Classic Nintendo - With the return of the Ice Climbers, it feels as if finally the era of "classic Nintendo" has gotten it's fair share of good representation. The thing is that aside from Game & Watch and R.O.B., these are essentially one-off games. BUT, the fact each IP has gotten a stage and some degree of trophy work and music work is very admirable and nice to see. The only "con" I see is R.O.B. still not having a dedicated stage, though, I think due to Brawl's way of unlocking R.O.B., Mario Bros. seems to be "R.O.B.'s stage" given with how it looks like Gyromite to an extent. Maybe they can add even more of their toy line-up, like the Ultra Hand or Hanafuda cards, even. Overall, definitely content with how they've treated their retro properties.
Modern Nintendo - While there's less IPs than the previous era of Nintendo, no doubt do these two have a bigger impact than it's predecessor. Wii Fit and the Miis have become a staple of not just Nintendo history, but gaming history in general, so I feel that they've done a fairly good job with how they've handled these properties. There's a Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit stage, good amount of music - I feel as if the original Wii Sports could definitely get some love, but overall, just like with Classic Nintendo, very content.
Super Mario - What else really is there to say? It's Mr. Video Game, the big star. I think they've covered almost every part of Mario's history from his humble beginnings to his most latest blockbuster. I am a bit saddened that the only Paper Mario representation we might have still is the Paper Mario stage where it's practically a Sticker Star stage, and not to mention barely any love for Mario Party at all, where - yes, I understand Mario Kart has definitely sold more - that spin-off is just as iconic as Mario Kart. But, the return of N64's Mushroom Kingdom, a Mario Odyssey stage and alternate costumes are very good additions to the already abundant IP. Once they add in Geno and Super Mario RPG, I feel as if we'll reach the climax of just what can be done for Mario and everything else added is a sweet bonus. Overall, with Mario getting more awesome music and other content we expect, I'm definitely happy with the results.
Xenoblade Chronicles - Whoo boy. Where do I begin. I'll say that representation for Xenoblade Chronicles has been... Okay, and that's something that needs to be fixed SEVERELY. Shulk as a character is not bad, Gaur Plains... I mean, they nailed down the original design to a tee, but probably shouldn't have, given the platform layout. The trophies are a nice touch, even if one is a gigantic ****ing spoiler that is now a part of Shulk's final smash, thanks Sakurai.
Music is where I have a BIG issue with how they treated Xenoblade. There's practically only one "remix" and it's a haphazardly-made medley that only features two songs really being re-arranged and that's about it. We only got straight up rips and that's it. I feel that needs to be changed drastically, and going into Smash Ultimate, I really hope that's the case. Though, at some point down Ultimate's lifecycle, we're no doubt gonna get Rex & Pyra alongside Xenoblade Chronicles 2 content, and when THAT happens, then Xenoblade will get a HUGE boost in god-like content being added for a franchise. I hope that day comes sooner than later, because right now, I feel as if that's what Xenoblade needs at the moment. It looks like they're putting work, at the very least, with redesigning Shulk a tiny bit, so here's to praying we see Monado Boy get his due.
Splatoon - It was really only a matter of time before this franchise got into Smash, and going into Ultimate, they definitely have been nailing aspects of what makes Splatoon the game we all know and love. The Squid Sisters AT is a great addition, Moray Towers seems to be an alright stage to play on, and the music so far has been a jam. Not to mention, the alternate costumes for the Inklings are a great touch. For this being the newest IP getting mass popularity and love, I expect no less to happen in Smash Ultimate. For the seeds being planted, I can see Splatoon getting pretty damn good representation and even expect future DLC content to represent Splatoon 2 with the Octolings coming in (at a reasonable price, mind you). I look forward to what we're gonna be getting.
Street Fighter - Well. Talk about a growth spurt, huh? Street Fighter coming into Smash 4 was a definite surprise, even if it being leaked hampered the reveal a lot. We got six songs, a few trophies and a stage to boot, too. I feel as if they did Ryu justice with how they can put him in a Smash Bros. game. Going into Ultimate, however, I was definitely not expecting this franchise to get a huge upset. We now have 30 MORE tracks than the previous game, another character being Ken, and possibly even a new stage? That's actually insane, and to be honest, it makes sense. Street Fighter has to be the most prolific fighting game series of all time, so for it to get this much love going into Smash Ultimate is very, VERY nice to see and I can't wait to see what else they've done for our boy Ryu.
