It's now time for my big Assist Trophy post (of course I was going to make one).
Chance: 80%
I was going to go with 100% because I'm just feeling it right now. It's nothing but a hunch, a gut feeling, but I really do think we're getting them. But I do think there's a chance that Spring Man gets completely shut out, and while not definitive it would spell bad things for other ATs' prospects. It's probably for the best, as the things I give 100s to don't tend to end up faring well.
Want: 100%
I'll preface this by saying that no matter who it is or how many there are, I see it as only a good thing. Confirmation that anyone and everyone can get in is nothing but good for speculation. But, yes, of course I have a personal interest in this happening, because many of the characters I want are ATs (and Spirits, and Mii Costumes, etc - and given how the community regards ATs, it's likely that confirmation that they can happen will trickle down to all other kinds of base game disconfirmations). Spring Man is the canary in the coalmine, and if he gets in I could see one or two others get promoted (I don't see a full-AT pass, mostly because such a thing can only be justified by fan demand, and there are more fan requested characters in other roles aside from AT). So, without further ado, here's my opinion on every Assist Trophy ever. This is for everyone who didn't get rated because we didn't think they were possible.
Akira Yuki: I acknowledge Virtua Fighter's place in videogame history, and I wouldn't be upset at all if he got in. However, there's other Sega franchises that also have history that I have more affection for, and as fighting games go, Tekken, Mortal Kombat, Dead or Alive and Soul Calibur are my priorities. I never got into Virtua Fighter's characters, and that's a pretty important thing for me in a fighting game; if Akira gets in, I would like for him to be his current low-poly self.
Alucard: We've talked about him recently so I'll be brief: anyone who stars in a game as monumental as Symphony of the Night deserves a spot in Smash.
Andross: I'd rather have Krystal and I think four is a good number for Star Fox. I don't know if Andross has the moveset potential. Him not being a boss, however, is a waste.
Arcade Bunny: Yes please. I don't know how, but I want this ****** to be playable. A croupier rabbit fighting with badges is right up my alley, and this is when you realize just how deep my alley goes.
Ashley: WarioWare desperately needs a second character, and Ashley has the potential to be one of Nintendo's modern stars if they capitalize on her like they did with Isabelle. We don't have a witch moveset in Smash, so let's get the girl next door to teach Bayonetta how it's really done.
Barbara the Bat: a rock diva? Sign me up. Barbara just oozes personality and is an archetype that I'd love to see explored by Sakurai.
Black Knight: I'm iffy on the amount of Fire Emblem characters we have, but if there's something I think every series should have, is a cool villain, and Black Knight is perfect for that role. An unstoppable, slow powerhouse that would make Ganondorf look like Sonic, I wouldn't mind to see this one march into battle. Just... Please stop suggesting he'd work as an Ike echo. He wouldn't.
Bomberman: My bomber boy was robbed, I tell you! This is just a high caliber pick, in the Mega Man league of just making sense. An icon, a mascot, a Nintendo mainstay, Bomberman would have a deceptively simple and strategic moveset.
Burrowing Snagret: you can stay an AT
Chain Chomp: after Piranha Plant I dread the idea that a random Mario mook could make the cut again. Please no.
Chef Kawasaki: living proof of Sakurai bias, this guy being an AT over many more important Kirby characters is just incredibly baffling.
Color TV Game 15: honestly if they could make a character out of this I'd be more impressed than mad
Dark Samus: Victory #1
Devil: I'd like a representative of Devil World, it's a really weird game but I think expanding it to make for a Smash fighter would be really cool. I'm on the fence on whether it should be this guy or Tamagon though.
Dillon: absolutely. A properly developed Sonic, plus tower defense mechanics making for a fighter who thrives on stage control? Plus a cool Western stage? Dillon absolutely deserves another shot.
Dr. Kawashima: real talk: I think the floating head of a real-life doctor throwing around numbers and other stuff from Brain Age would be super fun. No way this actually happens but a man can dream.
Dr. Wright: He's fine, but I like that they've kept him over the years. It's a nice homage to Will Wright and given what EA did to Maxis and SimCity it's certainly needed. I do wish they'd done more with his AT though, an Isaac style expansion to his abilities would be great because there's a lot more you can do.
Elec Man: What a random choice Elec Man was. Was a cool AT though.
Excitebiker: you bet. Why isn't Excitebiker playable yet? A fighter who's always on a bike, using the ramps and boosters from the original game, maybe even with an overheat mechanic to make him a rushdown-then-zoner character. Moveset writes itself, and the game is a classic.
Flies & Hand: No, but this is such a cool, unexpected AT, I like it.
Ghirahim: Ghirahim's dope. For all the hate that Skyward Sword gets, Ghirahim's just a cool character, and I'm all for more Zelda characters.
Ghosts: Nah, Pac-Man's fine, he's all you need for his franchise. Maybe Ms. Pac-Man would be cool, but given the rights issues I expect Pac-Man to remain solo. Let's get other retro Bamco franchises, like Dig Dug.
Gray Fox: Hmm, I think Raiden or Big Boss would be better picks for a second Metal Gear rep. Gray Fox is iconic, but Raiden's the cyborg ninja that you actually get to play as. I'll pass.
Guile: let's get Chun-Li and Bison, then we can start talking about other Street Fighters.
Hammer Bro: see Chain Chomp
Helirin: I'd actually really like to see Kururin. I thought the games were pretty fun and Kururin is very cute, this tiny bird with goggles on this big flying spinning apparatus in Smash really speaks to me.
Infantry and Tanks: bring them back, or don't, but give me Andy.
Isaac: How do you talk about Assist Trophies and not mention Isaac? At this point he's become one of the most famous examples of Assist Trophies with popularity, he's probably one of the most demanded characters left. Golden Sun and The Lost Age are complete classics, Isaac has so much moveset potential it's not even funny, let's just get him in already. If we get promotions, I'd say he's one of the strongest candidates.
Isabelle: Victory #2
Jeff: I love Jeff, Earthbound's my favorite game of all time, but I think other candidates from that series are more compelling, so Jeff's fine as he is.
Jill: I love Drill Dozer, so I'm strongly in favor of Jill getting in. Her gear mechanic translates pretty well to Smash, I think, and I hope for Drill Dozer to get more recognition.
Kapp'n: Tom Nook or bust.
Kat & Ana: would be neat, but I'd prefer Ashley or Mona for a WarioWare rep.
Klaptrap: this is obviously fine as an AT.
Knuckle Joe: see Chef Kawasaki, though at least this one has the excuse of getting in in Brawl.
Knuckles the Echidna: Tails, Shadow and Eggman should be priorities, but I see no reason why Knuckles shouldn't be in with how iconic and popular he is. Sonic really should have more characters.
Krystal: Will she get back into the Star Fox games at some point? Will we ever get another of them anyway? I don't know, but Krystal in Smash I see as more plausible. We don't have a staff fighter, ice as an element is still very underrepresented, and this would just complete Star Fox fighters for me, and give us a space animal with a new moveset. I miss the days when Krystal was one of the most popular characters...
Lakitu and Spinies: see Hammer Bro
Little Mac: Victory #3
Lyn: Fire Emblem doesn't deserve 9 fighters, but we as a community deserve Lyn. She's absolutely nothing of what people hate about Fire Emblem, being a green haired katana wielder who can't be confused for anyone else, moveset or looks-wise. She represents Fire Emblem's transition to global franchise, a monumental step for the series, and still one of the best games. And she's one of the most popular characters in the franchise. We're way overdue for Lyn, and she'd go a long way towards gaining goodwill for her series.
Magnus: he's a great character, but he's fine as an AT. There are better options for his series and it's not like his moveset potential is stellar.
Metroid: I like the Metroid AT, keep it as an AT.
Midna: my preferred choice for a new Zelda rep, there's a lot to love about the imp princess. Her spunky personality, her hair-based moveset, her quirky design and unique body shape, she'd be a fighter like no other.
Mr. Resetti: alright this is one of the best Assist Trophies why is he not back
Moon: if Skull Kid wasn't going to be playable this should have just been his function. Skull Kid's AT sucks.
Mother Brain: see Andross. Metroid makes for great ATs. We should get more.
Nightmare: yeah, Nightmare's the Kirby Assist Trophy. Not Dark Matter, not Adeleine, not Daroach, Nightmare. He turns the screen black.
Nikki: I really like Nikki and I'd love it if she could be playable. Thing is I also support Vince and Adeleine and I don't know if you can do three artist movesets and keep them fresh.
Nintendog: I really like this AT. Lets me see puppies.
Phosphora: damn Phosphora is a really random Assist Trophy choice. Not very inspired either. I like her as a character but I'm fine with her being gone.
Rathalos: one of the best calls in Ultimate was representing Monster Hunter with Rathalos playing a dual AT-boss role. He can stay as he is.
Ray Mk. III: Custom Robo is an amazing franchise that deserves a comeback and Ray would make for an incredibly compelling fighter. He has such a deep arsenal and the potential for a customizability gimmick makes him a must, plus we can get a more mecha looking robot.
Riki: **** you Riki
Rodin: I think Jeanne's a better Bayonetta echo.
Prince of Sable: I adore For the Frog the Bell Tolls, I recommend it to anyone, and the Prince, with his ability to turn into frogs and snakes, plus the offbeat and humorous things he does in the game (attacking through dustclouds, with bags of money, with a gang of miners as his backup, calling a mind controlled mammoth to assist him), this is one of my most wanted characters ever and my pipe dream pick.
Saki Amamiya: Sin & Punishment is a classic. Saki is a cool character, with a great design. His acrobatic maneuvers and the versatile Dolphin Gun, this guy was just born to be a fighter in Smash Bros. Plus he honors the legacy of Treasure, one of the best devs ever in my opinion.
Samurai Goroh: F-Zero deserves more love, and while I think Black Shadow as an Echo is the easiest, and therefore likeliest, avenue, Falcon's rival as a unique newcomer will always be something I support. I think he would stand out from the more refined and agile Lyn and the better equipped Takamaru by his simplicity and over the top nature. I'd really like to see what Sakurai can do with another F-Zero character, as his development of Falcon as a Sentai hero is still one of the best things in Smash.
Shadow the Hedgehog: the most obvious echo in existence, Shadow was truly robbed. Like I said, Sonic deserves a second character, and nobody's better than Sonic's incredibly popular rival.
Sheriff: as the first character Nintendo created, I think this guy should be in Smash. There's enough in Sheriff to craft a moveset, and the history aspect of him is too compelling for me not to support him.
Shovel Knight: I think Shovel Knight should be playable. His impact for the indie scene is not to be understated, and the philosophy behind his design makes him an easy fit for Smash.
Skull Kid: with no character can you see how Zelda was snubbed better than with this guy. Majora's Mask is one of the most iconic elements in Zelda yet apparently he's not important enough to the series? Yeah, I call bull****.
Spring Man: the man of the hour, I already spoke about him on his day recently. But obviously, he's one of the strongest candidates.
Squid Sisters: I do think given Splatoon's phenomenal success, a second fighter in Smash would go a long way towards establishing more of its cast as icons. However, I'd go with Octolings for an Echo (or semiclone) or maybe DJ Octavio as the villain.
Starfy: Starfy is no joke. A prince who's the star of five platformers should be treated with some more respect. His games are really good, and I like him. #respect4starfy
Starman: I love Starman as an AT, it's a keeper.
Sukapon: the star of Nintendo's first fighter, and one that had the record for most characters at the time, I think Sukapon is a natural choice for Smash. This comedian robot can throw his own head, do cartwheels, pull off suplexes that would put Incineroar to shame, and due to the nature of his game, has the movesets of 36 characters to draw from. Sukapon's one of my most wanted, and I've supported him since I played Joy Mech Fight in the Brawl era. It holds up pretty well as a party game so I suggest you give it a try, when all this is over.
Takamaru: Mysterious Murasame Castle could probably have been one of Nintendo's big series if it hadn't been Japan exclusive, but no use dwelling over lost opportunities. Takamaru has an incredible arsenal of weaponry and magic at his disposal, his game has incredible music, and I like to think a Kid Icarus Uprising style comeback would be inevitable. Sakurai said he was considered, now it's time for him to deliver.
Thwomp: see Lakitu and Spinies. Remember when we rated Thwomp because of that guy?
Tiki: I like Tiki as much as any FE fan, and as the first Manakete, she's important for the series, but given the amount of characters it has and the fact that she's not even close to being a main character, I think she's just very low priority.
Tingle: I don't hate Tingle. I would be okay with Tingle. Tingle's just not one of the Zelda characters I'd be delighted to see, but at this point any Zelda character would be fine.
Vince: see Nikki
Waluigi: the purple king of Assist Trophies, the eternal loser, and one of the characters with the most outcry - probably the most, as far as the mainstream goes. Is this his time? If Assist Trophies are promoted, I think it would be outrageous to omit him. They know about his demand, they've admitted they know about his demand, so it's time for everyone to put on their big boy pants, come up with a moveset (it can't be hard) and give the people what they want. He's the one who has the most to win if Spring Man gets in and the most to lose if he doesn't.
Dr. Wily: I think Dr. Wily, by all merits, should get in, but he's too redundant with Eggman and Eggman's more iconic and there might be other priorities with Mega Man. If they can make it work, I'm all for it.
Yuri Kozukata: a character from a horror game in which you fight ghosts by taking pictures sounds like a good recipe for a very unique newcomer. Despite knowing almost nothing about Fatal Frame, Yuri's Assist Trophy immediately convinced me.
Zero: personally? I like X more. But Zero would probably be the second Mega Man rep, and he'd be a great choice. Representing Mega Man, with its several different subseries, isn't easy, and I don't really know what the priority should be here or how many characters it could get, so I'd just take what comes. Zero is iconic, he's popular, he has a laser sword, and sometimes, that's all you need.
Aaaand that's it! All the Assist Trophies. As you can see, I have a lot of love for many of them, and I'm really grateful for many of them being ATs in the first place as they introduced me to many cool characters. But when we have characters like Waluigi or Isaac who have been Assist Trophies since Brawl and have had constant demand to be promoted, I think a mistake's been made.
Noms: Earthworm Jim x5
Minato prediction: this will be low, and then he'll get a few very high scores. 4.76%
