The Official Thread For the Sal Romano/Gematsu Leak

[kataridragon]

I don't think it's impossible to predict wii fit trainer, villager, mii, Mac, palutena, or greninja. It's just increasingly unlikely at an exponential rate. You gotta give the Sal/Gametsu leak some cred.

Sure you can say lucky guess but at this point luck isn't as favorable as reality.

 

[TheUnsullied]

Im still holding out hope for my boy Lucas..

 

[shrooby]

At this point arguing that Wii Fit Trainer was a lucky guess doesn't matter.
Because "Mii Fighters."
It's one thing to predict Miis; that's easy and plenty of people did that. It's another thing to predict exactly what Miis would be called in-game.
And don't just look at that by itself. Look at that in tandem with the fact that the guy also "guessed" Wii Fit Trainer, and "Animal Crossing Guy." It's one thing to look at each of those individually and say "it was a lucky guess."
But to put everything together and say it was all just guessing? That's sounding even more than it actually being a leak.
Farfetch'd...leak...leek...ha

 

[kataridragon]

Hmmm Falco by Friday huh? That's a pretty bold statement. I hope if Lucas gets cut then Ness inherits some of his moves/traits.

 

[epicgordan]

Now to cover the rest. The next part I'll be covering are the remaining characters unconfirmed by the Sal Romano leak, and thus, because they have yet to be confirmed or deconfirmed, no points will be added for or against its legitimacy, though it is worth noting anyways. And what better way to tackle this topic than to address the elephant in the room: Why is Villager being referred to as a point against the gematsu leak? Well....

Chorus Kids: Because that is their English names in the DS Rhythm Heaven game. And their Japanese names translate to Chorus Men. If the leaker could read or understand Japanese well enough to call them Chorus Men, he should have darn well knew better to realize that Villager's Japanese name also happened to be Villager. And for those of you citing the other characters, they're instantly recognizable on their own; ergo, they do not apply. Having said all that, you'd think this would be such a WTF type of prediction that this would be a make-or-break prediction here and now. In a sense, you'd be correct, but there is some origins to this choice of character. The first is the Geno letter, written before E3 2013, where Sakurai expressed an interest in adding a character from Rhythm Heaven, and while he named Karate Joe, one can easily interpret this as a stand-in for the rep he has in mind since revealing Karate Joe would in and of itself be a leak. The second evidence came when Sakurai revealed that Wii Fit Trainer was not the new joke character of Smash 4 but someone else. Where this guy may have gotten Chorus Men from probably came when Sakurai said, "But that doesn't mean there can't be two or three joke newcomers, can it?" hinting either towards either two or three more joke newcomers, or the Chorus Kids themselves. What I have a problem with this choice has more to do with the fact that Ice Climbers two-in-one mechanic has given Sakurai trouble on the 3DS version of the game, and I have a difficult time buying into a three-in-one mechanic working. I have a couple ideas on how this concept can be circumvented, however, which I'll reveal later.

Chrom: Chrom's prediction essentially stems from the perceived trend of replacing one Fire Emblem character with another while keeping Marth in the roster, as well as both the demand for the character and the critical acclaim and popularity of his game, Fire Emblem: Awakening. But even with Ike's confirmation, he is still highly likely to join the fight. If nothing else, Ike is likely the final nail in the coffin for any expectations regarding likely cuts (except for Ivysaur, Squirtle, and to a lesser extent, Snake) more than it is the killer of Chrom's chances of getting in. That's pretty much all that needs to be said.

Shulk: Unlike the other two characters, the only thing going in Shulk's favor is his fanbase and Project Rainfall, as well as Xenoblade's universal acclaim. No evidence can be found or can be interpreted as evidence anywhere in any of the trailers. The most reliable clue of his possible inclusion? The fact that his voice actor is secretive of the few roles he got done with for video games that are to come out this year. People say Chorus Men will make or break this leak's reliability. While that is still true, all three of these guys needs to get in in order to remain reliable, and Shulk can either be the most rewarding or the most damming of this leaker's credibility.

Now on to the third part, which I must remind you, was posted here first because Sal Romano considered the details therein to be rather worthless, but here in general is where I think this leaker may be fake:

1. E3 2014 will be the last E3 before the game's launch.

This detail is redundant for a leak, and for those of you using the "dated info" to justify Greninja, sorry, but this detail shoots the Greninja defense down by virtue of the fact that we learned that the game was to be released in 2014 on the same day we got both Greninja AND the second leak. Even if it wasn't stated outright, anybody with any sense in regards to gaming could have deduced that E3 is an annual event and that it would in fact be the last one before the game's launch. Pointless detail is pointless.

2. Newcomers are Mii [Fighters], [Goddess] Palutena, Pac-Man, Shulk, Chrom, and Chorus Men

Naming convention on the Miis and Palutena aside, nothing has really changed with this list, possibly to suggest that these six were all the remaining newcomers we were going to get. However, as it isn't stated outright, it pretty much means that even if other newcomers get confirmed as well, this guy could still get away with being right anyways so long as all of his predicted characters makes it in.

3. An internal dispute on whether or not to cut Ness or Lucas, with likely to get cut.

This is suspiciously vague for a reliable leak. Granted, it's not like Lucas is off the chopping block thanks to Ike's inclusion, and it's not like I want him badly enough, but let's face it; the only way this guy can be wrong regarding who they cut (if they cut either of them at all) is if for some strange reason, Sakurai pulls the plug on both characters and replaces them with no one. And we all know that isn't going to happen. Also, I find it very hard to believe that a dispute could have, in the last couple months, taken place over who to cut when they are now currently in the debugging stages. And for those trying to use the dated information argument on me to defend this, again, apply the Greninja defense counter-argument in conjection with the obvious point number 1 argument above. On top of that why just Lucas of all people? Unless Snake is the Rosalina of cut characters, it's even more evidence of just playing it safe (especially since it appears there won't be that many cuts this time around). And yet this is not the smoking gun....

4. Nintendo is coming out with character DLC (though the leaker thinks they're just being greedy).

Nice touch at the end, btw. The problem, however, is that liars eventually contradict either themselves or known facts. And here are the facts concerning DLC: There is none at the moment, nor is there any being developed at this time. Sakurai has stated this many, many times. Until the games are completely finished and are released, no DLC will come, characters or not. In addition, Sakurai has also stated repeatedly that both games will have the same exact cast and the same number of playable characters. Character DLC? May I remind you guys that at best, a 3DS cartridge can only hold up to 8 GBs of space. Playable characters are, if anything, closer to being the most spacious of data in a game, right? Very few individual programs actually take up more cartridge space than a single playable character, btw. And given that a Wii U disk can hold at least 32 times the space, the only way character DLC can be practical is if they are either Wii U exclusive, are too minimal (and assuming the 3DS still has enough space to hold them all), or you are made to only use one character DLC on your precious 3DS game. Otherwise, the closest thing to a justifiable excuse would be the amiibos are the "character DLC" that the leaker had in mind. The only way this guy can be right is if we start hearing of DLC a couple months after the launch of the Wii U version.

But who knows? I could still very well be wrong here. As a result, I am only 95% certain that, while a very accurate fake, it's still a fake. Take this with a grain of salt, people. But needless to say, he needs to be right on much more than character roster this time, and he may have just overstepped himself this time.

One last point regarding the Chorus Kids being playable, there are only two possible ways I can see it working realistically. First off, similar to the Mii Fighters, each kid is a separate fighter with unique special moves, but otherwise strikingly similar aerials, tilts, and smashes (maybe different Final Smashes and grabs, too). The second possibility is a tag-team system between the three kids. Not necessarily a three-in-one character similar to Ice Climbers, but not a transformation either. But rather, you only play as one of the kids while the other two remain on standbye watching in the distance. But you can freely switch between players. If this happens, it'd only make sense for the three to share the same Final Smashes.

And all they'd have to do with the Chorus Kids is to based their looks off Rhythm Heaven Fever instead.

One last thing to remind you devoted followers of the gematsu leak: Since he never predicted Rosalina, there is still plenty to hope for regarding newcomers. Me, personally? I'm still holding out on Ridley being confirmed.

 

[JaidynReiman]

I don't think it's impossible to predict wii fit trainer, villager, mii, Mac, palutena, or greninja. It's just increasingly unlikely at an exponential rate. You gotta give the Sal/Gametsu leak some cred.

Sure you can say lucky guess but at this point luck isn't as favorable as reality.

But... he didn't predict Greninja. The rest I'll give you, though, but its really "Mii Fighter" that sealed the deal. (Although I still don't believe the remaining information is 100% accurate, and even then, if this is early information as most of it is, none of it is final either.)

 

[Thirdkoopa]

But... he didn't predict Greninja. The rest I'll give you, though, but its really "Mii Fighter" that sealed the deal. (Although I still don't believe the remaining information is 100% accurate, and even then, if this is early information as most of it is, none of it is final either.)

"Pokemon X/Y Newcomer"

 

[EdgeTheLucas]

"Pokemon X/Y Newcomer"

This. Furthermore, in the E3 Smash 4 Roundtable, Sakurai confirmed that, early on, THAT'S what he wrote it down as. After Game Freak showed him concept art he decided that "Pokemon from X/Y" would be Greninja.

 

[JaidynReiman]

"Pokemon X/Y Newcomer"

No, he still didn't say Greninja.

This. Furthermore, in the E3 Smash 4 Roundtable, Sakurai confirmed that, early on, THAT'S what he wrote it down as. After Game Freak showed him concept art he decided that "Pokemon from X/Y" would be Greninja.

And he also confirmed that Greninja was decided on LONG before X/Y came out. I don't think a few months would be considered a "LONG" time.

Edit:
My mistake, he said "well before," but its the same thing.

 

[Thirdkoopa]

No, he still didn't say Greninja.

It's close enough to count it to a degree (Also you have to consider NDA's and other stuff)

 

[chronomantic]

In a sense, you'd be correct, but there is some origins to this choice of character. The first is the Geno letter, written before E3 2013, where Sakurai expressed an interest in adding a character from Rhythm Heaven, and while he named Karate Joe, one can easily interpret this as a stand-in for the rep he has in mind since revealing Karate Joe would in and of itself be a leak.

Are you talking about this article? LOL please tell me you're doing satire too.

 

[epicgordan]

At this point arguing that Wii Fit Trainer was a lucky guess doesn't matter.
Because "Mii Fighters."
It's one thing to predict Miis; that's easy and plenty of people did that. It's another thing to predict exactly what Miis would be called in-game.
And don't just look at that by itself. Look at that in tandem with the fact that the guy also "guessed" Wii Fit Trainer, and "Animal Crossing Guy." It's one thing to look at each of those individually and say "it was a lucky guess."
But to put everything together and say it was all just guessing? That's sounding even more than it actually being a leak.
Farfetch'd...leak...leek...ha

Actually, considering the source and interpretation of the leak, I am not at all sure who it was between Sal Romano or his tipster who identified the Miis as Mii Fighters since I heard multiple interpretations regarding this detail. What I do know is the fact that the same person who referred to them as Mii Fighters also referred to Palutena as Goddess Palutena (which we all know isn't how she is to be referred to). As a result, it's pretty much a point gained and a point earned no matter how you look at it (though identifying them as just Miis and Palutena may be the least offensive of the two scenarios; at least the Miis are easily identifiable.

[EDIT]: **Apparently, a part of my response was typed into the quotes from the comment I was responding to. Got to learn how to edit around that. Sorry.**

Actually, it makes perfect sense, especially when you put together the fact that he referred to the Chorus Kids by their Japanese names; Chorus Men. You'd think a guy who can interpret that could also understand that Villager's Japanese name was also Villager and not call him "Animal Crossing Guy." Even if you could identify the character by face, you could at least get the name right.

Also, it doesn't take much skill to predict Villager or Wii Fit Trainer would be playable if one were to analyze each highly notable first--and to a lesser extent, second--party IP and figure out who has the best chances at getting represented. The only character I didn't predict were Chorus Men and Greninja. Chorus Men because I had either Karate Joe or Marshall in mind for the likely Rhythm Heaven representative instead of the three Chorus Men. Greninja, simply because sixth generation seemed too unreasonably recent to produce a likely playable rep and instead had Zoroark in mind (then again, the leaker didn't exactly predict Greninja either). Guess I underestimated just how close Sakurai works with Gamefreak when it comes to discovering who would make for a great representative.

Of all the characters leaked by gematsu, Shulk seemed to be the lowest priority alongside Rosalina (which is why neither appeared on any of my top ten likeliest newcomers lists in the past), though I always considered their chances to be fairly decent at best.

 

[epicgordan]

Are you talking about this article? LOL please tell me you're doing satire too.

Nope, I am dead serious. That article is 100% legit, essentially deconfirming Geno from ever being playable again, and has some overlapping details with the Sal Romano leak by extension.

Also note, too, that the article also mentioned Snake. So, for you die-hard Snake fans, this is perhaps his best shot at returning for Smash 4 at this point in time. Off-topic, btw.

 

[Khoru]

Nope, I am dead serious. That article is 100% legit, essentially deconfirming Geno from ever being playable again, and has some overlapping details with the Sal Romano leak by extension.

Also note, too, that the article also mentioned Snake. So, for you die-hard Snake fans, this is perhaps his best shot at returning for Smash 4 at this point in time. Off-topic, btw.

.....p4rgaming is a satirical gaming news site
with headlines like "Capcom Unable to Recognize Four out of Five Characters in Mega Man's Final Smash", "What Splatoon Can Learn From Call of Duty", and "US Government Leak Reveals CIA Uses Yoshi’s New Island Music to Torture Prisoners", it should be kinda obvious

 

[FancysaurusRex]

Nope, I am dead serious. That article is 100% legit, essentially deconfirming Geno from ever being playable again, and has some overlapping details with the Sal Romano leak by extension.

Out of curiosity, have we ever seen the source from this? I remember seeing this article forever ago, but I don't think we ever saw the supposed source. It looks extremely fake, to be honest.

 

[shrooby]

Actually, considering the source and interpretation of the leak, I am not at all sure who it was between Sal Romano or his tipster who identified the Miis as Mii Fighters since I heard multiple interpretations regarding this detail. What I do know is the fact that the same person who referred to them as Mii Fighters also referred to Palutena as Goddess Palutena (which we all know isn't how she is to be referred to). As a result, it's pretty much a point gained and a point earned no matter how you look at it (though identifying them as just Miis and Palutena may be the least offensive of the two scenarios; at least the Miis are easily identifiable.

There is no interpretation. Sal himself posted in this very thread listing out the things that his tipster told him before the Direct went live. It can be assumed that the original email listed "Mii Fighters" exactly. He would have no reason to change what was originally sent to him to "Mii Fighters" since he's simply reporting. And before you ask, yes, it has been confirmed that it is indeed actually Sal.
I do not consider the "Goddess Palutena" thing to be of equal and opposite worth as "Mii Fighters." Our interpretations of the evidence differ too dramatically to be able to have a worthwhile argument.

Also, it doesn't take much skill to predict Villager or Wii Fit Trainer would be playable if one were to analyze each highly notable first--and to a lesser extent, second--party IP and figure out who has the best chances at getting represented. The only character I didn't predict were Chorus Men and Greninja. Chorus Men because I had either Karate Joe or Marshall in mind for the likely Rhythm Heaven representative instead of the three Chorus Men. Greninja, simply because sixth generation seemed too unreasonably recent to produce a likely playable rep and instead had Zoroark in mind (then again, the leaker didn't exactly predict Greninja either). Guess I underestimated just how close Sakurai works with Gamefreak when it comes to discovering who would make for a great representative.

It does "take skill" to predict those two without hindsight. (Whatever "skill" is supposed to mean in this context.) Don't talk down to the majority of speculators.
Without hindsight, an Animal Crossing character was originally shot down by Sakurai himself. I didn't predict Animal Crossing would get a character based on a first-hand account. How is that bad speculation?
But I'm sure you've already heard this and everything. Everyone has. It's been beaten into the ground, dug back up, burned, then buried again.

Nope, I am dead serious. That article is 100% legit, essentially deconfirming Geno from ever being playable again, and has some overlapping details with the Sal Romano leak by extension.

Also note, too, that the article also mentioned Snake. So, for you die-hard Snake fans, this is perhaps his best shot at returning for Smash 4 at this point in time. Off-topic, btw.

No, you're missing the point.
That article is satirical, brah. Sakurai never wrote or said any of it. The writer of the article is just making a funny.

 

[epicgordan]

Out of curiosity, have we ever seen the source from this? I remember seeing this article forever ago, but I don't think we ever saw the supposed source. It looks extremely fake, to be honest.

I actually looked up the actual Geno article from Famitsu. Translated into English, it's pretty much crystal clear that that was in fact, Sakurai, and the letter is indeed real.

And given the fact that Sneaky Spirit was indeed confirmed to be an enemy in Smash Run, even if you don't believe the article, there is some truth to it. Besides, even if the article was nothing short of satirical, it would be funny if that was how the Sal Romano leaker first came up with Chorus Men for his predictions.

[EDIT]: No, can't back myself up anymore. I'll say it; I got duped. Then again, I never visited the website before, so I just assumed it had some credibility, especially after I heard about the Gematsu leak.

 

[kazrisk]

Weird that there is still doubt if this is real or not.

I just wonder if the newcomers still yet to be revealed from the leak are the only newcomers left.

 

[epicgordan]

There is no interpretation. Sal himself posted in this very thread listing out the things that his tipster told him before the Direct went live. It can be assumed that the original email listed "Mii Fighters" exactly. He would have no reason to change what was originally sent to him to "Mii Fighters" since he's simply reporting. And before you ask, yes, it has been confirmed that it is indeed actually Sal.
I do not consider the "Goddess Palutena" thing to be of equal and opposite worth as "Mii Fighters." Our interpretations of the evidence differ too dramatically to be able to have a worthwhile argument.



It does "take skill" to predict those two without hindsight. (Whatever "skill" is supposed to mean in this context.) Don't talk down to the majority of speculators.
Without hindsight, an Animal Crossing character was originally shot down by Sakurai himself. I didn't predict Animal Crossing would get a character based on a first-hand account. How is that bad speculation?
But I'm sure you've already heard this and everything. Everyone has. It's been beaten into the ground, dug back up, burned, then buried again.



No, you're missing the point.
That article is satirical, brah. Sakurai never wrote or said any of it. The writer of the article is just making a funny.

Fine, argument against point two of the third leak is moot and largely pointless.

Actually, the skill that I am referring to is observational, objective, and critical thinking skills. And yes, it does take skills to properly deduce that characters like Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Little Mac, and Mii Fighters would be playable. Luck too plays a factor here as well, of course, but in a sense, it's kind of like Poker or Black Jack. Luck plays a part, but there is still some skills in the abilities to study and observe, too, before you lay down your predictions. And while Villager was shot down by Sakurai, it was back in the days of Super Smash Brothers Brawl when it was first released. Five years later, it's believable for Sakurai to find a way to give an Animal Crossing representative an adequate moveset. And while we're at it, Miis were shot down for similar reasons. Another character that was previously shot down? Oh yes! Ridley, who leak or no leak, still has a good, sporting chance at getting in. All have one thing in common: They were shot down for Super Smash Brothers Brawl.

I will admit to one thing, however; given the fact that the Geno article indeed was the only thing on the matter that exists, and the fact that I knew nothing about the website in which it was featured in, and with that, I do apologize for taking it seriously. Fact is, no such Famitsu counterpart actually exists. Believe me; I tried. Still, it doesn't change the likely fact that there may be some truth to the article. Geno is pretty much a dead cause for Smash Brothers, and it appears that we will be getting a Rhythm Heaven character. But think about it from this point of view; how funny would that be if it turned out that letter was where the leaker got the initial idea for Chorus Men being playable from? At least he didn't list Karate Joe (though that's still possible, while overtime, I just found Marshall to be the more attractive option).

[EDIT]: One more thing to add; I really do not like how "brah," apparently, is becoming a thing on these forums.

 

[MissingNumbers]

I will admit to one thing, however; given the fact that the Geno article indeed was the only thing on the matter that exists, and the fact that I knew nothing about the website in which it was featured in, and with that, I do apologize for taking it seriously. Fact is, no such Famitsu counterpart actually exists. Believe me; I tried.

Ah, so you admit that you've crammed a few lies into your observations. Perhaps you also lied about expecting WFT?

 

[Deoxys911]

Ah, so you admit that you've crammed a few lies into your observations. Perhaps you also lied about expecting WFT?

Sounds like he just made a mistake, we've all been there. It's probably best to avoid saying stuff like this, we wouldn't want infractions or the thread to be closed for uncivil discussion.

 

[epicgordan]

Weird that there is still doubt if this is real or not.

I just wonder if the newcomers still yet to be revealed from the leak are the only newcomers left.

If there are still some newcomers that haven't been confirmed yet, then yes, they are the only ones left.

jk In all seriousness, while I am predicting three or four more newcomers--five is borderline a stretch--even if Chorus Men, Shulk, and Chrom are all in, I seriously doubt it. Heck, there's more in-game evidence of Ridley being a newcomer than either of these three. If all four make it in, it would not decredit Ridley's role or the leak itself.

Actually, the primary point I was making with Point 2 had nothing to do with Mii vs. Mii Fighters or anything like that. It was the fact that, generally speaking, nothing was changed or added in regards to the newcomers, and thus was just playing it safe (or at least as safe as possible).

 

[CosmicKirby]

At this point arguing that Wii Fit Trainer was a lucky guess doesn't matter.
Because "Mii Fighters."
It's one thing to predict Miis; that's easy and plenty of people did that. It's another thing to predict exactly what Miis would be called in-game.
And don't just look at that by itself. Look at that in tandem with the fact that the guy also "guessed" Wii Fit Trainer, and "Animal Crossing Guy." It's one thing to look at each of those individually and say "it was a lucky guess."
But to put everything together and say it was all just guessing? That's sounding even more than it actually being a leak.
Farfetch'd...leak...leek...ha

Take it with a grain of salt.

He changed his answer from Mii to Mii Fighter in an email, the day of the event. What this says of his credibility is positive. But it really hints that he isn't getting his info directly from the tap.

 

[kazrisk]

If there are still some newcomers that haven't been confirmed yet, then yes, they are the only ones left.

jk In all seriousness, while I am predicting three or four more newcomers--five is borderline a stretch--even if Chorus Men, Shulk, and Chrom are all in, I seriously doubt it. Heck, there's more in-game evidence of Ridley being a newcomer than either of these three. If all four make it in, it would not decredit Ridley's role or the leak itself.

Actually, the primary point I was making with Point 2 had nothing to do with Mii vs. Mii Fighters or anything like that. It was the fact that, generally speaking, nothing was changed or added in regards to the newcomers, and thus was just playing it safe (or at least as safe as possible).

I was asking if the leaked newcomers are the only newcomers, or if there are newcomers beyond that. Hope there are newcomers beyond that.

I think in-game evidence points to Ridley being a boss, not playable.

Hope we see more newcomers beyond the link though, above all else.

 

[shrooby]

Fine, argument against point two of the third leak is moot and largely pointless.

Actually, the skill that I am referring to is observational, objective, and critical thinking skills. And yes, it does take skills to properly deduce that characters like Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Little Mac, and Mii Fighters would be playable. Luck too plays a factor here as well, of course, but in a sense, it's kind of like Poker or Black Jack. Luck plays a part, but there is still some skills in the abilities to study and observe, too, before you lay down your predictions. And while Villager was shot down by Sakurai, it was back in the days of Super Smash Brothers Brawl when it was first released. Five years later, it's believable for Sakurai to find a way to give an Animal Crossing representative an adequate moveset. And while we're at it, Miis were shot down for similar reasons. Another character that was previously shot down? Oh yes! Ridley, who leak or no leak, still has a good, sporting chance at getting in. All have one thing in common: They were shot down for Super Smash Brothers Brawl.

If that's what you meant by "skill," then so be it. I personally wouldn't use that exact word to describe it. Hehe.

Miis were shot down, you were right.
I, however, think that the situations that the Miis were in during pre-Brawl compared to pre-SSB4 were so wildly different that a change of opinion was understandable. Perhaps, you could say, predictable? Before Brawl, Miis had only appeared in Wii Sports, along with being playable in a few games as little extras. After Brawl, however, Miis grew and expanded into many different games and were even carried over to two more consoles. Hence why I actually thought Miis were likely, disregarding the "leak." Once we saw Villager, thus showing that Sakurai can dramatically changed his mind about things, then I really started thinking Miis were likely. I don't think it's that arbitrary a conclusion, do you? I like to think I was at least somewhat logical.
Ridley was also shot down, but was then immediately recovered since Sakurai went on to say that he could work "but that he'd be a little slow." So he basically said Ridley is impossible and he's possible. Make of it what you will.
Villager, rather, an Animal Crossing character in general, was said to be shot down because Sakurai could not picture them fighting. Animal Crossing was too peaceful a franchise for its characters to be fighting. This didn't change with the release of City Folk or New Leaf. Animal Crossing was still just as peaceful as before; nothing had changed.

My own "skill" led me to deduce that Ridley and Miis had a chance, but an Animal Crossing character did not. I don't think I was being particularly illogical, and this was the case with many others.
If you expected an Animal Crossing character, let alone the "Animal Crossing Guy" since many thought it would be Tom Nook if anybody, you were in the minority. It didn't take "skill" to think that an Animal Crossing character was likely. It took, rather blindly I might add, thinking that Sakurai will just arbitrarily change his mind. Whether that ended up being right or not, and it was right, isn't important. It's making too large an assumption, hindsight aside.
But, in my view, the leaker took that seemingly illogical route. Rather, took the direct route to Sakurai. Not only did he call "Animal Crossing Guy," but he also called that he would be revealed at E3. That, to me, is a very difficult call to make. So I have my suspicions that this guy might be legit. Then add Wii Fit Trainer, who he said would not only be playable but would be revealed at E3, and I'm on the hook and line.

One more thing to add; I really do not like how "brah," apparently, is becoming a thing on these forums.

Ehehe, sorry!
I was just trying to sound more lighthearted! I didn't even know that it was already a thing here.

 

[epicgordan]

Sounds like he just made a mistake, we've all been there. It's probably best to avoid saying stuff like this, we wouldn't want infractions or the thread to be closed for uncivil discussion.

I was one of those who were misfortunate enough to have bought into the Geno article. Heck, it wasn't until tonight that I found out it was nothing short of a joke article.

With that said, I had at least predicted these newcomers well before E3 2013: Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Mega Man, Little Mac, Pac-Man, Marshall, Ridley, Ghirahim, Chrom, and Zoroark. I would eventually add Palutena to my list (there was plenty of space compliments of my three confirmed predictions) after seeing the leaked images and Sakurai's reaction to said images, while Rosalina, King K. Rool, Krystal, Shulk, Mewtwo, and Isaac remained honorable mentions. Miis, I always included with a special asterisk, where they'd only be playable if they were revealed at E3 (I knew Pac-Man was going to be revealed at E3 regardless), and had a general idea on how they'd be introduced. If I were to take into consideration all 18 of these characters, then so far, Zoroark was the only bad guess so far (since he's a Pokeball item now, and Greninja wound up taking his spot).

Other than that, I predicted eight out of eighteen correctly, while of my remaining nine, I now feel the most comfortable with Chrom, Marshall, Ridley, and possibly Shulk and Mewtwo. While not deconfirmed yet, I still do not like Ghirahim, King K. Rool, Krystal, or Isaac's chances. But it should be no surprise by anyone that at least eleven of my choices wound up coinciding in some capacity, with all of the gematsu leaker's predictions. The biggest differences are Marshall instead of Chorus Men, and Zoroark instead of Greni--pardon me, "Pokémon from X & Y!"

So even then, the gematsu leaker's got one wrong anyways and has an even inferior track record than mine when it comes to predicting newcomers. The only difference is that I have even more chances of being wrong down the road since I'm halfway down my list of predictions, and I am not passing them off as genuine leaks, either.

 

[kazrisk]

I was one of those who were misfortunate enough to have bought into the Geno article. Heck, it wasn't until tonight that I found out it was nothing short of a joke article.

With that said, I had at least predicted these newcomers well before E3 2013: Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Mega Man, Little Mac, Pac-Man, Marshall, Ridley, Ghirahim, Chrom, and Zoroark. I would eventually add Palutena to my list (there was plenty of space compliments of my three confirmed predictions) after seeing the leaked images and Sakurai's reaction to said images, while Rosalina, King K. Rool, Krystal, Shulk, Mewtwo, and Isaac remained honorable mentions. Miis, I always included with a special asterisk, where they'd only be playable if they were revealed at E3 (I knew Pac-Man was going to be revealed at E3 regardless), and had a general idea on how they'd be introduced. If I were to take into consideration all 18 of these characters, then so far, Zoroark was the only bad guess so far (since he's a Pokeball item now, and Greninja wound up taking his spot).

Other than that, I predicted eight out of eighteen correctly, while of my remaining nine, I now feel the most comfortable with Chrom, Marshall, Ridley, and possibly Shulk and Mewtwo. While not deconfirmed yet, I still do not like Ghirahim, King K. Rool, Krystal, or Isaac's chances. But it should be no surprise by anyone that at least eleven of my choices wound up coinciding in some capacity, with all of the gematsu leaker's predictions. The biggest differences are Marshall instead of Chorus Men, and Zoroark instead of Greni--pardon me, "Pokémon from X & Y!"

So even then, the gematsu leaker's got one wrong anyways and has an even inferior track record than mine when it comes to predicting newcomers. The only difference is that I have even more chances of being wrong down the road since I'm halfway down my list of predictions, and I am not passing them off as genuine leaks, either.

Better than my prediction of Harmoknight and Tails. My track record ain't so hot right now.

 

[TeaTwoTime]

The Chorus Men prediction is making it very difficult for me to get on board with the third leak.

 

[KingBroly]

I still think that there's stuff missing, and I also think there's going to be a surprise cut or two. I sorta wish the guy would peg for a bit more info, even if no responses are given. At least then we know he tried.

 

[Swiftie_Muggle]

I honestly don't Like how Lucas is ''likely'' to get the axe through the neck and get the boot.
Like , earthbound just has Ness! and he needs to be revealed! , All this hype for the year of Luigi and they just revealed him earlier, out of the 4 original secret characters ... and they are still in the ''Unconfirmed Bus''. Omg.

 

[kazrisk]

I honestly don't Like how Lucas is ''likely'' to get the axe through the neck and get the boot.
Like , earthbound just has Ness! and he needs to be revealed! , All this hype for the year of Luigi and they just revealed him earlier, out of the 4 original secret characters ... and they are still in the ''Unconfirmed Bus''. Omg.

I tried to follow what you wrote, but I was slightly confused... Don't worry about Ness, he'll be revealed in a Pic of the Day in July probably. One of the veterans has the be last. I think Jigglebuns is getting cut. Is "Unconfirmed Bus" a thing? Sounds sketchy, like Ghostship or something.

 

[Swiftie_Muggle]

I tried to follow what you wrote, but I was slightly confused... Don't worry about Ness, he'll be revealed in a Pic of the Day in July probably. One of the veterans has the be last. I think Jigglebuns is getting cut. Is "Unconfirmed Bus" a thing? Sounds sketchy, like Ghostship or something.

Lol , i just made that out of the blue , it isnt a thing , at least not for everybody. But what im saying is that i hope Captain Falcon , Jiggs and Ness dont get the boot because i'd would be such a bad move IMO , as for the predictions , it's been pretty accurate so far , with Pac-man and Palutena confirmed its getting quite scary lol

 

[kazrisk]

Lol , i just made that out of the blue , it isnt a thing , at least not for everybody. But what im saying is that i hope Captain Falcon , Jiggs and Ness dont get the boot because i'd would be such a bad move IMO , as for the predictions , it's been pretty accurate so far , with Pac-man and Palutena confirmed its getting quite scary lol

Out of Captain Falcon, Jiggs, and Ness, I see Jigglebuns getting the cut. Captain Falcon reps F-Zero, Ness reps Earthbound, Jigglebuns reps... Pokemon. That is more than represented, especially if Mewtwo does get added.. Now that's only if one of those three gets cut.

 

[ChunkyBeef]

It's close enough to count it to a degree (Also you have to consider NDA's and other stuff)

I don't think NDA's had ANYTHING to do with the leaker's lack of information. If NDA's were a thing he'd have been vague with every character (Fitness Rep, Omnipotent Female, Generic Blue-Haired Lord Swordsman, etc.). He nails pretty much everything else dead on, except that one.

Honestly, I'm still sticking to the guy only had access to information related to E3, 'cause him missing Rosalina should've never happened, and he likely works at Nintendo, so he likely overheard that there was a new Pokemon reveal coming up, did some research on upcoming Pokemon games and added it in. It's the only way that **** makes sense.

 

[KingLucasx]

Out of Captain Falcon, Jiggs, and Ness, I see Jigglebuns getting the cut. Captain Falcon reps F-Zero, Ness reps Earthbound, Jigglebuns reps... Pokemon. That is more than represented, especially if Mewtwo does get added.. Now that's only if one of those three gets cut.

Lol If you really think jigglypuff is getting cut then you're crazy. Ness, Captain Falcon, and jiggly are 101% IN there is no "If" with these 3.

 

[Deleted member]

I don't think NDA's had ANYTHING to do with the leaker's lack of information. If NDA's were a thing he'd have been vague with every character (Fitness Rep, Omnipotent Female, Generic Blue-Haired Lord Swordsman, etc.)

White men with bowties

 

[dezeray112]

The only thing that is questionable about Sal's tipper's claims is whether he had acknowledged anything about Rosalina and Luma not being on his list.

So far there are already things which are making this legit as we had already seen the Villager, Megaman, Wii Fit Trainer, Little Mac, Greninja (as the Pokemon from X/Y if that counts), Mii Fighters, Palutena and Pac Man.

The claims also have Chrom, Shulk and the Chorus Kids and if we get to see either of the 3 within a future Nintendo Direct or by the time the 3DS version comes out, we'll get the answer for sure.

 

[Deleted member]

I think it would have been more questionable if he had acknowledged Rosalina.

"Oh yeah, I knew about her, I just didn't mention her."

 

[True Blue Warrior]

You know, it's pretty interesting that out of the three major characters in Awakening, Chrom's voice actor is the only one that has commented on the possibility of voicing a character in Smash. The way in which he (jokingly, of course) further discussed Chrom's hypothetical FS after telling the audience to stay tuned and see what could happen in the future reminds me of the discussion Sakurai had concerning Pac-Man's hypothetical FS.

 

[ScottyWK]

You know, it's pretty interesting that out of the three major characters in Awakening, Chrom's voice actor is the only one that has commented on the possibility of voicing a character in Smash. The way in which he (jokingly, of course) further discussed Chrom's hypothetical FS after telling the audience to stay tuned and see what could happen in the future reminds me of the discussion Sakurai had concerning Pac-Man's hypothetical FS.

I missed this - link? The Pac-Man hypothetical final smash thing is interesting.