonist, and very important co-stars, with none of the game's ensemble. And...
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
NO MASTER CHIEF AND KRATOS.
For obvious reasons used as examples.
On the Mewtwo issue, I think it had a lot to do with Mewtwo's overal fleel and playability. He just sucked-- not that he wasn't a popular character. Compare his feel with someone with a higher tier and there is a big difference. If they do increase the franchise cap, I would love to see Mewtwo return with much needed buffs and different moves, and perhaps a different strategy?
I'm vouching for something like Samus/Zero Suit Samus, like an Armored Mewtwo>Normal.
Armor increases his weight making him fall faster and harder to knock around, and perhaps giving him hyper armor with some specials while normal Mewtwo's specials are stronger, but he's flies farther and is more floaty.
About the four character franchise cap-- am I alone on thinking it's going to remain four? I can't see any other game series representatives passing up Super Mario's roster either. If it does exceed four, I have a feeling that Geno will make it in next time from how much he was whored in the polls and journal mentions.