The General Bandai-Namco Discussion Thread

[Rie Sonomura]

I'd prefer a Tekken or Soulcalibur rep, personally. Though I guess Sakurai has already stated having difficulty coming up with a moveset for Heihachi.

Would that affect a SC character’s chances? I’ve never actually played SC so

 

[MattX20]

Lloyd, Nightmare, KOS-MOS, and Klonoa's mechanics would translate rather well to Smash in terms of movesets.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Would that affect a SC character’s chances? I’ve never actually played SC so

No. Cause the difficulty seems to be closer to getting the actual proper Tekken mechanics in. The 3D part isn't as important as the factor of limb-based button presses. Multiple 3D characters can easily work since at most you can't always send them into the foreground or background, but otherwise you have enough directions for a good moveset. Soul Calibur has more than just the 3D part. It has stuff like parries and combos.

 

[ES. Dinah]

KOS-MOS is my most wanted character ever and that's because she's a super badass gynoid that can bring a multitude of weapons/playstyles to smash. She is pretty much Monolith Soft's brainchild even though Namco own her it's not a problem with the great relationship both Namco and Monolith have. Harada has talked to the Monolith team before and I can see they are on very good terms. This makes sense when you have a revival of KOS-MOS in Xenoblade 2 with the refrain design. Hell, they even revived T-ELOS as a thank you gift for Xenoblade 2 doing very well. And you can see all the love KOS-MOS got with even a expensive Xenoblade 2 figurine released. The only characters that got those expensive goodsmile figurines are Pyra, Mythra, KOS-MOS, and Mythra's artifice Siren. Yup, no Rex or anything. Melia being a huge success in Future connected is also getting one next! While this doesn't mean anything I feel it is still quite telling that none of the main characters got one from Xenoblade 2. There have been numerous times where KOS-MOS even has showed up recently. She's front and center of Monolith's 20th anniversary artwork last year (which by the way a new graduate at Monolith Soft drew) which means they never will forget about KOS-MOS ever. She's showed up in Project X Zone 2 as Fiora's partner in a amazing heart to heart where they feel like they both know eachother. Well, of course they do since KOS-MOS is her inspiration just like Elma, Pyra, Mythra etc even though Xenogears started that whole trend with Elly and Myyah, KOS-MOS seems the most remembered for it. Point is regardless of any leaks being fake or real is that KOS-MOS has a lot going for her in the past few years. Yes, i'm very well aware that Xenosaga HD failed in a market analysis years ago when Harada pitched it to the higher ups but that was years ago and a character from a dead series is not eliminated from smash just because of that. She's survived a pretty long time in cameos which means there is a clear market for her. She was that figurine goddess and still is very well loved in Japan. She might not top any polls or anything but on Monolith Soft's Japanese twitter she was by far the most popular announcement in Xenoblade 2. People love KOS-MOS and it's not hard to see that.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

Would that affect a SC character’s chances? I’ve never actually played SC so

You never played Soul Calibur Rie? You got to play it, it's a really good series. The games are about these different warriors from different cultures who fight each other to either obtain the Soul Edge or make sure it's power doesn't fall into the wrong hands. It's a really good 3D arena fighter and my 2nd favorite fighting game series besides Smash. Soul Calibur also has guests as Link, Heihachi, and Spawn were guest in SC2, Darth Vadar and Yoda in SC4, Ezio in SC5, 2B in SC6 I believe. It's Namco's biggest crossover from what I know.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

No. Cause the difficulty seems to be closer to getting the actual proper Tekken mechanics in. The 3D part isn't as important as the factor of limb-based button presses. Multiple 3D characters can easily work since at most you can't always send them into the foreground or background, but otherwise you have enough directions for a good moveset. Soul Calibur has more than just the 3D part. It has stuff like parries and combos.

I don't think it's the limb-based system more than it is Tekken's overreliance on lengthy juggle combos, which would be hard to pull off in an engine that isn't made for something like this, like Ultimate's, and even harder to balance in a roster where the Tekken character is the only one with that mechanic.

Because otherwise, a Mortal Kombat rep would also be "impossible" due to having a similar button layout as Tekken, despite its overall gameplay being closer to the typical fighting game rather than the execution you need for something like Tekken.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

I don't think it's the limb-based system more than it is Tekken's overreliance on lengthy juggle combos, which would be hard to pull off in an engine that isn't made for something like this, like Ultimate's, and even harder to balance in a roster where the Tekken character is the only one with that mechanic.

Because otherwise, a Mortal Kombat rep would also be "impossible" due to having a similar button layout as Tekken, despite its overall gameplay being closer to the typical fighting game rather than the execution you need for something like Tekken.

Mortal Kombat may have many buttons, but it's not "limb-based" in the same way. It's just kicks and punches, and has it a lot more simplistic. A lot of the moves are much more traditional fighting moves otherwise, but also has a few cases of command inputs of "direction + button".

That said, that might be why as well. Both could be play a role. Min Min shows simply doing a two-limb system is plausible, being only kicks/punches for instance(like with Mortal Kombat/Killer Instinct), but that also took a while to do alone. I can imagine MK would take even longer.

Thankfully Soul Calibur is not a limb-based thing, so that wouldn't be a remote issue. It does have juggling as well, but I don't know how different it is from Tekken in general.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

It does have juggling as well, but I don't know how different it is from Tekken in general.

Depends on the character. Nightmare, for instance, focuses more on the quality of his hits than the quantity, so he has shorter combos but those combos still hit about as hard as most characters' combos and can be decently consistent to hit without worrying too much about execution due to his range.

He'd be broken if his frame data wasn't slow

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Depends on the character. Nightmare, for instance, focuses more on the quality of his hits than the quantity, so he has shorter combos but those combos still hit about as hard as most characters' combos.

What I mean is, do they use a similar juggling system?

Yeah, I'm aware of Nightmare being less about constant combos. He's one of my mains, after all. I suck at using him, but. >.>;

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

What I mean is, do they use a similar juggling system?

Yeah, I'm aware of Nightmare being less about constant combos. He's one of my mains, after all. I suck at using him, but. >.>;

I don't think it even relies much on the juggle combos.

It's more about the movement and the gauge management.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

I don't think it even relies much on the juggle combos.

It's more about the movement and the gauge management.

Ahhhh.

I like know nothing about Tekken besides some characters. I played a bit of Tag Team Tournament in an Arcade over 10 years back, so.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Ahhhh.

I like know nothing about Tekken besides some characters. I played a bit of Tag Team Tournament in an Arcade over 10 years back, so.

The main thing I remember about Tekken (I don't own any games, I just have friends who do and... with COVID and all...) is that it's much harder for newcomers to get into it than it is with SoulCalibur.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

The main thing I remember about Tekken (I don't own any games, I just have friends who do and... with COVID and all...) is that it's much harder for newcomers to get into it than it is with SoulCalibur.

Right.

Anyway, let's hope we get some Soul Calibur content either way~ Same with the other absent Bandai-Namco stuff.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Right.

Anyway, let's hope we get some Soul Calibur content either way~ Same with the other absent Bandai-Namco stuff.

Edge of Soul in Smash~

 

[ninjahmos]

I think Six and Mono from Little Nightmares would have a good chance of being Mii Costumes.

 

[Banado_Boy]

KOS-MOS is my most wanted, but I’d also be cool with these options for Namco:

Alisa (God Eater, though the one from Tekken would be cool too I guess)
Lloyd
Nightmare
Reiji & Xiaomu
Yuri

 

[UserKev]

I'm a sucker for Dig Dug, the actual dig dug enemy in goggles. Not the playable character you play as in Dig Dug.

You can do more with the enemies and are just as iconic.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

KOS-MOS is my most wanted, but I’d also be cool with these options for Namco:

Alisa (God Eater, though the one from Tekken would be cool too I guess)
Lloyd
Nightmare
Reiji & Xiaomu
Yuri

ayyyyy good to see some God Eater appreciation in here

 

[Swamp Sensei]

I'm a sucker for Dig Dug, the actual dig dug enemy in goggles. Not the playable character you play as in Dig Dug.

You can do more with the enemies and are just as iconic.

You mean Pooka right?

 

[Ornl]

Mametchi/Tamagotchi
His chances are zero, but I like his patrimony:
• 82 million units sold.*
• 2e best third-party serie sales in Japan on GB, after Dragon Quest.*
• 21 Tamagotchi video games on Nintendo consoles.*
• Crossover & cameo : Chibi-Robo!, Mario Kart GP 2, Pokémon, Sonic*
_____

Bamco Google Trends
• In the world: Pac-Man > Souls > Tekken > Digimon > Tales of > Tamagotchi > Soul > Taiko No Tatsujin > Katamari / Xenosaga > Galaga > Dig Dug > Klonoa > The Tower of Druaga > The Idolm@ster
• In Japan: Tales of > Tamagotchi > Taiko no Tatsujin > Souls > Tekken > Digimon > Xenosaga > Katamari > Soul > Pac-Man / The Tower of Druaga > The Idolm@ster > Klonoa > Dig Dug > Galaga

 

[UserKev]

You mean Pooka right?

Spot on. You can give a moveset based around digging and it's Final Smash can be literally being air pumped and exploding with strong knockback, reviving afterwards.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Bamco Google Trends
• In the world: Pac-Man > Souls > Tekken > Digimon > Tales of > Tamagotchi > Soul > Taiko No Tatsujin > Katamari / Xenosaga > Galaga > Dig Dug > Klonoa > The Tower of Druaga > The Idolm@ster
• In Japan: Tales of > Tamagotchi > Taiko no Tatsujin > Souls > Tekken > Digimon > Xenosaga > Katamari > Soul > Pac-Man / The Tower of Druaga > The Idolm@ster > Klonoa > Dig Dug > Galaga

Wait... Soulcalibur is searched more on Google than Tekken?

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

I picked Klonoa, Ms. Pac-Man and the Prince of All Cosmos, with the former as my most wanted (I would have picked Agumon too, but poll limits).

Though I don't have any confidence whatsoever in any Bamco character getting in this time, let alone any of those three.

 

[MattX20]

I picked Klonoa, Ms. Pac-Man and the Prince of All Cosmos, with the former as my most wanted (I would have picked Agumon too, but poll limits).

Though I don't have any confidence whatsoever in any Bamco character getting in this time, let alone any of those three.

It's not wise to count out a Bandai Namco rep until the Lloyd costume comes back. It's the most high profile one left.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

It's not wise to count out a Bandai Namco rep until the Lloyd costume comes back. It's the most high profile one left.

I know. I'm expecting that danged costume to come back any day now (especially since treatment of Western Tales fans historically isn't great).

 

[MattX20]

I know. I'm expecting that danged costume to come back any day now (especially since treatment of Western Tales fans historically isn't great).

You're forgetting Tales is a major franchise in Japan, top 3 biggest JRPG series there. It's still significant enough for Nintendo to notice and pay attention to

 

[Rie Sonomura]

if memory serves, Lloyd was NOT in a DLC character's associated wave back in 4. Gil was associated with... either Corrin or Bayonetta I think, and Heihachi with Ryu

perhaps this time Lloyd will be associated with an actual character this time. They didn't include Lloyd's costume with Sephiroth cause Geno's was brought back, I imagine it's one Smash 4 costume brought back at a time.

KOS-MOS? Yuri? Nightmare? Haruka?

 

[MattX20]

if memory serves, Lloyd was NOT in a DLC character's associated wave back in 4. Gil was associated with... either Corrin or Bayonetta I think, and Heihachi with Ryu

perhaps this time Lloyd will be associated with an actual character this time. They didn't include Lloyd's costume with Sephiroth cause Geno's was brought back, I imagine it's one Smash 4 costume brought back at a time.

KOS-MOS? Yuri? Nightmare? Haruka?

You are correct, Lloyd's Mii Costume was released on July 31st of 2015, after Lucas, Roy, and Ryu's releases and well before Cloud's in December.

 

[Starlight Liger]

View attachment 298073
Mametchi/Tamagotchi
His chances are zero, but I like his patrimony:
• 82 million units sold.*
• 2e best third-party serie sales in Japan on GB, after Dragon Quest.*
• 21 Tamagotchi video games on Nintendo consoles.*
• Crossover & cameo : Chibi-Robo!, Mario Kart GP 2, Pokémon, Sonic*
_____

Bamco Google Trends
• In the world: Pac-Man > Souls > Tekken > Digimon > Tales of > Tamagotchi > Soul > Taiko No Tatsujin > Katamari / Xenosaga > Galaga > Dig Dug > Klonoa > The Tower of Druaga > The Idolm@ster
• In Japan: Tales of > Tamagotchi > Taiko no Tatsujin > Souls > Tekken > Digimon > Xenosaga > Katamari > Soul > Pac-Man / The Tower of Druaga > The Idolm@ster > Klonoa > Dig Dug > Galaga

I love it when you post, you always come through with the quantitative data.

 

[Louie G.]

My top pick would be Prince of All Cosmos, if not just to have Katamari music in Smash. How amazing would that be? I imagine Prince would have an incredibly fresh and unique moveset to boot. I know people have said he would be a better AT - I wouldn't be mad at that if we got some tracks alongside him, but I think the potential is still there for him to be a fun fighter.

If we were to get a new Namco character though (I don't anticipate it, personally) I would anticipate Chosen Undead or Solaire to represent Dark Souls. It may not feel as explicitly "Namco" as some of the other picks and it's a relatively newer series, which puts it at odds with some people's mindsets when speculating about the company, but make no mistake. Dark Souls is a massive series and one of the single most important series to come out of the last decade or so.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

Wait... Soulcalibur is searched more on Google than Tekken?

If you see Ornl 's list there, you'll see Souls and Soul which he was referring to Dark Souls and Soul Calibur. So he was saying Dark Souls is more searched on Google than Tekken.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

tfw nobody searches for God Eater tho...

 

[MattX20]

OH MY GOD. I can't believe it, but we forgot Rick from Splatterhouse!

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

If you see Ornl 's list there, you'll see Souls and Soul which he was referring to Dark Souls and Soul Calibur. So he was saying Dark Souls is more searched on Google than Tekken.

Well, that makes more sense lol.

 

[MattX20]

Seriously, Splatterhouse is a franchise from Namco that combines horror with beat em ups. It even had a Famicom exlcusive title and a few Virtual Console re-releases. I'm amazed I forgot to mention it earlier for Bandai Namco speculation

 

[Gengar84]

I would love to see either Velvet Crowe or Nightmare get in Smash. I love Tales but I was never a big fan of Lloyd as a character. Yuri, on the other hand, was a great character. My main issue with Yuri in Smash is I don’t think he stands out enough visually compared to the Fire Emblem cast. Velvet is very unique and has an awesome design. I also think Berseria had among the best stories in the series. Vesperia had an awesome cast and had great dialogue between the characters but I don’t think the actual course of events was as intersting.

I always really enjoyed the Soul Calibur games and it is probably my favorite fighting game series after Smash. Nightmare has a really cool design and is a great choice for Smash. My main in Soul Calibur is Astaroth but there is no way he would ever make it in over other more important characters.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

I never played any of the Tales games or know much about them other than the fact Lloyd is a dual swords welder who is also a mage if I'm not mistaken. But what can Yuri do? He looks pretty cool, but I wonder what he can do besides Lloyd.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

I never played any of the Tales games or know much about them other than the fact Lloyd is a dual swords welder who is also a mage if I'm not mistaken. But what can Yuri do? He looks pretty cool, but I wonder what he can do besides Lloyd.

Having a free hand allows him to mix in some close-quarters combat with the rest of his kit.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

Having a free hand allows him to mix in some close-quarters combat with the rest of his kit.

I'll have to see him in action to get a better idea.

 

[SharkLord]

You can tell I really want Klonoa but even I know he's a long shot, even with the increasing likelihood of Klonoa Encore.

In terms of chance, my money's on Lloyd. Tales of is a huge series, especially in Japan, and Lloyd has the benefit of popularity with the general public and the Smash fanbase. The dedicated Tales fanbase loves Yuri, that much is true, but I feel like Lloyd's more popular with Smash's main playerbase. It should also be noted that Cloud was in a similar spot; His game made the series big and is emblematic of the franchise, and a third to a fourth of Final Fantasy requests were for Cloud.

After Lloyd, a Dark Souls rep-Likely Chosen Undead-Sounds like a pretty safe bet too. Maybe Agumon too, but I'm not as into Digimon as I used to so I don't know enough to say regarding that. Soulcalibur's been gaining steam recently, but it feels a bit odd to have a Soulcalibur rep before Tekken.