What if Smash 4's roster was handled like Smash Ultimate's?

[StormC]

Thought experiment of mine, after seeing a range of reactions to the Smash Ultimate roster: what if Smash 4 took a similar path?

First, let's outline the Smash Ultimate newcomers:

Newcomers
Inkling
Ridley
Simon Belmont
King K. Rool
Isabelle
Incineroar

Echo Fighters
Daisy
Richter Belmont
Chrom
Dark Samus
Ken

What if during the 2012 design document for Smash 4, Sakurai instead had an MO like Ultimate: bring back all veterans and cuts, with minimal newcomers and echo fighters focusing on fan favorite/popular characters?

That would mean for cuts (obviously only Melee cuts)...

Returning Veterans
Dr. Mario
Pichu
Mewtwo
Young Link
Roy

Let's assume for the sake of argument Pokemon Trainer and Ice Climbers can work on the 3DS no problem (or there's no 3DS version, go nuts). So everyone 64-Brawl is here.

Here's what I think the Smash 4 newcomers could have looked like:

Newcomers
Inkling > Villager (mascot of the highest profile Nintendo series without representation at the time)
Ridley
Simon Belmont > Mega Man (both third party characters originating from the NES, Mega Man would likely come first)
King K. Rool
Isabelle > Robin (new character in established franchise with a big 3DS hit)
Incineroar > Greninja (obligatory Pokemon slot)

Echo Fighters
Daisy
Richter Belmont > Proto Man (echo fighter of third party newcomer)
Chrom > Lucina (Chrom could still be in, but in using what we saw for Smash 4, I'm assuming it would be Lucina)
Dark Samus
Ken > Shadow (echo fighter of third party veteran)

I kept Ridley/K. Rool/Daisy/Dark Samus because nothing significant has changed for them between Smash 4 and Ultimate, and there is no real "replacement" for them, especially their places as fan favorites. But for the sake of argument, let's say this was the Smash 4 roster.

This means the only new Nintendo IP added to Smash 4 is Animal Crossing (technically not even that since AC had an emblem with non-fighter representation in Brawl), Mario hasn't received a unique newcomer since Melee, characters like Little Mac, Palutena, and Shulk miss out. How do you think the fandom would react to this roster? How do you think you would have reacted? In the wake of this, who would be the most popular characters on the Smash Ballot, and then going into Smash 5?

 

[osby]

That's a pretty realistic list. No doubt this list would cause less bias accusations for KI but Metroid and DKC getting character AGAIN might create some heat, considering Mario, as you said, got nothing.

It also has weird omission like Miis or Rosalina and adds very little new franchises. Overall I'm glad we got Smash For newcomers before Ultimate ones, I think they were needed.

 

[Michael the Spikester]

Pretty legit though I'd think Isabelle would make the cut.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Part of the reason Ultimate was a big hit was because of all the bases it covered and a lot of that is Smash 4 roster choices.

It might have missed a few megatons but Smash 4 covered most of the bases and expanded the roster's reach big time, and a reason Ultimate works is because Brawl and Smash 4 patches the holes in Ultimate's very small newcomer list.

I can imagine characters like Little Mac, Shulk, Palutena and even Miis being big character requests and huge accusations of Sakurai not adding new series into the game, which was a huge issue people had with Brawl's roster. It would get worse here.

I'll just say that I'm just ultra happy that I live in a universe where I can get "all the above"

 

[Terywj [태리]]

Looks like a well-thought out list, but I also agree that Isabelle would've made the cut with Animal Crossing being the only new series entrant.

 

[StormC]

Looks like a well-thought out list, but I also agree that Isabelle would've made the cut with Animal Crossing being the only new series entrant.

Pretty legit though I'd think Isabelle would make the cut.

Well, unless the design document was done later than in our timeline, that probably wouldn’t come to pass since New Leaf came out several months after the roster was decided.

I agree though that I’m perfectly content with the timeline we’re in. I just like the What If idea.

 

[Mogisthelioma]

It's 2012. I'll pretend this game isn't coming to the 3DS. I'll have 10 solid newcomers to make up for base game + characters who will be downsized to echo status.

Newcomers:
Bandana Waddle Dee
Magolor
Robin
King K. Rool
Dixie Kong
Simon
Ridley
Porky
Rosalina and Luma
Bowser Jr.

Downsized to echoes:
echoes
echoes
echoes
echoes

Alts:
Is from Skyward Sword but has Twilight Princess alts
Is from A Link to the Past but has Twilight Princess alts (Including one of her ALTTP skins resembling Zelda form Skyward Sword)
Is from Ocarina of Time but has Twilight Princess alts
Is an alt of
Ninten as an alt of
Alph as an alt of

Echo newcomers:
echoes
echoes
echoes
Masked Dedede echoes

DLC newcomers (eight):
Marx
Impa
Villager
Fawful
Palutena
PAC-MAN
Inkling
Isabelle

 

[Lodestar65]

Magolor

Did he have a big fan following at the time?

 

[Mogisthelioma]

Did he have a big fan following at the time?

Did Corrin?

Yes, he did. More in Japan than the west. Today he's currently ranked around 7th-4th most popular request worldwide depending on the region. Back in 2012 I'm not sure, there's no solid data, but he was speculated on pretty hard, and a lot of people thought/hoped he was in.