• Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!

    You are currently viewing our boards as a visitor. Click here to sign up right now and start on your path in the Smash community!

Rate Their Chances - Smash Ultimate Edition! Day 672: Five Most Likely First and Third Parties for Smash 6, and Final Goodbyes

SKX31

Smash Master
Joined
Feb 22, 2019
Messages
3,463
Location
Sweden
Thanks for the link! I don't get the impression he wants to exclusively promote Japanese games either - although that column strongly implies a Japenese-centric focus. If I may point out a couple things:

In order to reach the Top 10, you have to reach really high numbers nowadays (sure, those lists are from 2014/15, but I don't see a reason why it's changed massively since). Dark Souls III being a prime example - reaching a lot of people in all three primary regions (Japan / Asia, NA, EU, 3 million in the first month) - but still missing out as Sakurai pointed out. Part of the reason is the general focus on multi-platforms: AFAIK Pokemon ORAS are the only console exclusives in both the 2014 and 2015 lists (Pokemon ORAS has 14 million and still is #9. The bar's that high). And techincally they're two games / versions of the same game. I can see where Sakurai's coming from. but I don't think it's as disasterous as he thinks. A company can still do a lot even with "just" 3 million buying a game. That was Bandai Namco's biggest launch up to that point.

Also, this is something that's not noted often, but regions outside the "primary" ones are also heavily PC-leaning partly due to their respective histories with Internet cafés. And not just in poorer countries like in South East Asia, South Korea has a long history with "PC Bangs" (literally "PC room"). That impacts the lists some too, especially Minecraft's place there. If we're talking worldwide, the "non-primary" regions like Asia outside of Japan, Russia and South America should be counted too. That makes it even harder for any game, Japanese developed or otherwise, to get into the Top 10.
 

Icedragonadam

Smash Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
4,093
Switch FC
SW-5227-6397-6112
Crash Bandicoot

Chance: 40%

No doubt IMO the most likely western character to get in IMO. He has something several Western characters lack and that is popularity worldwide which includes Japan unlike certain series(like DOOM). However I still think Banjo will be the only western character right now as Sakurai clearly has more difficulty consulting the devs overseas than in his home land of Japan. But if there is another one, it'll be Crash.

Want: 60%

He would be fun to add. And I'd rather have him than Doomguy TBH.

Spyro

Chance: 5%

Sadly he's overshadowed by his brother since he's much less successful than him. And he's unfortunately one of the Western characters not popular in Japan so I don't see any hope for him at all.

Want: 50%

He'd be fine I guess. But overall I'm batting for Crash.

Predictions

Maxwell: 1.22%
Hollow Knight: 0.66%

Nominate Velvet Crowe x5
 

Ridrool64

Smash Lord
Joined
Jun 21, 2013
Messages
1,398
Location
New Jersey
Like the fleas in our fur, he keeps coming back.

Chance: So... let's see. What can I say about Crash Bandicoot's chances...? Oh boy did Banjo change everything. Before, there was at least one reason to believe Crash wouldn't happen: he was owned by a western developer team, and that might've been a problem! Mii Costume theory could have pointed us towards Capcom, Capcom 2, SEGA 2, or Namco! But not anymore... no siree, now that we have Banjo and Kazooie from Microsoft, and since Hero didn't release with Geno or Chocobo, I'm thinking Crash is very likely, but... wait, where's the flaws?
  • An extremely popular and iconic series that came back to much fanfare before many others.
  • Recently he sells like hotcakes.
  • Crash can bring something new in the form of Crates and Aku Aku (and in the worst case scenario, Jacking Titans. Sorry I put that image in your heads.)
  • Crash's games, unlike the character below, have Japanese popularity. And they had more than plenty.
  • Crash also at least had SOME games in the 2000's that were decently regarded if not liked (Twinsanity being chief among them, warts and all), again unlike the character below who I have heard no positive opinions of any game outside the original trilogy in the original series. So his scope isn't as limited as Banjo, since he had something of a 2000's (hell, I would say Crash had a better mid-2000's than Sonic, or at least up to 2008).
  • The guy was, at one point, able to top Mario, and it was through his help Sony became the gaming they are today, so he has impact on the gaming industry.
  • Banjo is already a character who had to wait from 2008 to 2019 for a new game (which isn't even his own). Crash came back sooner than that, so the last "new" installment of his series being poorly regarded isn't something I think matters too much, even if we want to pretend N. Sane and Nitro Fueled don't count.
  • Everything lines up perfectly with the DLC timeline. Came back in 2016, truly came back 2017 with a vengeance, had something going for him in 2018 when the DLC was decided upon.
  • Banjo does not fill his niche for ****. Crash is a character who fights mostly on his own, Banjo can't do anything worthwhile without Kazooie until Tooie and even then he's nerfed. Crash is popular with Sony fans while Banjo covers Nintendo fans.
  • Activision is... not the most popular company, yes, but I'm very certain that this controversy is too recent to change whether or not he's in. And they brought back Snake and added Simon and Richter even though Konami isn't very well liked either. So, I don't think Activision will blow this chance, they simply knew where PSAS was going when they didn't let in Spyro and Crash.
  • [As an aside, they're theories but they're still alive. Color Theory would basically fit him perfectly, no other orange character has the legacy and star power he does. Companion Theory is far, far more debatable and less likely to be true but Aku Aku passes that mark too. But I'm assuming coincidences for now, so even though Color/Companion are alive I'll pretend they got debunked for the purposes of my score. Otherwise he'd have 100%, or 95% if one was true but not the other.]
So, yeah, I have absolutely no reason to believe he won't be in the game. While anything can happen, I think he gets an 80% and is very, very likely but Im accounting for the off-chance Sakurai just didn't feel like it. I was tempted to go 90, but I'm thinking that might be a little overconfident (an 80 is what many would consider overconfident, though).

Want: 95%. I'm willing to settle for not having Arle even if she far outstrips him beyond what the rating system implies, and while Activision did a bad recently, I would still love to see Crash in the game. But it's mostly to satisfy a childhood itch more than anything, but then again, that should be considered a popular thing. And that's with the 2000's games, the "lesser" ones (though I'd play Wrath/Twinsanity/CTTR any day over the trilogy but props to CTR for being really good), many people would be pleased with it as well.

Enter the Dragonfly is the Sonic 06 of Spyro, and you really can't change that.

Chance: 10%. Not because Crash totally destroys him in a competition, but because Tracer and Arthas finish off whatever's left of his corpse. In addition, Spyro has pretty much next to no Japanese popularity (crucial when that's where the games are made) and went through what I'd consider a far, far worse mid 2000's that very few remember fondly, so he pretty much only appeals to people who first experienced him in 1998-2000 or through PSN titles. That sounds a lot more like Banjo. I think his comeback was also more likely than not a little too late to help out with the DLC cycle much.

I could see him as the third or fourth Activision character, but I have trouble seeing him get in before Tracer, let alone Crash.

Want: 50%... ish. Unlike Crash, I'm part of the majority that believes that Spyro peaked with Insomniac's trilogy. And Spyro 1 and I don't get along that well, so Spyro only really has 2 and 3 to win me over. Fortunately they're great... but honestly, I have trouble imagining him holding items without looking weird. Still, Spyro's a crowd pleaser, and I think he'd be a wonderful inclusion.

More Bosses x 5. Maxwell is looking at a 2.19%, and Hollow Knight a 4.76%.
 

Sid-cada

Smash Lord
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Messages
1,779
Crash Bandicoot

Chance - 40% - Crash does have the popularity and notoriety going for him. How Activision will want to include his characters and weather Sakurai will want to play ball is a question that has to be answered. It's entirely possible that the character choices will be too late for his popularity resurgence, and I don't think he's quite on the level of Banjo. Depending on recent the considerations was, he's ether fairly likely or not much at all; I'll lean towards pessimism.

Want - 50% - I never played any of his games. I don't care about him ether way, but I don't dislike the idea to outright hate him.


Spyro

Chance - 5% - Simply put, if Crash can't get in, Spyro is out as well. Unless Skylanders really was that important, I don't see any world where that happens.

Want - 50% - I actually manged to get one of his games for the GBA, but that's a vague memory that I barely remember and I don't think I got very far. I don't care much about him, either.


Predicitons

Maxwell - 3.45% - How does one make a move set for everything?

Hollow Knight - 4.56% - An indie darling, but maybe too new...


Nominations

Cadence X5
 

RealPokeFan11

Smash Lord
Joined
Aug 24, 2018
Messages
1,244
Location
Center of the Zero Point
Switch FC
SW-0818-9732-6979
Abstaining on Spyro

Crash
Chance: 80%
Want: 100%

+ Extremely popular and highly requested.
+ Iconic series that achieved major success with its reboot.
+ Famous for being rivals with Mario and Sonic.
+ Barely any competition. (I don't count any Blizzard characters as competition, despite owning Activision. They are a separate company that only works with Activision for things like Destiny.)
- Slightly limited moveset potential.

Crash is currently my most wanted character in terms of realistic choices, and #3 overall on my most wanted list. Crash was a character I grew up with, and my favorite game was Crash Team Racing. I've been planning on getting the N. Sane Trilogy for a while now, and might even pick up Nitro Feuled when I can. Plus, we could finally have the biggest video game rivalry of Mario, Sonic, and Crash come together and finally duke it out in Smash.

Maxwell: 2.05%
Hollow Knight: 5.27%

Fortnite character x5 (Yell at me all you want, I think this would be hilarious.)
 
Last edited:

PokéfreakofBACON

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 3, 2015
Messages
860
NNID
PokefreakofBACON
Switch FC
SW-7469-1948-3865
Crash Bandicoot

Chance: 10%
I really don't see it happening. I firmly believe that we're getting two more 3rd party characters, and then the second (and third) fighter pass will be 1st party. Crash just doesn't seem like the kind of character that would get in over some others. It really all comes down to popularity, if you ask me. Crash is not the kind of character that would get in from Sakurai wanting him, and he's not the kind of character that would get in for business reasons. His only real chance would be as a fan favorite, and he's nowhere near the popularity of others in that regard.

Want: 5%
Crash Twinsanity was one of my favorite games as a kid, but Crash in Smash just doesn't excite me. He doesn't really have anything that could make his moveset unique and interesting. His signature move is a spin attack, which just about half the cast has at this point. Him getting in wouldn't do anything for me.

Spyro the Dragon

Chance: 15%
Call me crazy, but I think Spyro has a better chance than Crash for several reasons. Even before the reignited trilogy, Spyro's series was pretty relevant for the longest time. (Skylanders and such) Not to mention having MUCH closer ties to Nintendo. There were literally two specific Skylanders figures made to also work as Amiibo, of Donkey Kong and Bowser. I feel like Spyro wouldn't necessarily need to be a fan-pick to get in, as a result. I still don't think he's VERY likely, but I think he has a better chance than Crash.

Want: 25%
He's not exactly a character I'd put on my list of most wanted by any means, but I do really like the character. Any four-legged character is going to be cool and unique in Smash with how few of them we have, and a moveset based on charging around and shooting fire quickly sounds awesome. Sure, we have characters who breathe fire, we have characters who can "charge," but Spyro's specific ways of doing those things (read: breathing fire while moving and being able to turn quickly and stop quickly while charging) sound really interesting as the basis of a moveset.

Noms: Kamek x 5
 

Dee Dude

“Never ask Dee for anything again”
Joined
Oct 25, 2015
Messages
1,846
Location
Kidnapped by Sakurai.
3DS FC
0576-7674-5319
>Spyro having a better chance then Crash despite the former being a nobody in Japan and the latter being extremely popular there

Wut?
 

waddledeeonredyoshi

Smash Lord
Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Messages
1,515
Location
Drenthe, NL
I'm pretty sure Skylanders and Spyro are completely seperate franchises. It's like saying that all Raving Rabbits games over the last decade still count as Rayman games.
 
Last edited:

Neosonic97

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
304
Seeing how Rabbids are a Rayman spin-off... They kinda do?
The first three Rabbids games are anyway, as they explicitly mention Rayman in the name of the game (and its story). I'd argue the rest don't, though, as they kinda phased Rayman out.
 
Last edited:

Masonomace

Yeah Shulk, get stuck in!
Joined
Apr 10, 2010
Messages
4,622
Location
Independence, MO
NNID
Masonomace
Spyro has mainly appeared in the first "The Dragon" series he originated from, but also "The Legend of" series too. Even though they consider "The Legend of" series a spin-off. Skylanders... is basically a Spyro spin-off series?... At the very least, he played a major role as a character in the first two (i think) installments. And he's appeared in all main titles in that series. Idk what Rayman's done in the Rabbid games, but this is whatever. Point is, they're both interesting characters that could be unique-enough in Smash. I'm pretty biased for Spyro however, because I was a kid & I liked purple dragons apparently. And that's my little tid-bit.:p

Crash
Chance: 40%
Want: 50%

Spyro
Chance: 15%
Want: 80%

Crash having a higher rating of chance is more-so obvious. He's more memorable, he's more widely known, & his N. Sane Trilogy remaster game came first between the two characters. This is likely because Activision wanted to give priority, since Crash is a baby of theirs. Which makes Spyro more niche & shadowed, I suppose. However, if Crash were to become a filling slot for the Fighters Pass, then Spyro's chances would likely shoot up beyond 15%, & more like... 100% 40% again if another Fighters Pass was to come.
Noteworthy kinda? But Spyro has had more games on Nintendo consoles, by +1 more[?]. Yet, that's hardly anything. Crash has probably sold more, but I'm also ignorant to the total sales Spyro has net when talking about Spyro entirely, including Skylanders.

My wanting for each is subjective. I've not played enough Crash games, but they were fun from the little time I put into them. I'll never not completely reject a character in Smash because my perceived observation of that character could remain neutral if not positive, as long as they seem interesting. To which, both do. However, I'm more-so leaning on Spyro being a more interesting fighter because I've played his games more. I've played & practically beaten most of them, which is why he seems to have more exclusive mechanics that appeal to me. If source material was ripped from only his original main-line games, that still means he has access to lighting, ice, bubbles, water breath... you get it. It's kinda sick ngl. Though, Spyro from "The Legend of" would be a lot more interesting & insane but that's another time--.
 

YoshiandToad

Smash Hero
Joined
Dec 24, 2001
Messages
7,110
Location
Still up Peach's dress.
Spyro the Dragon

Chance: 15%
Call me crazy, but I think Spyro has a better chance than Crash for several reasons. Even before the reignited trilogy, Spyro's series was pretty relevant for the longest time. (Skylanders and such) Not to mention having MUCH closer ties to Nintendo. There were literally two specific Skylanders figures made to also work as Amiibo, of Donkey Kong and Bowser.
Did Skylanders ever even hit Japan? I can't find any sales info on it so I assumed much like Spyro's general franchise, it's a basic unknown in Japan.

Anyone with more knowledge able to confirm or correct this?
 
Last edited:

RoboFist

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
374
In another world - maybe even a better world - Smash Bros. Ultimate is filled to the brim with all of the fun-loving animal collectathon mascots of the 5th generation of gaming. With the inclusion of Banjo and Kazooie, we have all the heavy hitters from across Nintendo's history (Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Yoshi, Diddy Kong, Wario, etc) and beyond (Sonic, Pac-Man). Really, with the exception of recent indies, the only two characters from that era that seem to be missing are Crash and Spyro, and in my mind they'd both fit in really well. Unfortunately, their odds of making it aren't as high as their demand may be...

"Heyyy Plumber Boy, Mustache Man, Your Worst Nightmare Has Arrived!"

Chance: 35%
Want: 50%


Of the two icons, Crash arguably has a larger fanbase. His anti-Mario commercial campaign in the late-90s is as infamous as Sega's "Genesis Does What NintenDon't" slogan in the early-90s. He was essentially Sony's mascot and helped give the PlayStation a lead ahead of Nintendo that is still being felt to this day. On top of that, his fame in Japan nearly rivals his fame here in the West, something that can't necessarily be said for his purple dragon friend.

Unfortunately, the Bandicoot is now owned by everyone's favorite arch-nemesis, Activision, who is downright infamous when it comes to playing nice with others. Maybe they'll allow Crash to join the fray if he costs $10.99 and his alt colors are only available through loot boxes?

Which is a shame because while I don't personally have any nostalgia or history with Crash, I'd love to see him fighting alongside Mario and Sonic. I thought Cloud joining was nuts, but seeing such a raw 90s rivalry settled in Smash would be incredible.

SuperChargers Swap Force Spyro the Dragon

Chance: 25%
Want: 65%


So we all know the history: Spyro debuted in a trilogy of stupidly fun platformers on the PS1 before Insomniac decided to part ways with the franchise and pursue other games. This led to a string of lackluster Spyro games before Toys for Bob used the character as a springboard for their impossibly popular Skylanders series, which more or less marked the death of Spyro from 2011 to 2018. Yeah, Nintendo fans are able to relive Spyro's three best outings now with the Reignited Trilogy, but for a long time, Spyro was done for. I guess you could say the same thing for Crash, but his popularity consistently outshined his more recent bad games.

And, again, Spyro's now stuck in Activision's claws, and if that's a problem for Crash, it's an even bigger problem for Spyro.

But if I really had to pick between the two, I'd much rather see Spyro in the roster. I think the game could use another quadrupedal fighter (as of right now, we have...what, Ivysaur and...that's it? It's why, despite all the odds against her, I'm really rooting for Amaterasu, as well). Then again, Spyro getting in without Crash would be like Mario getting in without Donkey Kong, so...yeah.

Man, this was more depressing than I originally thought it would be ha.
 

ProfPeanut

Smash Ace
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
727
Willie the Wombat

Chance: 45% -> 10% -> 5%
Old legacy, remasters still going strong, western barrier broken...his chances seem decent, don't they? Well, they would be - if Banjo wasn't already in the Fighters Pass.

Call it a baseless assumption, but it's difficult to imagine Sakurai approving two platforming mammals in the same group of newcomers. In fact, they've got quite a bundle of other similarities between them. Both of them were iconic once upon a time (with signature sound effects and music themes), both of them came from the same era of burgeoning 3D platforming, and neither of them take themselves very seriously, with their ridiculous matter-of-fact scenarios and shameless trope riffs. If Crash wasn't such a dedicated spinner and TNT detonator, he'd have a hard time distinguishing a moveset from them too.

Even if it's not impossible that Nintendo and Sakurai considered both at the same time, we can still see with our own eyes that they prioritized Banjo. Not the guy who was the face of the PS1 in America, or got way more games, or boosted the company that would go on to make Uncharted and The Last of Us. They prioritized Banjo, and left Crash Bandicoot in second place.

At the end of the day, hardly anyone really cares anymore about Crash's history as a Nintendo competitor. He may have helped drive the PS1, but so did Snake and Cloud, both of whose series helped see the Playstation's maturation through. It just seems too easy to forget that Crash had pretty much no games of substance come out between the Naughty Dog trilogy and the remasters of said trilogy. Crash may have been compared to Sonic and Mario in the past, but that didn't last nearly enough console generations to warrant the same argument.

If there's one thing that hasn't changed, it's the fact that Nintendo would still have to wrangle with Activision's greedy hands for the character. While it's very difficult to say what exactly kept Crash from showing up in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale (the one crossover game that you think Sony would have paid top dollar for getting Crash into), there's no reason that such obstacles still don't exist between Crash and Smash Bros.

Want: 84% -> 30% -> 30%
Smash already has all the bipedal platforming icons it needs. If we couldn't get Banjo, then Crash would have been a perfectly acceptable compromise - but we no longer have a need to compromise.


Skylander

Chance: 4% -> 20%
Spyro's very similar to Crash's situation. He was an early Playstation icon that fell out of relevance as the years went on, albeit with more infamous attempts (as voiced by Elijah Wood) and less Japanese support. Activision's also got his hands on him, and they certainly didn't let him play in PSABR either.

His main things going for him are Skylanders and the fact that he's a quadrupedal dragon. Skylanders is technically relevant to Nintendo since it indirectly inspired amiibos, but it didn't really need Spyro to do that. Quadrupeds, on the other hand, are a rare breed of Smash Bros character, which could give Spyro the same kind of boost that got Piranha Plant into the game. He's certainly not alone in that category (Amaterasu comes to mind), but it's still one of his few strong points, and it also keeps him from competing with other platforming characters as directly as Crash does.

Still, he's a character who struggles to make it to the A-tier of Globally Recognized Platformers. Spyro will probably remain a hopeful for as long as speculation exists, but unless he can grow and make some new games for himself, he's probably just too small in Nintendo's eyes to justify the price tag.

Want: 15% -> 55%
I imagine he'd be a fun and unique character to play as, since there aren't any other lightweight fireball-spitting dragons in Smash. I've got no attachments to him otherwise, and he's still in the middle of the pack of gaming icons who ought to get into Smash.


Nominations
Kratos x5
 
Last edited:

GoodGrief741

Smash Legend
Joined
Sep 22, 2012
Messages
10,169
Willie the Wombat

Chance: 45% -> 10% -> 5%
Old legacy, remasters still going strong, western barrier broken...his chances seem decent, don't they? Well, they would be - if Banjo wasn't already in the Fighters Pass.

Call it a baseless assumption, but it's difficult to imagine Sakurai approving two platforming mammals in the same group of newcomers. In fact, they've got quite a bundle of other similarities between them. Both of them were iconic once upon a time (with signature sound effects and music themes), both of them came from the same era of burgeoning 3D platforming, and neither of them take themselves very seriously, with their ridiculous matter-of-fact scenarios and shameless trope riffs. If Crash wasn't such a dedicated spinner and TNT detonator, he'd have a hard time distinguishing a moveset from them too.

Even if it's not impossible that Nintendo and Sakurai considered both at the same time, we can still see with our own eyes that they prioritized Banjo. Not the guy who was the face of the PS1 in America, or got way more games, or boosted the company that would go on to make Uncharted and The Last of Us. They prioritized Banjo, and left Crash Bandicoot in second place.

At the end of the day, hardly anyone really cares anymore about Crash's history as a Nintendo competitor. He may have helped drive the PS1, but so did Snake and Cloud, both of whose series helped see the Playstation's maturation through. It just seems too easy to forget that Crash had pretty much no games of substance come out between the Naughty Dog trilogy and the remasters of said trilogy. Crash may have been compared to Sonic and Mario in the past, but that didn't last nearly enough console generations to warrant the same argument.

If there's one thing that hasn't changed, it's the fact that Nintendo would still have to wrangle with Activision's greedy hands for the character. While it's very difficult to say what exactly kept Crash from showing up in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale (the one crossover game that you think Sony would have paid top dollar for getting Crash into), there's no reason that such obstacles still don't exist between Crash and Smash Bros.

Want: 84% -> 30% -> 30%
Smash already has all the bipedal platforming icons it needs. If we couldn't get Banjo, then Crash would have been a perfectly acceptable compromise - but we no longer have a need to compromise.


Skylander

Chance: 4% -> 20%
Spyro's very similar to Crash's situation. He was an early Playstation icon that fell out of relevance as the years went on, albeit with more infamous attempts (as voiced by Elijah Wood) and less Japanese support. Activision's also got his hands on him, and they certainly didn't let him play in PSABR either.

His main things going for him are Skylanders and the fact that he's a quadrupedal dragon. Skylanders is technically relevant to Nintendo since it indirectly inspired amiibos, but it didn't really need Spyro to do that. Quadrupeds, on the other hand, are a rare breed of Smash Bros character, which could give Spyro the same kind of boost that got Piranha Plant into the game. He's certainly not alone in that category (Amaterasu comes to mind), but it's still one of his few strong points, and it also keeps him from competing with other platforming characters as directly as Crash does.

Still, he's a character who struggles to make it to the A-tier of Globally Recognized Platformers. Spyro will probably remain a hopeful for as long as speculation exists, but unless he can grow and make some new games for himself, he's probably just too small in Nintendo's eyes to justify the price tag.

Want: 15% -> 55%
I imagine he'd be a fun and unique character to play as, since there aren't any other lightweight fireball-spitting dragons in Smash. I've got no attachments to him otherwise, and he's still in the middle of the pack of gaming icons who ought to get into Smash.


Nominations
Kratos x5
Every time someone says two platformer mascots are too similar, all I can hear is 'we wouldn't get 2 JRPG characters in a row'.
 

ProfPeanut

Smash Ace
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
727
Every time someone says two platformer mascots are too similar, all I can hear is 'we wouldn't get 2 JRPG characters in a row'.
That's like saying Lord of the Rings and Percy Jackson are comparable. No one looking at Joker and Hero side-by-side would honestly think they have overlap, unlike Banjo and Crash.
 
Last edited:

GoodGrief741

Smash Legend
Joined
Sep 22, 2012
Messages
10,169
That's like saying Lord of the Rings and Percy Jackson are comparable. No one looking at Joker and Hero side-by-side would honestly think they have overlap, unlike Banjo and Crash.
No one looking at Banjo and Crash side-by-side would honestly think they have overlap either, yet here we are.
 

Nquoid

Smash Ace
Joined
May 21, 2019
Messages
584
N64 vs PS1 was definitely a rivalry. And the first three Crash games on the system were definitely acclaimed, otherwise, why even make dedicated remakes for them? Not to mention, if advertising really doesn't amount to anything, then Sonic shouldn't be considered a mascot in the same level as Mario, since Sega had a lot of ads in the same style as Crash ("Genesis does what Nintendon't"). We could argue a lot on whether Crash's games were as great as other classic platformers, but I wouldn't put them on the same category with something as obscure as Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.
Oh all of those are true. I just meant, that Sega's advertising campaign is the biggest example of companies facing off against each other, and even the Crash advert outside the Nintendo headquarters smacks of Sony trying to get in on some of that aggressive ad campaigning.

N64 vs PS1 was barely a contest at the end of the day, with PS1 wildly outselling the N64, so that ad always felt like it wasn't needed? Other than to just be like "hey we have a Mario competitor!". My argument essentially boils down to "just because you say something doesn't make it fact". Crash tried to shortcut it's way into that position because the gaming public had knowledge of the Mario/Sonic/Sega/Nintendo rivalry.

The Crash trilogy is a great trilogy of games, but always felt like a technical flex rather than revolutionary one, especially in comparison to the Super Mario 64, and the only reason they get lumped together is because of the proximity of their launches to each other. Spyro always felt like Sony's response to SM64 and that released two years later.

Of any non-Banjo 3D mascot, Crash and Spyro are the most likely. I just feel like the Sonic vs. Mario comparisons aren't the best.
 

ProfPeanut

Smash Ace
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
727
No one looking at Banjo and Crash side-by-side would honestly think they have overlap either, yet here we are.
They're both anthropomorphic 3D platforming pioneers that don't take themselves seriously and whose designs could only be born at the end of the Mario/Sonic era. Perhaps one can argue that all things branch out from the same tree - but whereas Persona and Dragon Quest are on completely opposite sides of the JRPG family tree, Crash and Banjo are neighboring branch ends, sprouting from the same limb.

It's an overlap that matters enough when the Fighters Pass is a scarce five spaces, five chances (three of which are filled out) to fill out the Smash roster for good. Each newcomer is going to be distinct from each other to at least the same degree as Ultimate's base newcomers, and the gap between Crash and Banjo is just too small to make that cut.
 
Last edited:

3BitSaurus

Smash Master
Joined
May 6, 2019
Messages
4,298
Location
Nowhere (no, not the Islands)
They're both anthropomorphic 3D platforming pioneers that don't take themselves seriously and whose designs could only be born at the end of the Mario/Sonic era. Perhaps one can argue that all things branch out from the same tree - but whereas Persona and Dragon Quest are on completely opposite sides of the JRPG family tree, Crash and Banjo are neighboring branch ends, sprouting from the same limb.

It's an overlap that matters enough when the Fighters Pass is a scarce five spaces, five chances (three of which are filled out) to fill out the Smash roster for good. Each newcomer is going to be distinct from each other to at least the same degree as Ultimate's base newcomers, and the gap between Crash and Banjo is just too small to make that cut.
  • One is from a collectathon and another is from a linear, level-based 3D platformer.
  • One relies on extra lives for only one game, the other does so to this day.
  • One started incorporating metroidvania elements, the other did not.
  • Crash's collectibles are for the most part either automatic during level completion (Power Crystals) or optional (Gems and Relics), while in BK finding them is basically the game's main point.
  • Crash has most of his moves from the beginning (and even from Cortex Strikes Back onwards, you have at best 4 or 5 new moves to learn after beating the bosses, and even then you can make the argument that mastering them isn't exactly mandatory for completing the game), while Banjo keeps introducing more mechanics with each level, keeping all of them relevant until the end.
  • Banjo's main fanbase is heavily associated with Nintendo, while Crash's is still mostly associated with Sony.
... I could go on, but I think you get the point. Crash and BK are only similar if you analyze them at a surface level (cartoony anthropomorphic animals, 3D platformers), but as far as game design philosophies and demographics go, the difference is night and day.

I mean... come on. I get thinking that it reduces Crash's chances because there are several other markets Nintendo could possibly appeal to in the Fighters Pass (VN, shooters, horror, fighting, etc), but if anything it should hardly be a deconfirmation if we got two turn-based JRPGs. There are way more differences than similarities between Persona and DQ and also between Crash and Banjo. Their platforming niches just aren't the same, no matter how you put it.
 

Ornl

Smash Ace
Joined
Dec 25, 2018
Messages
617
Location
France
  • One is from a collectathon and another is from a linear, level-based 3D platformer.
  • One relies on extra lives for only one game, the other does so to this day.
  • One started incorporating metroidvania elements, the other did not.
  • Crash's collectibles are for the most part either automatic during level completion (Power Crystals) or optional (Gems and Relics), while in BK finding them is basically the game's main point.
  • Crash has most of his moves from the beginning (and even from Cortex Strikes Back onwards, you have at best 4 or 5 new moves to learn after beating the bosses, and even then you can make the argument that mastering them isn't exactly mandatory for completing the game), while Banjo keeps introducing more mechanics with each level, keeping all of them relevant until the end.
  • Banjo's main fanbase is heavily associated with Nintendo, while Crash's is still mostly associated with Sony.
... I could go on, but I think you get the point. Crash and BK are only similar if you analyze them at a surface level (cartoony anthropomorphic animals, 3D platformers), but as far as game design philosophies and demographics go, the difference is night and day.

I mean... come on. I get thinking that it reduces Crash's chances because there are several other markets Nintendo could possibly appeal to in the Fighters Pass (VN, shooters, horror, fighting, etc), but if anything it should hardly be a deconfirmation if we got two turn-based JRPGs. There are way more differences than similarities between Persona and DQ and also between Crash and Banjo. Their platforming niches just aren't the same, no matter how you put it.
I think it's more easy to find differences between 2 characters than to highlight the similarities. In the end, it's the set of similarities that can be important, that can be a disadvantage. Between Banjo and Crash, there are the genre + the animal cartoon style (with shorts) + era of creation (Sakurai looks more at the recent characters*) + non-Japanese nationality + difficulty of the series to restart + moveset + adaptation as Mario-Kart-like games... that can train a set of similarities.

crash-banjo.jpg


Then, in my opinion, the biggest difference to consider is that Banjo was a ballot choice and a missing character in Melee. Not Crash, even if he's the #1 missing platformer icon. Another difference that puzzles me is that, at Sony, only the Totaku Crash figure* has a golden version. I am divided between the possibility that it makes Crash very iconic, or very identity to Sony, or both.
 
D

Deleted member

Guest
Won't comment on Crash as I've not played any game of the series yet but, regarding the Hero and Joker comparisons, people are forgetting that the Persona games starting with 3 heavily incorporate Visual Novel elements on their gameplay. Having another genre intermixed with the other one, greatly differentiates both games even when they are turn-based.
 

Sari

Editing Staff
Writing Team
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
4,436
Location
New Jersey
NNID
Villager49
Switch FC
SW-2215-0173-2152
I think it's more easy to find differences between 2 characters than to highlight the similarities. In the end, it's the set of similarities that can be important, that can be a disadvantage. Between Banjo and Crash, there are the genre + the animal cartoon style (with shorts) + era of creation (Sakurai looks more at the recent characters*) + non-Japanese nationality + difficulty of the series to restart + moveset + adaptation as Mario-Kart-like games... that can train a set of similarities.

View attachment 235186
Honestly the only real major moveset similarity between the two would be between Crash's fruit bazooka and whatever that Banjo cannon move is in the left-handed middle pic. Even then they could just change the properties between the two attacks since cannon-like projectiles are fairly common.

For example, Banjo's up-B launches him immediately. Crash's up-B could either be the bouncing crate (which you can bounce on a few times before it breaks) or the jetpack which could allow him to move around freely like Villager's up-B.

Crash has the original three games to draw moveset ideas from, not to mention CTR and even the post Naughty Dog games if they wanted to. If Sakurai wanted to he could easily make him stand out from Banjo.

Another difference that puzzles me is that, at Sony, only the Totaku Crash figure* has a golden version. I am divided between the possibility that it makes Crash very iconic, or very identity to Sony, or both.
This is a random company that produces video game figures from all types of game series. I'm not sure what this has to do with anything.
 

TCT~Phantom

Smash Master
Writing Team
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
3,965
NNID
TCT~Phantom
Last Day of the fixed Schedule.

Today we got The Knight (Hollow Knight) and Maxwell (Scribblenauts). Do it yall.

Since this is the last day before the noms purge, 10 extra noms around.

There are some big announcements coming soon after the fixed schedule, so I hope you guys are ready.
 

DaUsername

Smash Ace
Joined
Aug 6, 2013
Messages
909
Location
In that corner over there
NNID
DaUsername
Switch FC
SW-1418-0536-1998
If I read the rules correctly, I should be able to do this.

Cash
Chance: 65%
Crash is one of the few western characters I could see making it in. He's popular all around the world and Activision actually cares about the series again. I'd say more, but I'm running out of time here.
Want: 100%
Crash one of the few characters that I still actively want. He'd fit in perfectly in Smash.

SpongeBob
Chance: 1%
While Crash and Spyro have always been close, with Spyro even coming to CTR in a few weeks, Smash works a bit differently, and Crash would get in first. A second Activision character doesn't seem likely anytime soon.
Want: 5%
I like Spyro and all. But I like Crash more. Sorry.

Knight prediction: 20% (Gonna be a lot of overrating.)
Max prediction: 8%
Noms: Another western character x5
I'll rate the new guys later.
 

Sari

Editing Staff
Writing Team
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
4,436
Location
New Jersey
NNID
Villager49
Switch FC
SW-2215-0173-2152
Scribblenauts Music

Here are some songs to get into the Scribblenauts mood.


♪ Hollow Knight Music ♪

Here are some songs to get into the Hollow Knight mood.


I'll post my ratings later.
 
Last edited:

Kirby Dragons

Smash Hero
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
5,015
Location
Another Dimension
Maxwell Chance: 3%

Scribblenauts is a dying series (possibly already dead), and I don't even know how known it is in Japan. It's also owned by Warner Bros., and I don't see Nintendo collaborating with them for Smash.

Maxwell Want: 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999%

If you think :ulthero: is random, just imagine how Maxwell would play. His moveset potential is nearly endless. Even characters like Dovahkiin don't have nearly as much potential. He can create a hairy yellow pumpkin, or an explosive stupid magnetic acidophilic poster, or an unavoidable lunar cultural fascist bulldozer. Because of how his game works, there are many different ways he could work in Smash, so he could fit any playstyle they wanted him to. They could focus on weapons and make him combo-based. They could focus on adjectives and allow him to buff himself and/or debuff others. He could have something like Command Selection where he ends up having more than four special moves. Or, they could make him heavily item-based, allowing to create the items in Smash using his notebook. Scribblenauts is a puzzle game series, which is only represented by one or two Smash characters, so Maxwell would bring more representation to the genre.
 

GoodGrief741

Smash Legend
Joined
Sep 22, 2012
Messages
10,169
The Red Rooster

Chance: 1%
It's not going to happen. Surprisingly enough, Scribblenauts is still alive, with a recent release (being a... Fighting game?). It's 5th Cell's signature franchise and it was a big enough deal to be one of the Wii U's flagship exclusives and to have a crossover with DC. I'd say the games are some of the very classics of the DS (and Wii U too, even if almost by default). But Scribblenauts didn't really maintain momentum and is now pretty much forgotten. It doesn't really reach Smash level and wouldn't be a very hype pick for most people. Also, parent company Warner Bros. owns Mortal Kombat, which is very, very strong competition. (Plus both the old Midway and half of Atari have been merged into Netherrealm so there's bound to be other IP that would also pose competition - Paperboy probably).

Want: 70%
If I were to be subjective this would be 100%. I love Scribblenauts, it's a huge part of my childhood and it's the kind of game that I could play forever. If Maxwell somehow joined Smash I would be thrilled.

But at the same time, I wouldn't help but feel that it's not a place earned. I do believe Scribblenauts is a classic, but it's not like this huge classic with undeniable legacy that warrants Smash inclusion. Maybe it is, and I'm just downplaying the impact to try and shake the bias (first time we rated him I was surprised at the love he and the series got). I'm fine with him not being in the Smash pantheon, is what I'm trying to say.

Not Alucard

Chance: 2.5%
An indie. A successful indie, now indie franchise, but still an indie. Not really one that broke into the mainstream, despite great sales, so I think that kills this one's chances. Personally speaking, I only think five indie games have a chance of joining Smash as things are: Cave Story, Touhou, Shovel Knight, Undertale, and Shantae (the first four due to their huge impact and the last one due to support). It's pretty clear that Hollow Knight doesn't have those credentials, though maybe that will change. Indie fame is pretty fickle though - anyone remember when Axiom Verge was one of the top indie games?

Regardless, when Sakurai makes Shovel Knight an AT, it's clear who has priority to join the fray.

Want: 0%
Nothing against the little guy. I just haven't played the game, and I want my Smash characters to have some pedigree.

Edit: wait, his name is just The Knight? Docking some points for most boring name ever. Say what you will about Hero, but their actual names (Luminary, Erdrick, Solo and Eight) are way cooler.

Noms: Reporter & Wrestler x30
Farmer x12
Reserving 8 noms for someone who might need them. If I don't edit this before day end then I'll keep em


Edit 2: Since Farmer's getting a lot of noms already, I'll give Dovahkiin x10 and I'm offering the other 10 to anyone else who might need them (partial to Qbby, Cooking Mama, and Johnny Silverhand out of those that are close to saving).

Predictions: Heavy 13%
 
Last edited:

DrifloonEmpire

Smash Champion
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
2,219
Maxwell:

Chance: 1% - Don't have much to say here. Scribblenauts has endless creative potential and could make for an extremely unique moveset. Still, it's apparently a dying franchise and there are other, much bigger characters that he has to compete with. So I just don't see him being on Sakurai's Radar.

Want: Abstain - Never played his games so no opinion here.


Hollow Knight:

Chance: 2% - Hollow Knight certainly has potential. He's got a lot of interesting moves and an interesting character aesthetic that we have yet to see in Smash. Though, while his game is popular, it's still small compared to a lot of other indies. The game was widely praised but I think the extremely tough competition for an indie slot really hurts Hollow Knight's chances.

Want: 0% - Hollow Knight has a lot going for him but I believe the first indie rep should be one with a long legacy, something like Cave Story, Shantae, and Touhou. Still, I'd love to see what Sakurai could come up with for him if he's ever selected.


Nominations:
[Rerate] Dovahkiin x15

EDIT: GoodGrief741 GoodGrief741 Would it be okay if I used those noms? I'll be 2 short of the 50 cut off after counting my own noms for this day, but it's worth a try.


Predictions: Heavy - 2.3%
 
Last edited:

GoodGrief741

Smash Legend
Joined
Sep 22, 2012
Messages
10,169
THESE CHARACTERS ARE LOCKED DOWN, NOMINATIONS FOR THEM ARE OBSOLETE

August 23: Heavy (Team Fortress)
August 24: Crono (Chrono Trigger)
August 25: Cadence (Crypt of the Necrodancer)
August 26: Kamek (Yoshi)
August 27: Saber (Fate)
August 28: Kyle Hyde (Hotel Dusk)
August 29: Concept: Rockstar Games rep


After keeping two characters in the top seven since June 3rd, I finally get to see Crono and Kyle Hyde in the top seven (even Kyle got taken down from third to sixth in like three days). Now I have to write superposts for them, don't I...?

A piece of trivia: the last characters we rated before the fixed schedule were Freddi Fish and Luther. Boy oh boy, some memory.

Your new top seven consists of Velvet Crowe, Specter Knight, Ellie, Gene, Rundas, Ninten, and Terry Bogard.


Velvet Crowe x135
Specter Knight x130
Ellie (The Last of Us) x125
Gene (God Hand) x120
Rundas x115
Ninten x110
Terry Bogard x110

150 - 101

Adeleine (Kirby) x108
Protector (Etrian Odyssey) x105

100 - 51

Aloy x100
[Rerate] Micaiah x100
Concept: Valve rep x95
Boss: Kracko x95
9-Volt x90
Frogger x85
Glover x85
Captain Rainbow x82
Noctis Lucis Caelum x80
[Rerate] Reimu Hakurei x80
Concept: Another western character x80
Kyo Kusanagi x80
Jin Kazama x75
Sunflower (Plants vs. Zombies) x75
Concept: More Bosses x75
Lara Croft x75
Blaze the Cat x70
X (Mega Man) x68
Kratos x65
Concept: Dragalia Lost rep x60
Brian (Quest 64) x60
Amaterasu x60
Zhao Yun (Dynasty Warriors) x60
Papyrus x56
Proto Man x55
Decidueye x52

50 - 25

Dwight Fairfield (Dead by Daylight) x50
Farmer (Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons) x38
Gooey (Kirby) x37
Concept: DLC challenges x35
Earthworm Jim x33
Concept: Assist Trophy becomes Fighter x30
Qbby x30
Cooking Mama x30
Gex x27
Thrall (Warcraft) x25
Boss: Perfect Chaos x25

Under 25

Concept: Pokéball Pokémon becomes fighter x25
[Rerate] Dovahkiin x25
Marx (Kirby) x21
King Boo x21
Reporter & Wrestler x20
Tora and Poppi x20
Johnny Silverhand x20
Concept: Spirits aren’t disconfirmations x20
Nightmare (Soul Calibur) x20
Black Shadow x19
Concept: Grookey's final evolution x18
Hector (Fire Emblem) x15
Pyra & Mythra (sans Rex) x15
Concept: Fortnite character x15
Concept: Another joke character x13
Concept: At least one fighter in the Pass is not third-party x13
Concept: Lord Fredrik as an Echo Fighter of K. Rool x12
Mike Jones x11
Concept: Bethesda rep x10
Frog (Chrono Trigger) x10
Beat (Jet Set Radio) x10
Concept: Spectator Emotes x10
Concept: Medabots rep x10
Sir Arthur (Ghosts 'n Goblins) x10
[Rerate] Tetromino x10
Concept: Idolm@ster rep x10
Magolor x9
Toon Zelda x8
Gordon Freeman x8
Blacephalon x5
Neptune x5
Concept: Crazi Taxi rep x5
Oliver (Ni No Kuni) x5
Courier (Fallout) x5
Scorpion x5
Concept: Another literally who Level-5 Character who's popular in Japan, like Achilles or Mark Evans x5
Starman (Pro Wrestling) x5
Malzahar (League of Legends) x5
Concept: Master Chief Mii Costume x5
Worm (Worms) x5
Balloon Fighter x5
Tiz Arrior x5
Rash x5
Concept: League of Legends rep x5
Serious Sam x5
Concept: A character outside the Fighter Pass x5
Goemon (Mystical Ninja) x5
Urbosa x5
Concept: Devolver Digital rep x5
[Rerate] Sans x5
Lizalfos x4
Concept: No More DLC x3
Concept: More Fighter Passes x3
Boss: Sans x2
Sub-Zero x2
Concept: Street Fighter Mii costumes x2
Rad Spencer x2
Stahl x1
Duster x1
Pappy Van Poodle x1
Dr. Eggman x1
Toon Zelda & Tetra x1
[Rerate] Chibi-Robo x1

Proto Man, Amaterasu and Zhao Yun cut past the 50 nom mark. Dwight Fairfield reaches it and thus flees the purge.

Remember guys: any character or concept under 50 noms when the day ends will be removed from the list. You can begin nominating them again, but all nominations they had will be gone.

I have 8 nominations to spare for today (I have 40 + today's 10, but I'm using 42 on other stuff). So if you're short by a tiny bit and I like your character/concept, tell me and they're yours.
 

3DSNinja

Smash Lord
Joined
Oct 30, 2018
Messages
1,390
Best Game of 2017, don't @ me.
Chance:40%: Now, I know this is high, but let's consider the evidence. First, his game came out about a month before BoTW and blew up on PC's. It was then ported to switch and was announced in the indie direct in August. This game probably took a long time to port, so there's that. But, it came out within the threshold. plus, Silksong makes him even MORE likely. With Silksong, this gives Nintendo the ability to make him a promo. It seems like everything lines up. So why is he below fifty? One word.
UNDERTALE.
Yeah, sorry, but this seems way more likely. Definitely got a lot of votes during the Smash Ballot, has a recent port, has a sequel on switch. Still tho, the Knight takes second in the indie likelihood IMO.
Want: OVER 9000%: This game is a work of art. There is legit nothing wrong with it. As well, his spells could make for a unique character. Also Hollow Knight music. This game shows everything great about Indies, and it deserves recognition. It has great gameplay,an incredible soundtrack, looks beautiful, and has a story with some truly fascinating lore. It deserves to be in Smash. Nuff said.
Nominations: Specter Knight x 10
Also GoodGrief741 GoodGrief741 , would it be alright if I used .those noms?
 
Last edited:

Playstation Guy 1000

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
359
Maxwell
Chance 15%:Maxwell is possible since his games has sold 13 million copies and started on a nintendo systems but his game franchise in japan is very low and the fact that he is own by a fourth party company doesn't help.
Want 75%:Haven't played the games but I wouldn't mind Maxwell since there is a lot possibilities with him(like making Maxwell a Combat based Character or Strategy based Character for example)

Hollow Knight
Chance 25%:Hollow Knight has been release during the fighter pass characters were chosen so it's possible but at the same time He has a lot competition with other indie games(Undertale, Cave Story,Touhou) making it to be pretty difficult for him to be picked.
Want abstain: I just heard/seen a few clips of hollow knight so I'm not sure to rate him.

Predictions:Heavy 16%
Nominations:Neptune X5
 

GoodGrief741

Smash Legend
Joined
Sep 22, 2012
Messages
10,169
Crash Bandicoot
49.21% Chance, 70.49% Want
Winner of predictions was Sari Sari with 48.35%
First time we rated him he got 27.36% Chance and 57.50% Want. He was rated before release, so Western characters were definitely a big question mark back then. Coincidentally, Sari also predicted him back then.
Last time we rated him he got 51.80% Chance and 77.95% Want. Color me surprised, his scores went down? After Banjo? My only explanation is that some might feel that one platforming mascot is enough. But to be honest with how high things were going I expected his scores to be much higher.

Spyro the Dragon
13.30% Chance, 54.58% Want
Winner of predictions was PapillonXtreme PapillonXtreme with 13.77%

People with extra noms:

3BitSaurus 3BitSaurus 5
Awakining Awakining 5
DaUsername DaUsername 50
Delzethin Delzethin 5
GoodGrief741 GoodGrief741 40
Nemuresu Nemuresu 10
PapillonXtreme PapillonXtreme 10
Ridrool64 Ridrool64 5
Sari Sari 10
shocktarts17 shocktarts17 5
Ramen Tengoku Ramen Tengoku 5
Ultomato Ultomato 5
@Velveeta Dream 5

Also GoodGrief741 GoodGrief741 GoodGrief741 GoodGrief741 , would it be alright if I used .those noms?
For Specter Knight? I mean, that's already in the top 7, and I honestly don't think it's really worth rating (sorry!), so I'd rather give it to a character that's in danger of being purged.
 

Sari

Editing Staff
Writing Team
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
4,436
Location
New Jersey
NNID
Villager49
Switch FC
SW-2215-0173-2152
I just realized that Maxwell could've easily taken Nikki's role as an assist trophy except he'd write up random objects instead of drawing them. Oh well.

Chance: 5%
Scribblenauts was incredibly big back in the days of the original DS but since then the hype around it has sort of died down. The fact that there hasn't been a mainline game for years outside of that one spinoff game doesn't help. I feel if we were to ever get Maxwell it would've been in SSB4.

Want: 60%
I poured so many hours into Super Scribblenauts when I was younger so I'd be pretty alright with Maxwell's inclusion. That said though, a part of me thinks he'd be better off as an assist trophy as I feel it'd be a better way to utilize the dictionary feature.

----------

Hollow Knight

Chance: 10%
His game released at the right time for him to be considered but I still think its too recent for an indie game. I don't see us getting an indie character unless they have a giant legacy or Ridley levels of fan demand; neither of which I don't think Hollow Knight has.

Want: 10%
Haven't played his game so I can't really say much about the character himself. In regards to indies though I'd want to see characters like Quote and Shantae make it into Smash first before the Knight.

----------

Heavy chance prediction: 2.51%

Nominations:
Terry Bogard x5
 
Last edited:

Nquoid

Smash Ace
Joined
May 21, 2019
Messages
584
Maxwell

Chance: 5%
Want: 5%

The original Scribblenauts was such an ingenious idea, that let to a wonderful little puzzle game. But it's been out of the zeitgeist for a very long time, in spite of great sales and Nintendo publishing latter titles in Europe. Scribblenauts would have to compete against Mortal Kombat to get in the game. And whilst there have been a steady stream of titles (although nothing in the main series since 2013) it doesn't feel like there's a ground swell of support behind the franchise unlike a Banjo or other less relevant reps. None of these things I can definitively stack against him, but with only two characters left on the pass, I do not think it's Maxwell's time.

I really enjoyed the original Scribblenauts game on DS. But it always felt like a little bit of a tech demo? An ingenious mechanic that lent itself so well to a puzzle game, that always lacked the polish to be up there with the many, many fantastic puzzle games on the system. I've heard latter versions addressed some issues, but Scribblenauts has always felt like a great proof of concept for a mechanic, but doesn't really offer much on the character front.

The (not Hollow) Knight

Chance 15%
Want 50%

I know the community has sort of settled on the big 5 indie characters in the speculation scene, two of who made it into base. But I really do think if Smash choses an indie rep at this point it's going to be someone that matters to the new generation of indies on the Switch, and that's Celeste and Hollow Knight. Both are two of the best games on the system, period. And both have play styles perfectly suited to the Switch. Undertale and Cave Story+ are two other great titles on Switch, but a lot of their impact was on other systems, whilst Hollow Knight had its first console port on the Switch, and a lot of the buzz around it last year centred on the Switch version. I'm giving a slightly higher chance score because I do think it's an underrated indie pick, but I also doubt we get an indie rep at all so I don't want to guess too high. But if Silksong is a smash, I wouldn't be surprised to see The Knight get into future Smash content, even if it's just a spirit or AT.

Hollow Knight is the best non-Nintendo game I've played on the Switch. Everything about it feels so perfectly constructed and the thought out. Gameplay is fluid and the world design is fantastic. I don't normally put characters from games I love as having a high want score (look at Undertale, a game I adore), but I genuinely thing Hollow Knight has exactly the right moveset to fit into Smash. Plus it would be excellent to see the current Metroidvania king fight alongside Samus and Simon.

So in summary, Hollow Knight fantastic game, y'all should play it, I want The Knight in Smash but I doubt we are getting an indie for these last two slots. So whatevs
 

waddledeeonredyoshi

Smash Lord
Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Messages
1,515
Location
Drenthe, NL
Hollow boi
Chance: 2.5%
So what has changed since last time we rated them? Well Hollow Knight can now officially be considered a series with Silksong becoming its own seperate game, which also apparently had a demo at Nintendo's E3 booth and has alot of hype it. The original game is also still a million seller. Pretty impressive for an indie game. However, so was Shovel Knight, who has been around for longer and had a bunch of support behind him back in the day. He got to be an Assist Trophy, giving us an idea of to what standards Nintendo/Sakurai hold indie characters in Smash. I don't have high hopes the Knight is above those standards.


Does this make playable indie characters as DLC an impossibility? Not really, in my opinion. But I think only those who are from games on a whole other level of popularity stand a fair shot. That's where a certain indie rpg comes into play. Yeah, I consider Undertale to be the Knight's biggest competitor when it comes to a potential indie character. (In a post-Banjo era of course) The games might have similar sales numbers but one obviously had a greater impact on culture. Undertale (and probably Deltarune too) can be considered a phenomenon, especially in Japan. (seriously, do some digging on its eastern popularity. It's absurd) Having an E3 demo is nice but both Undertale and Deltarune got highlighted in Directs with special trailers. On top of that, Undertale has been played by Sakurai himself, I don't think we have that same confirmation for Hollow Knight tho I'd love to be proven wrong.

So yeah, a character from Undertale would be way more profitable than the Knight. The Knight might be more fit as a fighter but I don't think it matters that much. Perhaps for a second pass they'd stand a better chance.

Want: 99%
Hollow knight is still one of my favourite games and I'm looking forward to Silksong. I'd scream if the Knight somehow gets in.

Maxwell
Chance: 0.5%
Early Scribblenauts games are probably fondly remembered but the franchise is pretty irrelevant at the moment. Latest game not being well received to my knowledge. Is the series even known in Japan?


Want: 1%
Again, fond memories but nothing more. I've only really played the first game as a child but never really picked up the series after that. Not much interest.


Heavy: 1.67%
Adeline x5
 
Last edited:

TheCJBrine

Smash Legend
Joined
Jul 28, 2013
Messages
12,054
Location
New World, Minecraft
“The pencil is mightier than the sword...but now you can wield both”:

Chance: 5% - Scribblenauts was big back in the day, it seemed, but it seems to have died down some. It still had that new party(?) game, and it seems popular, but it feels like it’s fallen out of the spotlight for the most part, so I’m not sure about it entering Smash given the competition.

Want: 100% - I loved Scribblenauts when I was younger, so I wouldn’t mind Maxwell’s inclusion at all, and I’d even find it nice to see him. I don’t care as much anymore, but it’d still be neat, and I’d imagine he’d be a fun addition.

Abstain on Hollow Knight.

Nominations:

Ninten x5
 
Top Bottom