The Little Witch of Diamond City - Ashley - The Witch retreats. For now.

[DonkaFjord]

What isn't already covered by playable characters (Mr. Game & Watch, R.O.B., Duck Hunt, Pac Man) or Assist Trophies (Pong, Excitebiker, Sheriff) or Items (Galaga, Flipper, Freezie, Golden Hammer) or Stages (75m, Mario Bros., Duck Hunt) that 9-volt would cover? Why would 9-volt be the "logical" character to use to represent retro games when he, himself, is not a retro character? Why not just some random avatar that uses retro gaming as their attacks; the backlash would be far less and the player could project themselves unto the avatar and pretend it's them using the retro attacks. Even that makes more sense than 9-volt. And don't tell me a random avatar couldn't be the representative because Duck Hunt literally includes a guy in the "real world" shooting a Nintendo Zapper. Moreover, this theoretical character or 9-volt wouldn't even bring anything new to the table because we're already inundated with retro material as it is.

If it wasn't for the "only game characters" rule, even Captain N would represent retro gaming and Nintendo history far better than 9-volt could and he inherently carries importance as his own character. I'd think the development team would be more likely to break this cardinal rule than to include 9-volt. 9-volt, no disrespect, doesn't have the clout to carry the honor of representing retro gaming history. It's too important. It's more important than even him. Captain N would still be his own character if he used retro attacks because he has that clout. So when searching for a representative for this gimmick, you at least need a character that can stand on their own apart from their gimmick. No other character on the roster has this issue and we're up to 65 characters. That's A LOT of precedent.

Ashley and 9-volt face the same issues that ANY of the WarioWare characters face; they're both side characters from an (unpopular) spin-off series to a character which is, himself, a spin-off character (Wario). When examining any potential there, you need to search for the "breakout" character. There are characters that "arguably" are more important than Ashley (Mona, Jimmy T, etc.) but the fact is, they all face this problem. The only reason Ashley is viable is because she's popular apart from her series. She's cameo'd several times outside of her series, her (multiple) 3DS themes were top sellers, she's a top request in Japan. The fact is, without all of that, NONE of the WarioWare side characters are viable. 9-volt doesn't have the prominence outside of WarioWare that Ashley does. And Ashley's draw is... herself. People want her, not her gimmick. She has the clout. There would be massive fan backlash if 9-volt got in over her, especially in Japan. And WarioWare isn't important enough as a series to have 2 new characters. Especially not when All-Stars like Dixie Kong and K. Rool are still missing. Especially not with a limited number of newcomers.

It's either Ashley makes the cut on her own merits and own popularity or no one from WarioWare makes the cut.

Edit: Man, you guys are way too fast at responding. =P

Unpopular spin off series? Its sells usually beat all metroid games but two if I remember correctly- and even then it ties with one of them. I wouldn't call it unpopular. I believe Touched on the DS sold over 2 million copies- which happens to be Ashley's debut game.

So seems odd to say WarioWare doesn't deserve to have more than 1 fighter when Metroid, albeit older, can have 3 or 4.

I think the bigger issue is that the WarioWare characters don't do much in the games themselves. Game & Wario and WarioWare Gold have changed that.

 

[GoodGrief741]

Man, I remember the times when everybody loved 9-Volt. What happened to ya? (For the record I’d like 9-Volt in Smash, not because he’d represent anything needing representation, but because I like his character, and even then I acknowledge that he should probably wait in line behind Mona, who would probably be the better WarioWare rep, and Ashley, whose fans would riot if anyone got in before her).

I actually find it pretty curious that Ashley was the one character who broke out. Many people who love her and want her in Smash haven’t even touched a WarioWare game. Her personality and appearance are a dangerous combo, that’s for sure.

 

[Jazzy Jinx]

Unpopular spin off series? Its sells usually beat all metroid games but two if I remember correctly- and even then it ties with one of them. I wouldn't call it unpopular. I believe Touched on the DS sold over 2 million copies- which happens to be Ashley's debut game.

So seems odd to say WarioWare doesn't deserve to have more than 1 fighter when Metroid, albeit older, can have 3 or 4.

I think the bigger issue is that the WarioWare characters don't do much in the games themselves. Game & Wario and WarioWare Gold have changed that.

Perhaps unpopular was the wrong word. When you stack it up against a "popular" spinoff like Mario Kart, you get the salient point.

Metroid represents a large part of Nintendo's history and Ridley was a massively popular candidate for Smash. The latter got in on his own merits, which would be the case with Ashley. It helps that she has unique moveset potential.

 

[Juliusaurus]

Metroid is a legacy franchise, and Ridley is the second most prominent character in the franchise. The only thing stopping him before was his awkward size and shape, which they finally worked around in Ultimate. His popularity doesn't just come from him being cool looking or fashionable, I'd say it's because for a character that's so important as he is to not get playable status for so long, that there was even more fan demand. So, regardless of his popularity, he's an important character to the Metroid franchise.

Can't really say the same about Ashley. But her popularity extends beyond the Wario series, as GoodGrief741 mentioned, if she's getting in, she's not exactly getting in to give the Wario series more representation, she'd be getting in because she alone is popular enough... And as a bonus, she would give Wario some more representation, even if the series isn't as seemingly deserving as some other more prominent Nintendo franchises.

 

[OdnetninAges]

It's silly to have Wario as the sole "WarioWare character" in the first place. He didn't originate from WarioWare, and most people associate him with the Mario series despite what the website says and what that one section of the Direct with all the series represented says. (Heck, I even saw a dude on Facebook argue that Waluigi should get in solely because Wario "needs a partner" in Smash, similar to how Mario and Luigi are "partners".)

If they are going to drive home "WarioWare is an included series in this massive crossover", they should at least have someone who can be more closely associated with the series as a playable character.

That's just my opinion, though.

EDIT: This is not a reply to Juliusaurus. I was writing this before his most recent post.

 

[Erotic&Heretic]

Well, the thing with Wario is that he does represent Warioware through his moveset, stage and default skin... Or at least doesn't represent much the Warioland side.

For Ashley, I think that a fair comparison would be Rosalina, more than Ridley. Of course, she have her own merits, like being a main character in Mario Galaxy, but I believe that she is one of the "added because popularity" character. She started to appear everywhere, she was really popular, and the Mario series didn't "need" more representation at that time (but it got more, and will keep getting more, as he is the Nintendo mascot, this is normal).
She got made up moves with galaxies and saturn rings, moveset based on her relationship with Lumas... Ashley is in a similar case, where moves needs to be created around a theme and the "archetype" of the moveset can be based on a concept too (Rosalina is the "pupeteer" of Smash after all).

 

[Juliusaurus]

Well, the thing with Wario is that he does represent Warioware through his moveset, stage and default skin... Or at least doesn't represent much the Warioland side.

For Ashley, I think that a fair comparison would be Rosalina, more than Ridley. Of course, she have her own merits, like being a main character in Mario Galaxy, but I believe that she is one of the "added because popularity" character. She started to appear everywhere, she was really popular, and the Mario series didn't "need" more representation at that time (but it got more, and will keep getting more, as he is the Nintendo mascot, this is normal).
She got made up moves with galaxies and saturn rings, moveset based on her relationship with Lumas... Ashley is in a similar case, where moves needs to be created around a theme and the "archetype" of the moveset can be based on a concept too (Rosalina is the "pupeteer" of Smash after all).

That's an excellent comparison. They could've easily left Super Mario Galaxy representation to the stage, items, and a new move for Mario (bringing back his spin, but giving it a Mario Galaxy flair, would've been sufficient). But sure, you could say Super Mario Galaxy was a big enough deal to earn a playable character to represent it, and perhaps it is, but that's ignoring the fact that Rosalina was extremely popular, and had she not been, I doubt Super Mario Galaxy would've been represented with a playable character.

And Ashley is similar. The Wario Ware series doesn't need another character on the roster, but since Ashley is so popular, might as well bring her in. And with her, she can showcase more of the series that Wario and the stages don't already represent.

 

[meleebrawler]

Well, the thing with Wario is that he does represent Warioware through his moveset, stage and default skin... Or at least doesn't represent much the Warioland side.

For Ashley, I think that a fair comparison would be Rosalina, more than Ridley. Of course, she have her own merits, like being a main character in Mario Galaxy, but I believe that she is one of the "added because popularity" character. She started to appear everywhere, she was really popular, and the Mario series didn't "need" more representation at that time (but it got more, and will keep getting more, as he is the Nintendo mascot, this is normal).
She got made up moves with galaxies and saturn rings, moveset based on her relationship with Lumas... Ashley is in a similar case, where moves needs to be created around a theme and the "archetype" of the moveset can be based on a concept too (Rosalina is the "pupeteer" of Smash after all).

I think a good idea for Ashley's ''theme'' is randomness akin to Judge, alongside negative status effects, since she is versed in hexes and it is noted that her spells only work as intended 20% of the time (though I find this somewhat hyberbolic since her spells and concoctions fail more due to circumstance than ineptness).

Here's some specials I just came up with:

Neutral B: Magic Spell, a projectile with varying trajectories and effects akin to Bonus Fruit, though completely random instead of sequential.
Side B: Red Hot Shot, sends out Red as projectile, notably consistent as opposed to the neutral b.
Up B: Broom Ride, much like her game in Game & Wario, rides on her broom to recover. Flies forward normally, press b again to loop and fly upwards.
Down B: Potion Brew, similar to the concoction move from Doctor Kirby in Robobot, create a potion that strikes around Ashley and/or buffs her in various ways that can be stored for later use, but being hit before it is complete causes it to explode in her face and take extra damage.

 

[DonkaFjord]

Man, I remember the times when everybody loved 9-Volt. What happened to ya? (For the record I’d like 9-Volt in Smash, not because he’d represent anything needing representation, but because I like his character, and even then I acknowledge that he should probably wait in line behind Mona, who would probably be the better WarioWare rep, and Ashley, whose fans would riot if anyone got in before her).

I actually find it pretty curious that Ashley was the one character who broke out. Many people who love her and want her in Smash haven’t even touched a WarioWare game. Her personality and appearance are a dangerous combo, that’s for sure.

Are you talkig about during the DLC voting time in Smash 4? That is because people didn't usually vote or push for characters already in the game as much. The idea was that DLC wouldn't include these characters because they were already in the game in some form.
Prior to her assist reveal, she was more popular than 9-Volt.

Perhaps unpopular was the wrong word. When you stack it up against a "popular" spinoff like Mario Kart, you get the salient point.

Metroid represents a large part of Nintendo's history and Ridley was a massively popular candidate for Smash. The latter got in on his own merits, which would be the case with Ashley. It helps that she has unique moveset potential.

That's a pretty unfair comparison because Mario Kart as a spinoff has actually outsold the mainline games several times. Mario Kart is huge.

Metroid is a legacy franchise, and Ridley is the second most prominent character in the franchise. The only thing stopping him before was his awkward size and shape, which they finally worked around in Ultimate. His popularity doesn't just come from him being cool looking or fashionable, I'd say it's because for a character that's so important as he is to not get playable status for so long, that there was even more fan demand. So, regardless of his popularity, he's an important character to the Metroid franchise.

Can't really say the same about Ashley. But her popularity extends beyond the Wario series, as GoodGrief741 mentioned, if she's getting in, she's not exactly getting in to give the Wario series more representation, she'd be getting in because she alone is popular enough... And as a bonus, she would give Wario some more representation, even if the series isn't as seemingly deserving as some other more prominent Nintendo franchises.

Just curious, what are more deserving series in your opinion? Because sometimes the smash community has some twisted views on what is "deserving" (like Metroid or Mother or F-Zero deserving 3 to 4 characters while Wii Fit/Wii should get 0 because it was for casuals. However sales of the Wii series blew the others out of the water.)

Also hi long time no speak!

 

[Tony Duck]

Ultimately, it’s what Sakurai himself wants to put in at the end. Nobody is forcing him to put characters in. It’s what he decides.

 

[StormC]

It’s Ashley or bust for sure. None of the other Ware characters have gotten half the attention she has from Nintendo. Characters like 9 Volt border on Literally Who.

 

[XenothiumX]

The WarioWare Gold Demo still isn't available yet in NA or Japan right? I really want to play it!

 

[Juliusaurus]

Just curious, what are more deserving series in your opinion? Because sometimes the smash community has some twisted views on what is "deserving" (like Metroid or Mother or F-Zero deserving 3 to 4 characters while Wii Fit/Wii should get 0 because it was for casuals. However sales of the Wii series blew the others out of the water.)

Also hi long time no speak!

It's a combination of things, I suppose. Sales, legacy, first party prominence, maybe the people involved (Miyamoto likes to push certain franchises of his), and even marketing (there are just some series that Nintendo pushes more, showing characters and content, even if the franchise itself isn't the best selling thing).

Wii Fit was a first party mega selling franchise that Miyamoto was involved in, and with all of those things combined, I'd say it was a franchise worthy enough of consideration for top honors in Smash Bros.. And then there's Metroid, which was one of Nintendo's big three back in the day (Mario, Zelda, Metroid) despite not selling all that well these days, it's still highly regarded by the company and long time fans, and Nintendo knows this by pimping out the series and its content through other game cameos and references quite often.

Right now, another series that I've noticed Nintendo doing similar things with, and has been doing things with for around two decades or so now, is Balloon Fight. You see it showcased along with other retro compilations, front and center sometimes even, and when it cameos in games, it gets some really prominent cameos. All of this leading me to believe that the series is deserving, and that's without even bringing up sales. Well "series", it's basically one game that's important from the NES/Famicom era. Point is, Nintendo likes to push it a lot, and it's gotta be important for that. (that isn't to say I expect Balloon Fighter in Smash, Villager already contains part of it, and it has stages, items, and a masterpiece too, it's getting a fair amount of treatment. Just saying, Nintendo is showing that they value it, and that's how I'd judge something deserving or not).

But, then again, they do push Ashley a lot too, especially in Badge Arcade. You can tell Nintendo are bigs fans of the character, in addition to the players. You'd just think that would at some point find its way into the actual Wario Ware series, and that they'd give her a more prominent role in it, or give her a spin-off game even. I don't know, but at least her support isn't just outside the company itself.

 

[Samcrumpit]

If you take at as meaning a non NDA reason, it could also be confirmation that she isn’t in the game, sadly.

Having said that, I feel even if she was in the game as just an assist trophy, that’s still something worth of having a NDA over

I'm saying maybe retweeting a Smashley tweet doesn't break an NDA. So him retweeting or deleting his retweets tells us nothing about her status as a character. Even if she wasn't in the game, that's also something you wouldn't want people in the know to talk about. It's not like the level of discretion is different if she came back as an assist trophy or playable character.

So you cherry picked a minor important aspect of Nintendo history that's already represented in Smash... Yeah, dude, not the same thing. My example is of an entire era of Nintendo that is currently not represented in Smash, the pre-video game era. And it could very well be represented as a collective for one playable character. 9-Volt could be the vehicle for it, or somebody else entirely, my point was that the pre-video game era of Nintendo is important enough to earn representation as a character in Smash.

It's like the old argument that Duck Hunt could've just been an AT or ROB could've just been a Subspace enemy. But I'd argue when something is as important to history as those things are, they do indeed deserve the highest honor. Perhaps that'd be doing a disservice to 9-Volt, just using him as a vehicle for the bigger and more important element, but I feel like 9-Volt wouldn't really be deserving to get in other than that.

Ashley is fine, she's mega popular, and I don't think this is a battle against her, so if that's the way you're taking it, stop, please. That's not my intention. Yeah, I had one remark that she's not very important in her own series, but then, nobody really is, they're all about equal. Her popularity should be more than enough to get her into Smash Bros.

I'm sorry that some responses to you were more aggresive than you deserve.

To make an argument against yours, I feel like importance has always been a slot on it's own. Retro fighters have to contend with retro fighters during the selection process. But with 9-volt, he isn't retro, he just has retro nostalgia as a part of his identity while having to compete with Ashley as a Wario rep.

It also doesn't help that Ultimate seems to be favoring popularity a lot with bringing back every veteran fighter and making Ridley playable after years of Sakurai being adamantly against sizing him down.

 

[Snorkel the dolphin]

Let us perform a ritual to Satan.

666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666 666

 

[ActualGarbage]

Satanic dolphin, huh.

 

[Dr. Jojo Phantasma]

Well, Ashley has granted kids to Hell after all.

 

[Noipoi]

Well, Ashley has granted kids to Hell after all.

That's her final Smash, she grants every fighter to hell.
How do you grant someone to hell anyway?

 

[Cabbagehead]

That's her final Smash, she grants every fighter to hell.
How do you grant someone to hell anyway?

I imagine it's a bit like Willy Wonka opening the gates to the chocolate factory for the winners of the contest, but more sinister...which is saying something.

 

[Snorkel the dolphin]

We will be welcomed to Hell with open arms

 

[Noipoi]

We will be welcomed to Hell with open arms

You need some Veggietales.

 

[DonkaFjord]

It's a combination of things, I suppose. Sales, legacy, first party prominence, maybe the people involved (Miyamoto likes to push certain franchises of his), and even marketing (there are just some series that Nintendo pushes more, showing characters and content, even if the franchise itself isn't the best selling thing).

Wii Fit was a first party mega selling franchise that Miyamoto was involved in, and with all of those things combined, I'd say it was a franchise worthy enough of consideration for top honors in Smash Bros.. And then there's Metroid, which was one of Nintendo's big three back in the day (Mario, Zelda, Metroid) despite not selling all that well these days, it's still highly regarded by the company and long time fans, and Nintendo knows this by pimping out the series and its content through other game cameos and references quite often.

Right now, another series that I've noticed Nintendo doing similar things with, and has been doing things with for around two decades or so now, is Balloon Fight. You see it showcased along with other retro compilations, front and center sometimes even, and when it cameos in games, it gets some really prominent cameos. All of this leading me to believe that the series is deserving, and that's without even bringing up sales. Well "series", it's basically one game that's important from the NES/Famicom era. Point is, Nintendo likes to push it a lot, and it's gotta be important for that. (that isn't to say I expect Balloon Fighter in Smash, Villager already contains part of it, and it has stages, items, and a masterpiece too, it's getting a fair amount of treatment. Just saying, Nintendo is showing that they value it, and that's how I'd judge something deserving or not).

But, then again, they do push Ashley a lot too, especially in Badge Arcade. You can tell Nintendo are bigs fans of the character, in addition to the players. You'd just think that would at some point find its way into the actual Wario Ware series, and that they'd give her a more prominent role in it, or give her a spin-off game even. I don't know, but at least her support isn't just outside the company itself.

So just balloon fight?
This smash hype cycle is kind of boring. We know not many newcomers are being added--- but even without that there aren't a lot of all-stars or obvious choices left for them to add.

They either have to go obscure/niche, go weird, go with newer series, or go with third parties. I know Sakurai tries to do a balance of some prominent, some popular, and some oddballs newcomers so hopefully we get a nice mix again.

 

[GoodGrief741]

Are you talkig about during the DLC voting time in Smash 4? That is because people didn't usually vote or push for characters already in the game as much. The idea was that DLC wouldn't include these characters because they were already in the game in some form.
Prior to her assist reveal, she was more popular than 9-Volt.

Nah, I’m talking way before that, and not even related to Smash. I remember there was a time when 9-Volt was the most popular WarioWare character, but now he’s fallen by the wayside. He was never requested for Smash though, that was left to the more combat oriented characters like Mona and Ashley.

Now that I think about it, could that be where Ashley’s popularity was born? Smash speculation?

 

[Snorkel the dolphin]

You need some Veggietales.

I thought I would be backed up in the Ashley thread of all places, but apparently not. Come on; why not perform a ritual to Satan? It can only help the odds of Ashley appearing in Smash.

 

[meleebrawler]

Nah, I’m talking way before that, and not even related to Smash. I remember there was a time when 9-Volt was the most popular WarioWare character, but now he’s fallen by the wayside. He was never requested for Smash though, that was left to the more combat oriented characters like Mona and Ashley.

Now that I think about it, could that be where Ashley’s popularity was born? Smash speculation?

I like to think that it's just that Ashley is a very fundamentally different character than anyone else from Diamond City, which helps her stand out. She is considerably less wacky or zany than the other residents, barely changing expression whether things go her way or not. The stuff she is interested in is also much less humourous and more dark with implied potential harm to others. The games that have her playable involve actual fighting! Possibly for her life! And most importantly, she is the only character that I know in Warioware that has interests outside her main hobby/occupation: making friends.

 

[Erotic&Heretic]

Now that I think about it, could that be where Ashley’s popularity was born? Smash speculation?

I believe that in japan, is a combination of look, demeanor, magic and the "loli factor".

 

[Noipoi]

I believe that in japan, is a combination of look, demeanor, magic and the "loli factor".

As much as it weirds me out, Japan's love of lolis might actually help us out this time.

 

[GoodGrief741]

I believe that in japan, is a combination of look, demeanor, magic and the "loli factor".

I mean, I didn’t want to assume that last one, because it boxes people in a category they might not want (nor deserve to be) associated with, but it is probably a factor that should be taken into account.

 

[FreshlyBakedCookies]

The WarioWare Gold Demo still isn't available yet in NA or Japan right? I really want to play it!

The Demo is suspiciously not available in NA or Japan regions as of yet. I want to play it too.

Nah, I’m talking way before that, and not even related to Smash. I remember there was a time when 9-Volt was the most popular WarioWare character, but now he’s fallen by the wayside. He was never requested for Smash though, that was left to the more combat oriented characters like Mona and Ashley.

Now that I think about it, could that be where Ashley’s popularity was born? Smash speculation?

Ashley would have naturally been the most popular character in Japan without Smash's influence for obvious reasons. As for the West, who knows. Maybe it would have been a branched popularity.

 

[Erotic&Heretic]

As much as it weirds me out, Japan's love of lolis might actually help us out this time.

Yep, they want the kawaii witch, and let's hope that Sakurai listen.

I mean, I didn’t want to assume that last one, because it boxes people in a category they might not want (nor deserve to be) associated with, but it is probably a factor that should be taken into account.

Yeah, of course not everyone like Ashley for that, even in Japan. I do think that it's an important factor for her popularity though. I don't see it as bad as you think though... Let's just not turn this into a lewd thing.

 

[Samcrumpit]

Nah, I’m talking way before that, and not even related to Smash. I remember there was a time when 9-Volt was the most popular WarioWare character, but now he’s fallen by the wayside. He was never requested for Smash though, that was left to the more combat oriented characters like Mona and Ashley.

Now that I think about it, could that be where Ashley’s popularity was born? Smash speculation?

Probably, it's not uncommon for people to like Ashley without ever playing her games. Not that it's a bad thing. Lots of characters were in the same position as her before they got a smash appearance, and she blew up more than probably any other character from just that. Unless I'm forgetting someone (not counting retros made playable).

 

[NTDO89]

Ashley doesn't really represent anything other than popularity... She's cool, for sure, but she's not even that important of a character in the Wario Ware series, when you look at it.

Besides Wario, who is? No one character in the series is important whatsoever besides Wario himself. That's not the kind of game WarioWare is.

 

[Kyon9898]

In WarioWare itself, nobody is more or less important. Outside WarioWare, Ashley stomps them all.

As displayed by The Badge Arcade, behind the same people of WarioWare, Ashley is no doubt their favorite star of the series. So, if they were ever approached by Sakurai they'd no doubt choose Ashley to represent WarioWare

 

[DonkaFjord]

Nah, I’m talking way before that, and not even related to Smash. I remember there was a time when 9-Volt was the most popular WarioWare character, but now he’s fallen by the wayside. He was never requested for Smash though, that was left to the more combat oriented characters like Mona and Ashley.

Now that I think about it, could that be where Ashley’s popularity was born? Smash speculation?

I think it was a mix between her design, her personality, and especially her song. She is a pretty fun characters in a niche that not many other Nintendo characters fill.

And I thought in terms of character that Mona or Jimmy T were more popular. People just liked 9-Volt because his micro games were the most fun (being mostly call backs.) I would say he had the absolute best game in Game & Wario and He and Ashley are both getting side modes in WarioWare Gold (Gamer returning and some... Combat thing for Ashley) I think they are the only two in the sidecast getting unique features? Speaking of Gold, I wish a DIY mode was also added. Really loved DIY but it seems to get a bad rap in the WarioWare fandom.

 

[Samcrumpit]

Besides Wario, who is? No one character in the series is important whatsoever besides Wario himself. That's not the kind of game WarioWare is.

Warioware is a fixed ensemble cast, with of course Wario as the face of the operation. His workers serve the same purpose as him in the game as host of the microgames, they sell the game with their unique quirks and have a lot of attention paid to them in their little vignettes. Also, by virtue of being fixed they don't have their worth diminished like one off fire emblem characters.

If you're just using Wario to represent Warioware, then you are missing a lot of what that game's identity is built on and stifling him from separating himself from the Mario franchise. So in that sense, the characters are important to Warioware.

While we're at it this is the priority tier list I made for them.

S: Ashley
A: Mona, KatAna
B: Jimmy, 9-Volt
C: Cricket, Penny
F: Everyone else

 

[Jazzy Jinx]

Rather than "loli" I would actually argue that "hikikomori" is the bigger draw for her. She's an awkward-ish, tsun-ish shut-in that wants friends. She's also "kawaii" with her big twintails, and... and I think this is a rare point most people would make, has black hair. Japanese people overwhelmingly have black hair. It might sound silly but I think that does add to the relatable-ness of her character.

Intimacy is also severely lacking in Japan. And I don't mean in just a sexual or romantic way, I mean just in terms of hugging your family members or friends. It's a super hands off culture that's very formal. They don't even like to openly talk about something that might be bothering them, or showing their emotions. It's a true departure from American culture where people wear their emotions and thoughts on their sleeve. And I hate to draw attention to this but there's a reason the birth rates are low and the suicide rates are high. People need intimacy and they need the ability to express themselves. They get very little of that over there.

So what to do...?

Escapism. Escape and attach yourself to character(s) that are expressing what you're feeling, doing the things you wish you could do. Ashley represents a lot of what Japanese people desire and is, in addition, a shut-in. Gamers are more likely to be such, therefore it's more likely to be relatable. At the very least, it's looked down upon.

Incidentally, I don't mean to kill the mood. This sort of stuff, as someone that writes high concept and is interested in business, simply fascinates me. >_>

 

[Snorkel the dolphin]

turn to satan

 

[Cabbagehead]

Rather than "loli" I would actually argue that "hikikomori" is the bigger draw for her. She's an awkward-ish, tsun-ish shut-in that wants friends. She's also "kawaii" with her big twintails, and... and I think this is a rare point most people would make, has black hair. Japanese people overwhelmingly have black hair. It might sound silly but I think that does add to the relatable-ness of her character.

Intimacy is also severely lacking in Japan. And I don't mean in just a sexual or romantic way, I mean just in terms of hugging your family members or friends. It's a super hands off culture that's very formal. They don't even like to openly talk about something that might be bothering them, or showing their emotions. It's a true departure from American culture where people wear their emotions and thoughts on their sleeve. And I hate to draw attention to this but there's a reason the birth rates are low and the suicide rates are high. People need intimacy and they need the ability to express themselves. They get very little of that over there.

So what to do...?

Escapism. Escape and attach yourself to character(s) that are expressing what you're feeling, doing the things you wish you could do. Ashley represents a lot of what Japanese people desire and is, in addition, a shut-in. Gamers are more likely to be such, therefore it's more likely to be relatable. At the very least, it's looked down upon.

Incidentally, I don't mean to kill the mood. This sort of stuff, as someone that writes high concept and is interested in business, simply fascinates me. >_>

That's an interesting analysis. I agree that it's equal parts cuteness/personality that brought Ashley to fame, but that was certainly a detailed and convincing explanation as to why she might appeal more to a Japanese audience than a Western one.

 

[Deleted member]

Wait this isn't a Little Witch Academia thread, what is this?

Rather than "loli" I would actually argue that "hikikomori" is the bigger draw for her.

Ah, I see what it is

 

[Captain Shades]

Warioware is a fixed ensemble cast, with of course Wario as the face of the operation. His workers serve the same purpose as him in the game as host of the microgames, they sell the game with their unique quirks and have a lot of attention paid to them in their little vignettes. Also, by virtue of being fixed they don't have their worth diminished like one off fire emblem characters.

If you're just using Wario to represent Warioware, then you are missing a lot of what that game's identity is built on and stifling him from separating himself from the Mario franchise. So in that sense, the characters are important to Warioware.

While we're at it this is the priority tier list I made for them.

S: Ashley
A: Mona, KatAna
B: Jimmy, 9-Volt
C: Cricket, Penny
F: Everyone else

I would think Mona takes up a higher priority being Wario’s assistant and usually having more focus than the rest.

I agree though, Wario needs another member to truly separate his franchise, as now he feels like Yoshi, where it’s like we acknowledged you have a franchise, but we’ll just put you in the middle of the Mario cast as that’s what your known for. Even Wario’s moves are more akin to Mario’s now, as explained by RelaxAlax