Wiseguy
Smash Champion
Wiseguy’s Brawl Predictions: The New and Final Version!
Greetings fellow Smashers! Would you believe that my character predictions thread is now a full 8 months old? In that time, this thread has been home to some of the morelively debating on Smashboards thanks to the intelligent and opinionated people who post here. Since its launch, my thread has undergone dozens of revisions because of both my indecisiveness and some huge oversights on my part. It’s been a fun ride.
Now, with the Japanese launch of Brawl quickly approaching, it’s only a matter of time before the final roster of Super Smash is unveiled and this thread (along with the majority of threads in the character section) vanishes into cyberspace. With that and mind, I’ve decided to give my thread a proper send off by creacting one final list of predictions. There will be no more edits, no more adjustments. These are my best guesses on what the final roster will be like, and I’m going to stick by them (even though a couple of them will inevitably turn out to be false.)
So sit back and enjoy the final edition of my predictions. And, as always, feel free to use this thread as your informal discussion thread for all things related to Brawl characters. Feel free to post your own character ideas, move sets, and roster prediction lists.
A special thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on this thread. I look forward
to battling you guys online come February 10.
Vive la Brawl!
-WG
Part 1:
36 Selectable Characters, 40 Playable Movesets (The No-Fun Edition)
Introduction: In keeping with my reputation for being infuriatingly wishy-washy, I’ve come up with three entirely probable scenarios for the final roster. The fist list is what a very conservative 36 character roster would look like, and as you might expect it contains the all the essential characters that MUST make the cut. I will then paint two more optimistic pictures, with two theories of what a 40 character roster will look like.
As always, these are just my opinions though I’ve tired to be as realistic as possible (these are by no means wish lists).
1) Mario
PLUMBER POWER!
Status: Confirmed
Comments: From the “Donkey Kong Arcade” game to “Super Mario Galaxy”, Mario has established himself as the undisputed kingpin of videogame characters. His popularity is unrivaled and the sheer volume of great games he has stared in is unmatched. What would our world be without this plumber?
As I’ve said before, I was a Mario main back in the N64 days and all appearances are pointing to this being the case in Brawl as well. The fine folks who played the E-4-All Brawl demo have reported that while his new F.L.U.D.D. attack is apparently useless, the character himself has undergone a drastic improvement from his former role as a good-but-balanced fighter to a character with the potential to be the best in the game. I can hardly wait to try this new-and-improved Mario out for myself.
2) Luigi
Luigi’s inherent awesomeness almost makes up for how lame Luigi’s Mansion turned out.
Almost
(Photoshop by RidleyFTB!!!)
Status: Very, Very Likely
Comments: To any people who might be worried about Luigi having not been revealed yet: don’t be. Luigi has growth drastically in importance in recent years, having starred in his own game (the inspired but ultimately disappointing “Luigi’s Mansion”) and the ultra awesome Mario RPGs (specifically: “Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga”, “Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time” and “Super Paper Mario”). Most importantly, he and Mario are the characters who put “Bros” in Super Smash bros. If he were cut from the roster, it would likely cause the universe to implode.
For Luigi’s moveset in Brawl, there a couple of possibilities. Luigi’s abilities could remain almost entirely unchanged from his Melee, or they could completely change his moveset to be more in keeping with his recent game appearances. I would expect him to at least get his vaccume as a new down-b to coincide with Mario’s FLUDD.
3) Peach
“Hi Mario. I’ve backed a cake for you. MADE OF POISON!!!” -Mic_128
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Much like Luigi, Peach has become more relevant, having starred in “Super Princess Peach” and “Super Paper Mario”. And, being one of the more unique additions to, her return was inevitable.
From demo impressions, it sounds like Peach’s abilities are fairly similar, though her down smash has been given a good nerf. THANK GOODNESS!
4) Bowser
“WHERE’S YOUR WAVEDASH NOW?!?!”
Status: Confirmed
Comments: After years of being dealt the role of comic-relief-villian in Mario games, Bowser is bringing the awesome in a big way. His new appearance is possibly the most brilliant of all the returning veterans, his Final Smash is unquestionably the best of in the game and his moveset has happily been tweaked to make him more competitive.
After years at the low end of the tier list, the Koopa King is ready to take his revenge!
1) Link
Link pictured confronting the most terrifying boss in the Subspace Emissary.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Twilight Princess is the greatest Zelda game ever made. Never let anyone tell you different. That being the case, it’s fantastic to see that Sakurai has opted to go with the latest and greatest incarnation of everyone’s favorite green hatted elf.
And who predicted the introduction of the Gale boomerang and Claw Shot into Link’s moveset? Oh right, that would be me!
2 & 3) Zelda/Sheik
For clarification, Sheik is not a man or a woman. The official term is
“he/she/it/potatoe.”
Status: (Zelda) Confirmed (Sheik) Probable
Comments: Ever since the Twilight Princess Zelda was unveiled, Smash fans have eagerly awaited the unveiling of her special moves update. Not because anyone actually cares about Zelda herself, but because the everyone is wondering what fate awaits her alter ego: Sheik.
Sheik is, without question, the worst thing to ever happen to the Smash Bros series. Originally intended as a second moveset for Zelda player (thus giving Smashers two characters for the price of one) the plan backfired. Sheik was inexplicably designed to stupidly overpowered therefore requiring minimal skill to use effectively. Zelda was rendered utterly irrelevant, her only influence being that she denied Sheik the use of a down-B special attack. While by no means the most broken character in Melee, Sheik is pretty darn close, and the character’s minimal role in Zelda franchise (a mere disguise for Zelda in OoT) makes him/her/it/potato an infuriatingly pointless inclusion.
Frankly, Sheik sucks.
Having the Zelda from Twilight Princess transform into OoT’s Sheik would most certainly be a cardinal sin, as it would directly contradict the most elementary Zelda cannon (ie: TP Zelda and Sheik are NOT THE SAME PERSON). Sadly, however, all appears are pointing to Sheikmaking a return as Zelda’s transformation. In a recent interview, Eiji Aonuma (the current producers of the Zeklda games) confirmed that he collaborated with Sakurai in the creation of Sheik’s character model and at E 4 All, a Supspace Emisary trailer clearly showed the beginning phases of Zelda transforming (although into what is unknown).
At this point I can only hope that Zelda has a new transformartion: like an Octorock. But since that’s a tad far fetched, I’ll settle for Sheik being being nerfed to oblivion (though won’t be happy about it).
4) Ganondorf
He would have gotten that Triforce too, if not for those meddling kids…
Status: Very, Very Likely
Comments: What you may or not know about this version of my thread is that I’ve removed
all the clones from Melee (unless you count Luigi) except one. Frankly, there is no way Ganondorf could possibly be removed. He’s been in almost every Zelda game to date in some incarnation, with each boss encounter more epic than the next. Twilight Princess Ganondorf gets my vote for most badass Ganon to date, which is swell because his chances of being chosen for Brawl are darn close to 100%.
Naturally, Ganondorf will get a brand new moveset to coincide with this makeover, but I’ve come to suspect that this incarnation will not include his sword from Twilight Princess. Yes, he could easily be made both awesome and unique if given such treatment, but I feel that a bare-knuckle brawler with the odd magic attack would add more to the roster than another swordsman.
Either way, however, Ganondorf is guaranteed to be awesome. I expect great things.
5) Windwaker Link
When one Link just doesn’t cut it…
Status: Probable
Comments: Message to all the Windwaker haters: shut up. The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker is most certainly the most visually stunning game in the series and one of the finest adventure games ever made. This alone would guarantee the game’s protagonist a spot on the Brawl roster, but the fact that the game’s sublime DS sequel Phantom Hourglass is the fastest selling Zelda game ever makes him an indispensable inclusion.
“Why do we need a second Linkwhen we have TP Link?” Because, while both can claim the title of “Link,” they are separate individuals entirely. In addition, they contrast each other nicely in terms of personality, outward appearance and abilities. By giving Windwaker Link access to items like the Deku Leaf, grapple hook and the Skull Hammer, he would make an incredibly unique addition. Plus, if Sakurai had qualms with multiple version of the same character, the presence of Young Link in Melee would
Here's a cool moveset made by Mido
02:http://smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=3128723&postcount=5364
1) Pikachu
*Insert witty comment here*
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Shocker! (Pun intended).
2) Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff isn’t COMPLETELY lame. Just mostly.
Status: Probable
Comments: As much as I’ve wracked my brain for a reason to remove Jigglypuff, there really isn’t one. Too bad.
3) Mewtwo
Hopefully, playing against Mewtwo in the future won’t be as unchallenging as clubbing a
baby seal.
Status: Probable
Comments: Although Mewtwo’s suckage reached unprecedented levels in Melee, his chances for a return debut are pretty high. There is a remote possibility that he may be replaced by Lucario, but that seems pretty unlikely.
4, 5 & 6) Pokemon Trainer (ie: Squirtle, Ivysaur & Charzard)
Seven playable Pokemon? With this Poke-vasion never cease?
Status: Confirmed
Comments: While I am not a Pokemon fan, I am a fan of unique Smash Bros characters. For that reason, it’s pretty hard for me to hate the Pokemon Trainer like I do every Pokemon character that has come before. Three playable movesets? A stamina meter that prevents players from relying on one character? This stuff is brilliant.
However, what does grind my gears about Pokemon Trainer is how over it over represents the Pokemon series in Brawl. Although they aren’t selectable on the roster screen, Charzard, Ivysaur and Squirtle each took the same development time as any other playable character – putting the total number of playable at SIX (assuming Jiggs and Mewtwo remain). In terms of selectable characters, however, this technically leaves the series with four.
1) Kirby
“…and that’s a good thing!”
Status: *Confirmed
Comments: Nothing much to say here, except that Kirby is all but guaranteed to be
unnerfed, which is great.
2) MetaKnight
Metaknight is so cool, I only wish the Dojo would reveal his moveset a THIRD time! [/sarcasm]
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Although the Brawl demoers have reported that Metaknight isn’t as broken as
you might expect, I’m still predicting that everyone and his brother is going to be
using this character. So expect to be seeing a lot of this character.
3) King Dedede
King Dedede’s philosophy: speak softly and carry a giant freaking hammer with a jet
egine.
Status: Confirmed!
Comments: King Dedede was always destined to be an awesome addition to the roster, since
penguins with hammers are inherently awesome. But Sakurai has clearly gone above and beyond with creation, giving him a rocket-powered hammer attack and the ability to throw Waddle Dees. I can hardly fathom how I EVER believed that Dx# would be a Kirby clone!
I know nil about the Kirby series, but this trio of characters is definitely adds a lot of uniqueness to our beloved Smash Bros.
Metroid Series:
1 & 2) Samus/Zamus
Why Japan? What do you hate the Metroid Prime series so?
Status: Confirmed
Comments: As a huge fan of the Metroid Prime trilogy, it still stings when I think how awesome Samu’s Prime suit could have been in Brawl. That’s not to say that the revamped Super Metroid suit they went with looks bad, but it is still a bit disappointing.
What isn’t disappointer, however, is the way Zero Suit Samus was implemented. While I initially distressed to learn that Samus’ alternate form could only be used after getting a Final Smash, I’m actually pretty happy with the decision now. Not only is this implementation fairly accurate to the Metroid cannon (Samus is not known to shed her suit frequently) but is also removes the possibility of players using one moveset and ignoring the other. Samus and Zamus are ONE character, so if you plan on maining the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter, be prepared to master ALL her abilities.
3)Ridley
Ridley: The Anti-Pokemon (Copyright 2007, Wiseguy)
Status: Very Likely
Comments: Sure, some of his fans can be a bit… enthusiastic. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Ridley is one of the most awesome videogame characters in history and an absolute shoe-in for Brawl.
The most prominent villain in the Metroid series and Samus’ main rival, this space dragon is most definitely a gaming icon. Plus, Ridley has an incredible potential for a killer moveset with claws, teeth and plasma breath. But most importantly, his sheer badassedry would do wonders to balance a roster quickly filling with disgustingly cute animals.
Support the one and only Anti-Pokemon. Ridley for Brawl!
1) Fox
“Say hello to my little friend…”
Status: Confirmed
Comments: As much of a fan as I am of Starfox, I must admit that I’ve grown to reset the
character a bit. In Melee, Fox was easily one of the most overused and overpowered characters. Having had things too good for too long, it was inevitable that the character would get an appointment with Sakurai’s nerf bat.
Fortunately, reports are that Fox has been balanced so as to be a good, effective character without being balanced. So now everyone can be happy.
2) Krystal
For the record, Starfox Adventures may not have been the game that Starfox veterans were
hoping for, but it was still one of the best Zelda-style adventures on the Gamecube.
Status: Very Likely
Comments: Eat it haters. Starfox Adventures is a great game, even if it borrows more from Zelda games than the Starfox series.
While some would argue that Fox has more prominent sidekicks than Krystal, the fact of the matter is that her uniqueness trumps all other space animals. A female staff wielder is something entirely new to Smash, while someone like Wolf and Falco wouldn’t aren’t inherently unique (though I wouldn’t rule out either of them appearing with a new moveset or a clone).
1) Donkey Kong
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Poor DK. In the days of the Arcade and SNES, he was among the greatest icons in videogames. Nowadays, his games are limited to underappreciated masterpieces (“Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat” for Gamecube) or blatant shovel ware (“Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast” for Wii). However, though Nintendo may have forsaken their first mascot, Sakurai has not.
I’ve always loved playing as DK, even though he’s *been an overly useful character in one-on-one matches. From the demo reports, DK will remain relatively unchanged aside from the odd tweak here and there. Hopefully, Sakurai will give the character a Bowser-esque enhancement to make the big lug more competitive.
2) Diddy Kong
Diddy: I can't control it!
Lucas: I'm not leaving you. There's another way to end this, and you know it.
Diddy: I can't let you die!
Lucas: And I can't let everyone else...
Lucas: You saved the cheerleader, so we could save the world.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: What the heck took so long? Diddy Kong is a Nitendo icon, co-star of the Donkey Kong Country games, and holder of his own frnachise: “Diddy Kong Racing”. The fact that he was MIA in Melee is simply in excusable.
Now, however, all is right with the world, as Diddy has taken his spot alongside his fellow Nintendo elites. Just watching the little dude scamper across brings a smile to my face, and having a peanut pistol and jetpack is exactly as I envisioned him. I can’t wait to try this character out.
1) Ike
”You call that a knife? That's not a knife… now THAT’S a knife!”
Status: Confirmed
Comments: As “Fire Emblem Path and Radiance” and “Radiant Dawn” are two of my favorite RPGs in existence, you can bet that I’m thrilled to see the main lord in said games making a playable debut in Brawl.
One of the debates relating to Ike since he was revealed is Smash veteran Marth. Is Ike replacing everyone’s favorite tiara wearing sword fighter? If yes, then why is Ike’s moveset so different from his predecessor? If no, then why was Ike revealed first? My opinion is that Ike will replace him in terms of being a Fire Emblem representative, while a second character (which is further down on this list) with be more of a replacement for his moveset.
But enough about Marth. Ike is probably my favorite of the swordfighters revealed thus far because, while very slow, his incredible attack power leaves everyone else in the dust. For one-on-one battles he will undoubtedly be useless but he might be pretty deadly in four player free for alls and team matches.
1) Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon should be revealed any day now. Right? RIGHT?!?!
Status: Very, Very Likely
Comments: Captain Falcon is a prime example of an obscure videogame character from an obscure series who gained notoriety after appearing in the Smash Bros series. Before appearing Smash 64, few had ever heard of F-Zero, let alone its star racer/bounty hunter. But at this point, the good captain has been so engrained into Smash fandom that one can scarcely imagine a new Smash without “Falcon Punch!” and “Show Me Your Moves!”
While Nintendo seems to have abandoned the awesome F-Zero franchise after disappointing sales for “F-Zero GX” (if you didn’t buy it, then you suck!) the return of Falcon is all but guaranteed with Saumerai Goroh appearing as an Assist Trophy. While it’s difficult to imagine his trademark moveset being too different, I expect his knee will be nerfed while the rest of his moves will be enhanced.
1) Lucas
Ness may be gone, but his moveset lives on.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: I’m not one to brag… without cause. In this case, I believe I am justified in giving myself a pat on the back for correctly predicting not only that Lucas would
appear, but also that he would be a Ness replacement.
However, in this case I would have been happy to be wrong as it is pretty disappointing
to see Ness (most likely) removed. *As one of the original 12 from Smash Bros N64, I
would argue that he should have remained if for only continuity’s sake. But Sakurai
must have thought differently, as it is pretty obvious that Lucas has inherited Ness’
moveset and replaced him as the primary Earthbound representative.
On the plus side, however, Lucas seems like a pretty cool character in his own right.
From the screenshots on the Dojo, it appears that what he lacks in the hat and backpack
department he makes up in terms of a snake grapple recovery and a B attack that doesn’t
suck. Let’s hope that this new PK master does his fallen predecessor proud.
1) Yoshi
Contrary to popular belief it was not a meteorite but a lack of stealth that lead the
dinosaur’s extinction.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Does anyone actually play as Yoshi? Seriously, I have no clue. Regardless,
he’s back, largely unchanged, save for a new Mario-Party-esque appearance.
Yoshi'stheBombers7 has informed me that not only is he a bona-fied example of a living, breathing Yoshi player but that Yoshi has undergone some postitiver changes as well.
"You can use his Up B Egg Toss to gain distance like Mario's cape and his Side B now grabs the ledge. His attacks have more range and buff. He lost his DJC, but it is currently speculated that this will help him with new combos, as some of his moves now send him towards the peak of his jump, creating another oppertunity to attack."
Thanks fore the input, YtB7
Wario Ware Series:
1) Wario
Who was that masked man?
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Some characters just ooze awesome. Wario is such a character. From evil Mario doppelganger of “Mario Land 2”, to mischievous anti hero of the “Wario World” platformers, to greedy game developer of the “Wario Ware” series Wario has seen it all.
In Brawl, Wario runs around in jerky movements ala Game & Watch and his crazy moveset consists of bites, farts and a motorcycle. Best of all, he has an ICREDIBLE final Smash where he transforms into Wario Man – something fans of the Wario Ware series in particular should get a big kick out of. It’s hard to get much more awesome than that!
1) Captain Olimar
Every time you say Olimar won't be in Brawl, a puppy dies.
Status: Very Likely
Comments: This is one character who is entirely non-negotiable, who absolutely MUST be included. Olimar is the protagonist of the most ingenius and addictive series ever created: the Pikmin games. These games involve a tiny astronaut who enslaves an entire race of plant creatures perform tasks like reassembling his spacecraft, plundering rare treasures and battling enormous, hideous creatures. It’s a scientific fact that people who don’t love the Pikmin games have no soul whatsoever.
Olimar’s potential more a unique moveset is so mindblowing, that he absolutely DEMANDS to be included in Brawl. The ability to grow, command and toss around an army of miniature AI minions would add layers of complexity and strategy unheard of in a 2-D fighter. If he is not playable, then I will be crushed.
Also, I demand that you read Vali's brilliant Olimar moveset here:
http://smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=2409228&postcount=354
12) Isaac
How about Cloud as an alternate costume for Issac? NOT!
On Sakurai's Poll: Yes
Status: Probable
Comments: You'll have to forgive my poor knowledge of the Golden Sun series (as I've never played any of it's games) but even I have to admit that Isaac stands pretty good shot at appearing in Brawl. He was the protagonist in the first Golden Sun game, which was both very popular and critically acclaimed, and he appeared on Sakurai's poll. The character is currently owned by Nintendo, so Sakurai would likely have no problem obtaining the rights to the character.
ODIN has made a great Isaac moveset here:
http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?p=2667571&highlight=isaac+moveset#post2667571
**NEW** Here's raphtmarqui's take on Issac's moveset: http://smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=3727212&postcount=7263
1) Pit
Message to Nintendo: Give me Kid Icarus Wii or give me death.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: I played Kid Icarus on the Virtual console recently. It’s not that fun. However, I do see a lot of potential in the premise, so hopefully Pit’s Brawl appearance with prompt Nintendo to give the franchise to Retro Studios to revive the franchise on Wii.
As for Pit in Brawl, reports from the demo seems pretty positive. I imagine he may turn out to be a favorite for those with an affinity for projectile spamming. Throw in some incredible recovery and speedy swordplay, and you’ve got a recipe for a fan favorite.
2) Ice Climbers
You won’t see this is Halo 3…
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Urgh. Okay, so I was off base in originally predicting that the Ice Climbers would not return. But while is was sickening to see many of my preconceived notions go up in flames, it was nice to see such a unique and cool veteran make a return in Brawl.
I would expect to see some minor improvements to the dynamic duo (like giving Nana more intelligence than a slice of meat loaf) but otherwise they seem entirely unchanged.
*
3) Mr. Game & Watch
Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, the bell tolls for thee.
Status: Very Likely
Comments: Since it has been established through the icon theory (check it out here: http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=105742&highlight=icon) that there is one more character icon from Melee that will return and G&W’s is the only one yet to return, it is all but guaranteed that the character is in Brawl.
It’s impossible not to love Mr. Game & Watch’s quirkiness, so his return is undoubtedly a good thing. Hopefully, however, Sakurai will choose to make him less of a joke character this time around.
4) Takamaru
"AKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!"
Status: Probable
Comments: Takamaru is a character that you’ve never heard of, from a Japanese-only Famicom game that you’ll never play called Nazo no Murasame-jô. But you might as well learn who he is now, because his appearing in Brawl is all but guaranteed. On Sakurai’s Japanese poll, the character was among the most requested characters despite not having appeared in a game for around 20 years. Plus, the presence of Mother 3 hero Lucas proves that Japanese only characters are fair game.
In case you haven’t guessed, my theory is that Takamaru will serve as a Marth replacement where Ike cannot: a swift, nimble swordfighter with flowy combo-able attacks.
Still not convinced? Perhaps this argument will: Samurais are awesome.
Checkmate.
1) Snake
When the world takes away your guns, make rocket launcher-aide!
Status: Confirmed
*
Comments: Like the moon landing, the confirmation of Solid Snake in Super Smash Bros Brawl is one of those monumental events that changes the course of history. For one brief, magical moment all was right with the world as videogame nerds danced in the streets and nothing seemed impossible.ow, people have grown used to the used of the idea of legendary slayer-of-bipedal-tanks duking it out with the Nintendo allstars, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome.
His exploits in the Metal Gear Solid series are so filled with superhuman feats of badassery that he puts the likes of Chuck Norris to shame. Fortunately, Sakurai has designed a moveset that fits his personality to a T, with a brilliant combination of explosives and physical attacks. If I don’t wind up maining Snake, you can bet that I’ll be playing him for fun.
2) Sonic
ZOMG! soNik ish In teh brAwelz!!!!!!!!!!111one (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Yeah, yeah. I was mistaken when I removed Sonic from my list (just prior to his confirmation, I might add). In retrospect, there really wasn’t any way for Sonic NOT to be included. The character is the most requested Smash Bros character of all time, his rivalry with Mario is the stuff of legend and SEGA was likely very receptive to the idea after they were permitted to include Nintendo characters in “Mario & Sonic at the Olympics”.
There is little question that Sonic lends himself very well to Smash Bros, and his ultra
speediness would seem to make him a pretty unique fighter. Of course, judging by how
poorly people at E 4 All were using him, it will take a bit of practice before he can
be mastered.
3) Megaman
Megaman envies Samus for her uncanny ability to shoot up.
Status: Possible
Comments: Sadly, the appeal of this particular character is lost on me, as I've yet to play a Megaman game. However, the people have definitely spoken: Megaman is the heir-apparent for the next 3rd party slot. I'll be darned if I let another Sonic incident happen, so he stays.
See Odin's moveset here:
http://smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=2891330&postcount=3556
*4) Geno
Geno and Brawl go together like senient scarecrow dolls and awesome fighting games. (IE: Better then you might think).
Status: Likely
Comments: Geno is the kind of character that sparks fierce debate on Smashboards lately, so let me be very clear in my reasoning for including him. Geno is a sentient scarecrow doll, and a sidekick of Mario’s in the SNES role playing game “Super Mario RPG.” Few videogame characters are as obscure as Geno, and he is (in my experience) relatively unknown unless you are a fan of his game (or someone who visits Smashboards) . However, his utterly unique backstory and personality have made him a fan favorite, and his high ranking on Sakurai’s poll should not be discounted.
Some would argue that since he is technically owned by Square Enix (who made Mario RPG) he would never even be considered as he lacks the popularity of Sonic or Megaman. While this is true, the fact that the character appeared in “Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga” in a small cameo shows that Square is more than willing to let other companies use the character (without all the hassle that comes with attaining the rights to a character who actually matters). Also, given Sakurai’s affinity for cool-but-obscure retro characters (Ice Climbers, G&W, etc.) Geno stands a pretty decent shot.
Here’s a quick recap of Part 1:
Mario Series: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, (4)
Zelda Series: Link, Zelda/Sheik, Ganondorf, Young Link, (4)
Pokemon Series: Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Pokemon Trainer(4)
Kirby Series: Kirby, Metaknight, King Dedede (3)
Metroid Series: Samus / Zero Suit Samus, Ridley (2)
Starfox Series: Fox McCloud, Krystal (2)
Donkey Kong Series: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong (2)
Fire Emblem Series: Ike, (1)
Earthbound Series: Lucas, (1)
F-Zero Series: Captain Falcon (1)
Yoshi Series: Yoshi (1)
Wario Ware Series: Wario (1)
Retro: Pit, Ice Climbers, Mr. Game & Watch, Takamaru (4)
Other Nintendo Characters: Captain Olimar, Issac (2)
3rd Party Characters: Snake, Sonic, Megaman, Geno (4)
36 total characters = 40 unique playable movesets
Greetings fellow Smashers! Would you believe that my character predictions thread is now a full 8 months old? In that time, this thread has been home to some of the morelively debating on Smashboards thanks to the intelligent and opinionated people who post here. Since its launch, my thread has undergone dozens of revisions because of both my indecisiveness and some huge oversights on my part. It’s been a fun ride.
Now, with the Japanese launch of Brawl quickly approaching, it’s only a matter of time before the final roster of Super Smash is unveiled and this thread (along with the majority of threads in the character section) vanishes into cyberspace. With that and mind, I’ve decided to give my thread a proper send off by creacting one final list of predictions. There will be no more edits, no more adjustments. These are my best guesses on what the final roster will be like, and I’m going to stick by them (even though a couple of them will inevitably turn out to be false.)
So sit back and enjoy the final edition of my predictions. And, as always, feel free to use this thread as your informal discussion thread for all things related to Brawl characters. Feel free to post your own character ideas, move sets, and roster prediction lists.
A special thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on this thread. I look forward
to battling you guys online come February 10.
Vive la Brawl!
-WG
Part 1:
36 Selectable Characters, 40 Playable Movesets (The No-Fun Edition)
Introduction: In keeping with my reputation for being infuriatingly wishy-washy, I’ve come up with three entirely probable scenarios for the final roster. The fist list is what a very conservative 36 character roster would look like, and as you might expect it contains the all the essential characters that MUST make the cut. I will then paint two more optimistic pictures, with two theories of what a 40 character roster will look like.
As always, these are just my opinions though I’ve tired to be as realistic as possible (these are by no means wish lists).
Mario Series:
1) Mario
PLUMBER POWER!
Status: Confirmed
Comments: From the “Donkey Kong Arcade” game to “Super Mario Galaxy”, Mario has established himself as the undisputed kingpin of videogame characters. His popularity is unrivaled and the sheer volume of great games he has stared in is unmatched. What would our world be without this plumber?
As I’ve said before, I was a Mario main back in the N64 days and all appearances are pointing to this being the case in Brawl as well. The fine folks who played the E-4-All Brawl demo have reported that while his new F.L.U.D.D. attack is apparently useless, the character himself has undergone a drastic improvement from his former role as a good-but-balanced fighter to a character with the potential to be the best in the game. I can hardly wait to try this new-and-improved Mario out for myself.
2) Luigi
Luigi’s inherent awesomeness almost makes up for how lame Luigi’s Mansion turned out.
Almost
(Photoshop by RidleyFTB!!!)
Status: Very, Very Likely
Comments: To any people who might be worried about Luigi having not been revealed yet: don’t be. Luigi has growth drastically in importance in recent years, having starred in his own game (the inspired but ultimately disappointing “Luigi’s Mansion”) and the ultra awesome Mario RPGs (specifically: “Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga”, “Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time” and “Super Paper Mario”). Most importantly, he and Mario are the characters who put “Bros” in Super Smash bros. If he were cut from the roster, it would likely cause the universe to implode.
For Luigi’s moveset in Brawl, there a couple of possibilities. Luigi’s abilities could remain almost entirely unchanged from his Melee, or they could completely change his moveset to be more in keeping with his recent game appearances. I would expect him to at least get his vaccume as a new down-b to coincide with Mario’s FLUDD.
3) Peach
“Hi Mario. I’ve backed a cake for you. MADE OF POISON!!!” -Mic_128
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Much like Luigi, Peach has become more relevant, having starred in “Super Princess Peach” and “Super Paper Mario”. And, being one of the more unique additions to, her return was inevitable.
From demo impressions, it sounds like Peach’s abilities are fairly similar, though her down smash has been given a good nerf. THANK GOODNESS!
4) Bowser
“WHERE’S YOUR WAVEDASH NOW?!?!”
Status: Confirmed
Comments: After years of being dealt the role of comic-relief-villian in Mario games, Bowser is bringing the awesome in a big way. His new appearance is possibly the most brilliant of all the returning veterans, his Final Smash is unquestionably the best of in the game and his moveset has happily been tweaked to make him more competitive.
After years at the low end of the tier list, the Koopa King is ready to take his revenge!
Zelda Series
1) Link
Link pictured confronting the most terrifying boss in the Subspace Emissary.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Twilight Princess is the greatest Zelda game ever made. Never let anyone tell you different. That being the case, it’s fantastic to see that Sakurai has opted to go with the latest and greatest incarnation of everyone’s favorite green hatted elf.
And who predicted the introduction of the Gale boomerang and Claw Shot into Link’s moveset? Oh right, that would be me!
2 & 3) Zelda/Sheik
For clarification, Sheik is not a man or a woman. The official term is
“he/she/it/potatoe.”
Status: (Zelda) Confirmed (Sheik) Probable
Comments: Ever since the Twilight Princess Zelda was unveiled, Smash fans have eagerly awaited the unveiling of her special moves update. Not because anyone actually cares about Zelda herself, but because the everyone is wondering what fate awaits her alter ego: Sheik.
Sheik is, without question, the worst thing to ever happen to the Smash Bros series. Originally intended as a second moveset for Zelda player (thus giving Smashers two characters for the price of one) the plan backfired. Sheik was inexplicably designed to stupidly overpowered therefore requiring minimal skill to use effectively. Zelda was rendered utterly irrelevant, her only influence being that she denied Sheik the use of a down-B special attack. While by no means the most broken character in Melee, Sheik is pretty darn close, and the character’s minimal role in Zelda franchise (a mere disguise for Zelda in OoT) makes him/her/it/potato an infuriatingly pointless inclusion.
Frankly, Sheik sucks.
Having the Zelda from Twilight Princess transform into OoT’s Sheik would most certainly be a cardinal sin, as it would directly contradict the most elementary Zelda cannon (ie: TP Zelda and Sheik are NOT THE SAME PERSON). Sadly, however, all appears are pointing to Sheikmaking a return as Zelda’s transformation. In a recent interview, Eiji Aonuma (the current producers of the Zeklda games) confirmed that he collaborated with Sakurai in the creation of Sheik’s character model and at E 4 All, a Supspace Emisary trailer clearly showed the beginning phases of Zelda transforming (although into what is unknown).
At this point I can only hope that Zelda has a new transformartion: like an Octorock. But since that’s a tad far fetched, I’ll settle for Sheik being being nerfed to oblivion (though won’t be happy about it).
4) Ganondorf
He would have gotten that Triforce too, if not for those meddling kids…
Status: Very, Very Likely
Comments: What you may or not know about this version of my thread is that I’ve removed
all the clones from Melee (unless you count Luigi) except one. Frankly, there is no way Ganondorf could possibly be removed. He’s been in almost every Zelda game to date in some incarnation, with each boss encounter more epic than the next. Twilight Princess Ganondorf gets my vote for most badass Ganon to date, which is swell because his chances of being chosen for Brawl are darn close to 100%.
Naturally, Ganondorf will get a brand new moveset to coincide with this makeover, but I’ve come to suspect that this incarnation will not include his sword from Twilight Princess. Yes, he could easily be made both awesome and unique if given such treatment, but I feel that a bare-knuckle brawler with the odd magic attack would add more to the roster than another swordsman.
Either way, however, Ganondorf is guaranteed to be awesome. I expect great things.
5) Windwaker Link
When one Link just doesn’t cut it…
Status: Probable
Comments: Message to all the Windwaker haters: shut up. The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker is most certainly the most visually stunning game in the series and one of the finest adventure games ever made. This alone would guarantee the game’s protagonist a spot on the Brawl roster, but the fact that the game’s sublime DS sequel Phantom Hourglass is the fastest selling Zelda game ever makes him an indispensable inclusion.
“Why do we need a second Linkwhen we have TP Link?” Because, while both can claim the title of “Link,” they are separate individuals entirely. In addition, they contrast each other nicely in terms of personality, outward appearance and abilities. By giving Windwaker Link access to items like the Deku Leaf, grapple hook and the Skull Hammer, he would make an incredibly unique addition. Plus, if Sakurai had qualms with multiple version of the same character, the presence of Young Link in Melee would
Here's a cool moveset made by Mido
02:http://smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=3128723&postcount=5364
Pokemon Series:
1) Pikachu
*Insert witty comment here*
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Shocker! (Pun intended).
2) Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff isn’t COMPLETELY lame. Just mostly.
Status: Probable
Comments: As much as I’ve wracked my brain for a reason to remove Jigglypuff, there really isn’t one. Too bad.
3) Mewtwo
Hopefully, playing against Mewtwo in the future won’t be as unchallenging as clubbing a
baby seal.
Status: Probable
Comments: Although Mewtwo’s suckage reached unprecedented levels in Melee, his chances for a return debut are pretty high. There is a remote possibility that he may be replaced by Lucario, but that seems pretty unlikely.
4, 5 & 6) Pokemon Trainer (ie: Squirtle, Ivysaur & Charzard)
Seven playable Pokemon? With this Poke-vasion never cease?
Status: Confirmed
Comments: While I am not a Pokemon fan, I am a fan of unique Smash Bros characters. For that reason, it’s pretty hard for me to hate the Pokemon Trainer like I do every Pokemon character that has come before. Three playable movesets? A stamina meter that prevents players from relying on one character? This stuff is brilliant.
However, what does grind my gears about Pokemon Trainer is how over it over represents the Pokemon series in Brawl. Although they aren’t selectable on the roster screen, Charzard, Ivysaur and Squirtle each took the same development time as any other playable character – putting the total number of playable at SIX (assuming Jiggs and Mewtwo remain). In terms of selectable characters, however, this technically leaves the series with four.
Kirby Series:
1) Kirby
“…and that’s a good thing!”
Status: *Confirmed
Comments: Nothing much to say here, except that Kirby is all but guaranteed to be
unnerfed, which is great.
2) MetaKnight
Metaknight is so cool, I only wish the Dojo would reveal his moveset a THIRD time! [/sarcasm]
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Although the Brawl demoers have reported that Metaknight isn’t as broken as
you might expect, I’m still predicting that everyone and his brother is going to be
using this character. So expect to be seeing a lot of this character.
3) King Dedede
King Dedede’s philosophy: speak softly and carry a giant freaking hammer with a jet
egine.
Status: Confirmed!
Comments: King Dedede was always destined to be an awesome addition to the roster, since
penguins with hammers are inherently awesome. But Sakurai has clearly gone above and beyond with creation, giving him a rocket-powered hammer attack and the ability to throw Waddle Dees. I can hardly fathom how I EVER believed that Dx# would be a Kirby clone!
I know nil about the Kirby series, but this trio of characters is definitely adds a lot of uniqueness to our beloved Smash Bros.
Metroid Series:
1 & 2) Samus/Zamus
Why Japan? What do you hate the Metroid Prime series so?
Status: Confirmed
Comments: As a huge fan of the Metroid Prime trilogy, it still stings when I think how awesome Samu’s Prime suit could have been in Brawl. That’s not to say that the revamped Super Metroid suit they went with looks bad, but it is still a bit disappointing.
What isn’t disappointer, however, is the way Zero Suit Samus was implemented. While I initially distressed to learn that Samus’ alternate form could only be used after getting a Final Smash, I’m actually pretty happy with the decision now. Not only is this implementation fairly accurate to the Metroid cannon (Samus is not known to shed her suit frequently) but is also removes the possibility of players using one moveset and ignoring the other. Samus and Zamus are ONE character, so if you plan on maining the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter, be prepared to master ALL her abilities.
3)Ridley
Ridley: The Anti-Pokemon (Copyright 2007, Wiseguy)
Status: Very Likely
Comments: Sure, some of his fans can be a bit… enthusiastic. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Ridley is one of the most awesome videogame characters in history and an absolute shoe-in for Brawl.
The most prominent villain in the Metroid series and Samus’ main rival, this space dragon is most definitely a gaming icon. Plus, Ridley has an incredible potential for a killer moveset with claws, teeth and plasma breath. But most importantly, his sheer badassedry would do wonders to balance a roster quickly filling with disgustingly cute animals.
Support the one and only Anti-Pokemon. Ridley for Brawl!
Starfox series:
1) Fox
“Say hello to my little friend…”
Status: Confirmed
Comments: As much of a fan as I am of Starfox, I must admit that I’ve grown to reset the
character a bit. In Melee, Fox was easily one of the most overused and overpowered characters. Having had things too good for too long, it was inevitable that the character would get an appointment with Sakurai’s nerf bat.
Fortunately, reports are that Fox has been balanced so as to be a good, effective character without being balanced. So now everyone can be happy.
2) Krystal
For the record, Starfox Adventures may not have been the game that Starfox veterans were
hoping for, but it was still one of the best Zelda-style adventures on the Gamecube.
Status: Very Likely
Comments: Eat it haters. Starfox Adventures is a great game, even if it borrows more from Zelda games than the Starfox series.
While some would argue that Fox has more prominent sidekicks than Krystal, the fact of the matter is that her uniqueness trumps all other space animals. A female staff wielder is something entirely new to Smash, while someone like Wolf and Falco wouldn’t aren’t inherently unique (though I wouldn’t rule out either of them appearing with a new moveset or a clone).
Donkey Kong Series:
1) Donkey Kong
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Poor DK. In the days of the Arcade and SNES, he was among the greatest icons in videogames. Nowadays, his games are limited to underappreciated masterpieces (“Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat” for Gamecube) or blatant shovel ware (“Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast” for Wii). However, though Nintendo may have forsaken their first mascot, Sakurai has not.
I’ve always loved playing as DK, even though he’s *been an overly useful character in one-on-one matches. From the demo reports, DK will remain relatively unchanged aside from the odd tweak here and there. Hopefully, Sakurai will give the character a Bowser-esque enhancement to make the big lug more competitive.
2) Diddy Kong
Diddy: I can't control it!
Lucas: I'm not leaving you. There's another way to end this, and you know it.
Diddy: I can't let you die!
Lucas: And I can't let everyone else...
Lucas: You saved the cheerleader, so we could save the world.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: What the heck took so long? Diddy Kong is a Nitendo icon, co-star of the Donkey Kong Country games, and holder of his own frnachise: “Diddy Kong Racing”. The fact that he was MIA in Melee is simply in excusable.
Now, however, all is right with the world, as Diddy has taken his spot alongside his fellow Nintendo elites. Just watching the little dude scamper across brings a smile to my face, and having a peanut pistol and jetpack is exactly as I envisioned him. I can’t wait to try this character out.
Fire Emblem Series:
1) Ike
”You call that a knife? That's not a knife… now THAT’S a knife!”
Status: Confirmed
Comments: As “Fire Emblem Path and Radiance” and “Radiant Dawn” are two of my favorite RPGs in existence, you can bet that I’m thrilled to see the main lord in said games making a playable debut in Brawl.
One of the debates relating to Ike since he was revealed is Smash veteran Marth. Is Ike replacing everyone’s favorite tiara wearing sword fighter? If yes, then why is Ike’s moveset so different from his predecessor? If no, then why was Ike revealed first? My opinion is that Ike will replace him in terms of being a Fire Emblem representative, while a second character (which is further down on this list) with be more of a replacement for his moveset.
But enough about Marth. Ike is probably my favorite of the swordfighters revealed thus far because, while very slow, his incredible attack power leaves everyone else in the dust. For one-on-one battles he will undoubtedly be useless but he might be pretty deadly in four player free for alls and team matches.
F-Zero Series:
1) Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon should be revealed any day now. Right? RIGHT?!?!
Status: Very, Very Likely
Comments: Captain Falcon is a prime example of an obscure videogame character from an obscure series who gained notoriety after appearing in the Smash Bros series. Before appearing Smash 64, few had ever heard of F-Zero, let alone its star racer/bounty hunter. But at this point, the good captain has been so engrained into Smash fandom that one can scarcely imagine a new Smash without “Falcon Punch!” and “Show Me Your Moves!”
While Nintendo seems to have abandoned the awesome F-Zero franchise after disappointing sales for “F-Zero GX” (if you didn’t buy it, then you suck!) the return of Falcon is all but guaranteed with Saumerai Goroh appearing as an Assist Trophy. While it’s difficult to imagine his trademark moveset being too different, I expect his knee will be nerfed while the rest of his moves will be enhanced.
Earthbound/Mother *Series:
1) Lucas
Ness may be gone, but his moveset lives on.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: I’m not one to brag… without cause. In this case, I believe I am justified in giving myself a pat on the back for correctly predicting not only that Lucas would
appear, but also that he would be a Ness replacement.
However, in this case I would have been happy to be wrong as it is pretty disappointing
to see Ness (most likely) removed. *As one of the original 12 from Smash Bros N64, I
would argue that he should have remained if for only continuity’s sake. But Sakurai
must have thought differently, as it is pretty obvious that Lucas has inherited Ness’
moveset and replaced him as the primary Earthbound representative.
On the plus side, however, Lucas seems like a pretty cool character in his own right.
From the screenshots on the Dojo, it appears that what he lacks in the hat and backpack
department he makes up in terms of a snake grapple recovery and a B attack that doesn’t
suck. Let’s hope that this new PK master does his fallen predecessor proud.
Yoshi Series:
1) Yoshi
Contrary to popular belief it was not a meteorite but a lack of stealth that lead the
dinosaur’s extinction.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Does anyone actually play as Yoshi? Seriously, I have no clue. Regardless,
he’s back, largely unchanged, save for a new Mario-Party-esque appearance.
Yoshi'stheBombers7 has informed me that not only is he a bona-fied example of a living, breathing Yoshi player but that Yoshi has undergone some postitiver changes as well.
"You can use his Up B Egg Toss to gain distance like Mario's cape and his Side B now grabs the ledge. His attacks have more range and buff. He lost his DJC, but it is currently speculated that this will help him with new combos, as some of his moves now send him towards the peak of his jump, creating another oppertunity to attack."
Thanks fore the input, YtB7
Wario Ware Series:
1) Wario
Who was that masked man?
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Some characters just ooze awesome. Wario is such a character. From evil Mario doppelganger of “Mario Land 2”, to mischievous anti hero of the “Wario World” platformers, to greedy game developer of the “Wario Ware” series Wario has seen it all.
In Brawl, Wario runs around in jerky movements ala Game & Watch and his crazy moveset consists of bites, farts and a motorcycle. Best of all, he has an ICREDIBLE final Smash where he transforms into Wario Man – something fans of the Wario Ware series in particular should get a big kick out of. It’s hard to get much more awesome than that!
Pikmin series:
1) Captain Olimar
Every time you say Olimar won't be in Brawl, a puppy dies.
Status: Very Likely
Comments: This is one character who is entirely non-negotiable, who absolutely MUST be included. Olimar is the protagonist of the most ingenius and addictive series ever created: the Pikmin games. These games involve a tiny astronaut who enslaves an entire race of plant creatures perform tasks like reassembling his spacecraft, plundering rare treasures and battling enormous, hideous creatures. It’s a scientific fact that people who don’t love the Pikmin games have no soul whatsoever.
Olimar’s potential more a unique moveset is so mindblowing, that he absolutely DEMANDS to be included in Brawl. The ability to grow, command and toss around an army of miniature AI minions would add layers of complexity and strategy unheard of in a 2-D fighter. If he is not playable, then I will be crushed.
Also, I demand that you read Vali's brilliant Olimar moveset here:
http://smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=2409228&postcount=354
12) Isaac
How about Cloud as an alternate costume for Issac? NOT!
On Sakurai's Poll: Yes
Status: Probable
Comments: You'll have to forgive my poor knowledge of the Golden Sun series (as I've never played any of it's games) but even I have to admit that Isaac stands pretty good shot at appearing in Brawl. He was the protagonist in the first Golden Sun game, which was both very popular and critically acclaimed, and he appeared on Sakurai's poll. The character is currently owned by Nintendo, so Sakurai would likely have no problem obtaining the rights to the character.
ODIN has made a great Isaac moveset here:
http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?p=2667571&highlight=isaac+moveset#post2667571
**NEW** Here's raphtmarqui's take on Issac's moveset: http://smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=3727212&postcount=7263
Retro characters:
1) Pit
Message to Nintendo: Give me Kid Icarus Wii or give me death.
Status: Confirmed
Comments: I played Kid Icarus on the Virtual console recently. It’s not that fun. However, I do see a lot of potential in the premise, so hopefully Pit’s Brawl appearance with prompt Nintendo to give the franchise to Retro Studios to revive the franchise on Wii.
As for Pit in Brawl, reports from the demo seems pretty positive. I imagine he may turn out to be a favorite for those with an affinity for projectile spamming. Throw in some incredible recovery and speedy swordplay, and you’ve got a recipe for a fan favorite.
2) Ice Climbers
You won’t see this is Halo 3…
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Urgh. Okay, so I was off base in originally predicting that the Ice Climbers would not return. But while is was sickening to see many of my preconceived notions go up in flames, it was nice to see such a unique and cool veteran make a return in Brawl.
I would expect to see some minor improvements to the dynamic duo (like giving Nana more intelligence than a slice of meat loaf) but otherwise they seem entirely unchanged.
*
3) Mr. Game & Watch
Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, the bell tolls for thee.
Status: Very Likely
Comments: Since it has been established through the icon theory (check it out here: http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=105742&highlight=icon) that there is one more character icon from Melee that will return and G&W’s is the only one yet to return, it is all but guaranteed that the character is in Brawl.
It’s impossible not to love Mr. Game & Watch’s quirkiness, so his return is undoubtedly a good thing. Hopefully, however, Sakurai will choose to make him less of a joke character this time around.
4) Takamaru
"AKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!"
Status: Probable
Comments: Takamaru is a character that you’ve never heard of, from a Japanese-only Famicom game that you’ll never play called Nazo no Murasame-jô. But you might as well learn who he is now, because his appearing in Brawl is all but guaranteed. On Sakurai’s Japanese poll, the character was among the most requested characters despite not having appeared in a game for around 20 years. Plus, the presence of Mother 3 hero Lucas proves that Japanese only characters are fair game.
In case you haven’t guessed, my theory is that Takamaru will serve as a Marth replacement where Ike cannot: a swift, nimble swordfighter with flowy combo-able attacks.
Still not convinced? Perhaps this argument will: Samurais are awesome.
Checkmate.
3rd Party Characters
1) Snake
When the world takes away your guns, make rocket launcher-aide!
Status: Confirmed
*
Comments: Like the moon landing, the confirmation of Solid Snake in Super Smash Bros Brawl is one of those monumental events that changes the course of history. For one brief, magical moment all was right with the world as videogame nerds danced in the streets and nothing seemed impossible.ow, people have grown used to the used of the idea of legendary slayer-of-bipedal-tanks duking it out with the Nintendo allstars, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome.
His exploits in the Metal Gear Solid series are so filled with superhuman feats of badassery that he puts the likes of Chuck Norris to shame. Fortunately, Sakurai has designed a moveset that fits his personality to a T, with a brilliant combination of explosives and physical attacks. If I don’t wind up maining Snake, you can bet that I’ll be playing him for fun.
2) Sonic
ZOMG! soNik ish In teh brAwelz!!!!!!!!!!111one (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
Status: Confirmed
Comments: Yeah, yeah. I was mistaken when I removed Sonic from my list (just prior to his confirmation, I might add). In retrospect, there really wasn’t any way for Sonic NOT to be included. The character is the most requested Smash Bros character of all time, his rivalry with Mario is the stuff of legend and SEGA was likely very receptive to the idea after they were permitted to include Nintendo characters in “Mario & Sonic at the Olympics”.
There is little question that Sonic lends himself very well to Smash Bros, and his ultra
speediness would seem to make him a pretty unique fighter. Of course, judging by how
poorly people at E 4 All were using him, it will take a bit of practice before he can
be mastered.
3) Megaman
Megaman envies Samus for her uncanny ability to shoot up.
Status: Possible
Comments: Sadly, the appeal of this particular character is lost on me, as I've yet to play a Megaman game. However, the people have definitely spoken: Megaman is the heir-apparent for the next 3rd party slot. I'll be darned if I let another Sonic incident happen, so he stays.
See Odin's moveset here:
http://smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=2891330&postcount=3556
*4) Geno
Geno and Brawl go together like senient scarecrow dolls and awesome fighting games. (IE: Better then you might think).
Status: Likely
Comments: Geno is the kind of character that sparks fierce debate on Smashboards lately, so let me be very clear in my reasoning for including him. Geno is a sentient scarecrow doll, and a sidekick of Mario’s in the SNES role playing game “Super Mario RPG.” Few videogame characters are as obscure as Geno, and he is (in my experience) relatively unknown unless you are a fan of his game (or someone who visits Smashboards) . However, his utterly unique backstory and personality have made him a fan favorite, and his high ranking on Sakurai’s poll should not be discounted.
Some would argue that since he is technically owned by Square Enix (who made Mario RPG) he would never even be considered as he lacks the popularity of Sonic or Megaman. While this is true, the fact that the character appeared in “Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga” in a small cameo shows that Square is more than willing to let other companies use the character (without all the hassle that comes with attaining the rights to a character who actually matters). Also, given Sakurai’s affinity for cool-but-obscure retro characters (Ice Climbers, G&W, etc.) Geno stands a pretty decent shot.
Here’s a quick recap of Part 1:
Mario Series: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, (4)
Zelda Series: Link, Zelda/Sheik, Ganondorf, Young Link, (4)
Pokemon Series: Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Pokemon Trainer(4)
Kirby Series: Kirby, Metaknight, King Dedede (3)
Metroid Series: Samus / Zero Suit Samus, Ridley (2)
Starfox Series: Fox McCloud, Krystal (2)
Donkey Kong Series: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong (2)
Fire Emblem Series: Ike, (1)
Earthbound Series: Lucas, (1)
F-Zero Series: Captain Falcon (1)
Yoshi Series: Yoshi (1)
Wario Ware Series: Wario (1)
Retro: Pit, Ice Climbers, Mr. Game & Watch, Takamaru (4)
Other Nintendo Characters: Captain Olimar, Issac (2)
3rd Party Characters: Snake, Sonic, Megaman, Geno (4)
36 total characters = 40 unique playable movesets
