Part of me does miss the Melee days, when we only expected Nintendo characters and that was that. As extremely exciting as I've found literally every third-party pick in Smash (Cloud and now Joker especially), part of me would still trade it away for an increased emphasis on Nintendo's backlog of great characters.
About half of Ultimate's newcomer will be third-parties.
2/18 (or 11%) of Brawl's newcomers were third-party.
5/21 (or 24%) of Smash 4's newcomers were third-party.
8/17 (or 47%) of Ultimate's newcomers will be third-party.
The third-party percentages have basically doubled with each game.
I said before in my comprehensive analysis that Ridley, K. Rool, Inkling, and Isabelle were the biggest Nintendo newcomers that they could have added. It was only through the echoes that additional Nintendo character fanbases got their dreams realized (Daisy, Chrom, Dark Samus).
ChronoBound
, your words have touched me. I look forward to it.
Thank you for your words of praise. I am not sure when I will have time to work on it though. I will probably will start work in February. Its not going to be absolutely massive. It will just talk about why she is important to Donkey Kong, what her appeal is, and what she means to me as a character.
I mostly play Nintendo first party IPs and think Smash should primarily focus on Nintendo first party IPs, *AND* on top of that JRPGs are the one genre of games that I personally just don't play at all (no offense to fans, it's just not my thing). And Dixie has been my most wanted newcomer since the pre-Brawl days.
So....yeah. Not loving this news. I'm trying to just stay quiet in most places online because I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but it's just so, so frustrating. All I've really wanted is Dixie for over 10 years now, it seems to be SUCH an obvious thing to me, and they just...won't...add her :'(
I fully understand. To think Dixie Kong could very well have been in Brawl had she been retooled as a Diddy semi-clone (maybe if they had more time for Brawl). Its a shame she was never revisited. She really is among the very few characters that stands out that is not yet in (the only other two that still come to mind are Bandana Dee and Toad, and the latter is at least part of a moveset and has a full Mii costume).
That sucks. I hope she gets in the next game.
I'm glad shew as acknowledged with the mii hat. I hope that's a good sign for the future.
I made a Dixie mii but I noticed that you have to unlock the Dixie mii hat.
The unlockable thing is grinding my gears.
Can you show me the Dixie Kong Mii you made? I actually cleared Classic Mode with every character on the roster (except the three Mii Fighter types), and I and been going to the shop regularly, and I still have not acquired the Dixie hat.
To be frank I’ll take Dixie as an echo at this point. She’s got no shot against third-parties and I’d rather have her in the game than have to wait 7-10 years for a sequel.
I almost wonder how Dixie Kong would have turned out if she was an echo. Ken shows that a lot of liberties can be taken with an echo. I think she would have at least had an unique recovery and Final Smash (like Chrom received). I think she might possibly even would end up having DK's down special (she does a similar attack with her in Tropical Freeze).
Dark Samus in particular showed me that echoes can capture a character well even if they have 99% the same exact attacks as their original (though Dark Samus in particular has a lot of unique animation for any echo not named Ken).
I think a Ken-style echo might possibly do Dixie well, but it would be stretching the definition of an echo to its limits, and she would absolutely need to have her hair for a recovery and at least one attack.
I agree with what you’re saying but I’m still not ruling out echoes as DLC separate from the Fighters Pass, but at that point I think Funky’s more likely.
I do think if there is a somehow additional echoes as DLC that Funky would be more likely than Dixie (they would need to do more unique stuff for Dixie).
I think Nintendo just isn’t confident enough in their B-list characters for them to be DLC. They know third party characters generate discussion and headlines and they know it gets interest outside of the diehard Nintendo bubble. If I were to guess, Nintendo asked Sakurai if they wanted to include an Atlus/SMT character due to the good business relationship, and Sakurai landed on Joker, being a big fan of Persona 5. Nintendo might also be trying to push Smash as a general gaming crossover to make it more competitive with other consoles.
As for the future of Dixie, I’m not sure. I feel like Dixie, Bandana Dee, and Toad are all sort of in the same boat; recognizable characters from classic Nintendo series that fly under Sakurai’s radar since they aren’t the first of secondary protagonist of their IP. These types of characters probably don’t interest him unless they can be easily cloned or have a really standout gameplay mechanic. Fans will have to keep supporting these characters if they can hope to move the needle rather than assuming they’ll just get in.
I agree with most of what you wrote. I think Nintendo might simply think B-listers are not DLC material unfortunately.
As for Dixie, Toad, and Bandana Dee, I think Bandana Dee will definitely make it into the next installment simply due to the fact he is now the most wanted character on the Japanese side of things. Dixie Kong has a lot of fans, but they are not loud enough. Toad has the problem that he been stuck as Peach's special forever and the fact that requests for Waluigi and Geno now make the character even more overlooked. Dixie Kong could potentially become a A-list requested character, but it would require another DK game coming out where she is a main playable character again (at the very least on the same level as Tropical Freeze), and that is something beyond our control.
Dixie Kong could very well never become playable in Smash Bros. as difficult that is to hear. She needs a fortunate set of circumstances to put her over the line.
For anyone looking for the Dixie Kong Mii Hat, its in Spirits jungle on the far left of the screen in a red treasure chest. For once i may actually play as a Mii fighter so that I can get the closest thing to the real deal.
Thank you. I should start playing that mode then.
I'm here merely waiting all the DLC to show up before getting the Pass, but IDK if I'm gonna be too interested on getting it, even if it'd mean completing the roster. Much like I said a while back, Ultimate's gonna feel tad odd to me now due just how many characters there are, but none I feel "click" with me as the very personal kind of characters from my time as a gamer so far - most, if not all, are currently NPCs or other forms of deconfirmed in Ultimate and Smash-series at large.
It's kind of why I hoped Dixie was in Ultimate, especially after all that's gone down and will keep on going in the future - she'd at least been something I could relate to enjoying the game with other fans enjoying K.Rool, Simon, Isabelle and much more as of now. But all I can say I have now is Diddy Kong and Peach, but I haven't played those characters for a while (perhaps due loss of interest on them over time). Peach also is way back from Melee, where I was already pretty young by then, and so was Diddy when I hit 12-year old age. I guess tastes were going change over time since, or at least me finding something to go after during that period.
I remember vividly how I first wanted to see the series at least have sensible choices of characters picking from the series (like, Toad, Dixie Kong, Bandanna Dee, etc) especially after what Brawl set precedent to- and I guess so far, it's gone kind of half-way by now as of Ultimate with the Big Villain Duo, but things have just gone too far to even expect that anymore. So now I just wish I could have something to even enjoy Smash in same level as fans of those who received their most wanted, now and then out of the blue (Cloud, Bayonetta, Joker), or after a long-running crusade of strong fan demand. But I'm starting to be absolutely certain that day will
never,
ever come. I've become steeled to such an outcome over these years though, but it makes me wonder what to feel about playing Ultimate out of genuine personal enjoyment, or at least, hopping to it with something from my personal liking to talk about and enjoy it with, compared to Smash-fangames that let me already pick characters I never would be able to see be playable in Smash that I really feel ton of connection to. (Klonoa + Toad + Tails in Crusade & Wario, Tails and Lloyd Irving in Smash Flash 2.).
Now the thing I could give benefit of the doubt is that DLC's still on-going thing, with just 1st one shown first time everybody - and anything could happen with it, unless 3rd Parties is solely the only factor within. But again, I believe Dixie might not be a hype-setting character - though I'd love if that'd thus be even funner reality to witness on people seeing her and be like "whoaa--t" after all more crazier choices of characters.
For now, IDK entirely what to add on to this discussion, though I'm genuinely believing I'm probably part of the super-niche group not being super-"into" Smash Bros-gamess these days due what all has gone down by now. But I sometimes wonder, could I be able to enjoy this series more than I am right now? I keep feeling "yes", but I wonder if it's due the mass mentality that I'm super-entitled and not able to see the big picture of what all great stuff I've received that I've taken for granted because it's not something specific I wanted. On the other hand though, I do kind of enjoy what I have, but it feels middling ground to me at best. Like, serviceable, but over time I'd feel out of the groups that can talk about all the amazing stuff Smash had offered to them, while I sorta say like "I guess I got Richter... even if I just played his game for two stages about other priorities in 2015...",)
I deeply hope something's could happen in the future for me to come back later - until then, I might become more a lurker on this thread of sorts as I've been for past month now.
Here's hoping we die strong and dying in this Lost World of DLC until then.
What are the characters you are really hoping for in Smash Bros. again? I know Dixie Kong is one. What are the others? Hopefully, you will get at least one character you really care about added on the roster. I really feel for you.
I can't.. see Dixie getting in anymore. Speculation has really ended at an usual turn this Smash.
Even before the information that followed after Joker I said that Dixie Kong getting in as DLC would take an even bigger miracle than when Roy managed to be DLC for Smash 4. Even if Dixie Kong is no longer a contender for playable status for Ultimate, there is still things that can be done to support and appreciate this character.
ChronoBound
I don't get to respond to you as often as I'd like but I want you to know I do enjoy reading your insightful posts, and I'm seriously looking forward to your essay. The appreciation you have for Dixie is profound.
I very appreciative of your kind words. As far as Nintendo characters go, Dixie Kong is definitely the last one I am really fond of that is not playable yet in Smash Bros. so I would like to do a little something for her.
Huh...someone asked me a question the other day regarding Dixie and I couldn't answer it; Can Dixie Kong, and indeed the other Kongs(outside Cranky, Candy and Funky) talk?
I got into the DKC series late so I couldn't think of any modern day examples of any of them talking.
I know for a fact Dixie Kong talks in DKC3.
