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Who are the top contenders for the new Big Three?

Ghostwolf35

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Dixie Kong is definitely a Nintendo All-Star, and just a really cool character in general, so I think she would be a great addition. I think some other characters that would be top choices are Toad(Captain or not) and Banjo/Kazooie.
 
D

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I'd say Geno, Isaac, and Waluigi. Ashley too, hope their fans don't give up. They'll get their chance. Someday!
 

NeonBurrito

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As of right now, in terms of unconfirmed fighters, it is without a doubt in my mind and in no particular order:
  • Geno
  • Isaac
  • Bandana Waddle Dee
If we're factoring in deconfirmed characters, I'd probably throw Waluigi in there somewhere. He'd probably replace Isaac.
 

Xebenkeck

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Nintendo wise the big three are Dixie Toad and Bandana Dee

3rd party wise id say Geno, Banjo, and Shantae/Bomberman
 

RayaGRH

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Dixie Kong should be on everybody's lists. She belongs in Smash Bros, and has for a while. Her omission so far baffles me.
 

Dan

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I would say Waluigi, Ashley and Shovel Knight...oh wait... :confused:

Joking aside, I think they would be Geno, Bandana Dee and Isaac.
This is a good post though; the former are the new-school, the latter are old school, and the way this game has been going would point to the latter being included.
 
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L2 Sentinel

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I'd say Geno, Dixie, and Waluigi. The fan outcry after Waluigi's deconfirmation, while toxic at times, is undeniable. I personally think Toad is more deserving, but this isn't my big three.
 

AzureFlame4

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Well currently I would say Geno, Skull Kid and Isaac from what I've been seeing.
 

link2702

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Geno, waluigi, and isaac. Part of Geno’s is the knowledge that sakurai seemed to want to add him in 4 but square weren’t gonna let anyone but cloud. So with more than one character from each 3rd Party being a thing now, everyone is cautiously optimistic that his chances are better than ever before.

I’m trying to keep my expectations low though for geno, because square could be asses and decide to not allow him again and maybe try to push either for someone from octopath or something, or try to throw in a black mage as this old school turn based rpg rep.
 

PsychoIncarnate

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My Big 3 have always been Ridley, K Rool, and Geno

Well, at least since King Dedede was announced. He was my number 1 pick before that
 
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SethTheMage

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I'm thinking Geno, Dixie, and Waluigi as well. However, I don't think the magnitude of these 3 compares to the magnitude of Mewtwo, K. Rool, and Ridley in the Smash 4 speculation period.

Both Dixie and Waluigi are important to their respective franchises, as well as Nintendo's history. I would consider them both Nintendo all-stars and deserving of proper representation. I may not consider Geno an all-star by himself, but he represents a game that contributed greatly to Nintendo's legacy by forming the building blocks for both the Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi series.
 

EarlTamm

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Both Dixie and Waluigi are important to their respective franchises, as well as Nintendo's history. I would consider them both Nintendo all-stars and deserving of proper representation. I may not consider Geno an all-star by himself, but he represents a game that contributed greatly to Nintendo's legacy by forming the building blocks for both the Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi series.
Not only that, but RPG's representation in general, at least in the west. Back in the day, RPG's did not sell outside of Japan, no matter how hard Square tried. So they enlisted the help of the most iconic face in gaming, a character that would have everyone buying the game just because it has his name on it, Mario, to break through the barrier and get people interested in RPG's. This is often why many older RPG fans will often cite SMRPG as their first RPG, because that was the plan and it worked hook, line, and sinker. Of course, after that Square and Nintendo had their fight and were not on good terms until many years later, but a good amount of Square and other RPG's success can be traced back to SMRPG and the foundation it created for RPG's in the west.
 
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Glaciacott

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Dixie is one of the biggest characters still not in this game, and the only reason the push for her has been so relatively calm since melee is the fact that her inclusion always seemed secondary to that of Diddy (until Brawl) and then K. Rool (until now)

Now that K. Rool is there, Dixie is the big one that's sorely lacking.

Outside of this, Geno is a big one that has been desired for years and I actually expect it to happen now. In fact, I'd be surprised if this Smash cycle ends without Geno and Dixie-echo.
Then there's Isaac who has also been a strongly desired character since Golden Sun was a thing.

So to me those are currently the big three right now: Geno, Isaac and Dixie.

Waluigi, Bandanna Dee, and Ashley are notable characters that are highly desired, but the huge drive for them feels relatively recent compared to Geno and Isaac. Another notable name is Banjo Kazooie, and that's another one I'd consider as a possible big name that is still not in this game.
 

RayaGRH

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To be fair, I don't think Waluigi is in the same league as Dixie Kong. Waluigi has the popularity for sure, but in terms of his actual history, he has never been more than a party game rep. Same level as Daisy basically, but she only got in as an echo. As far as I'm concerned, Ridley and King K. Rool were both fun characters to support with a bit of tongue in cheek banter, but they also had legitimate reasons to be included and were the main villains of major franchises. Waluigi is not on that level, he seems kind of like a troll/meme pick? I don't know, I never realised that the support for him was that serious. No hate or anything.
 
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Flynn__

Smash Journeyman
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Aug 6, 2018
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At this point I'm pretty certain that (only having in consideration characters that are still in the race) Geno and Isaac are the two most requested by 'older' Smash fans (not necessarily older in age, I mean players who have been here since 64 or Melee). Isabelle is very requested by 'casual' fans. Bandana Dee seems to have a lot of fans but also I don't think I've seen that much support for him. Dixie was also big, but I feel like the last Direct hurt her chances a lot. After the direct, support for Skull Kid has increased. And if we count echo fighters, I think that Shadow and Ken are gaining a big following. If we have in consideration characters who are confirmed to be ATs, Waluigi and Ashley have both a crazy following

In the end I would say that the big 3 depends on a lot of things. For me, it's Geno, Isaac and maybe Bandana Dee or Isabelle. Geno is definitely in this new Big 3, because before Ultimate for me the Big 3 were Ridley, K. Rool and Geno.
 

Johnknight1

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The soon to be most hyped up characters ATM are IMO are:
1. Sora: Feels destined at this point. I think it's time. And the hype for Sora if he's announced will be in the stratosphere for Cloud; don't be mistaken about that.
2. Banjo: Don't see it happening, but the hype may begin to ramp up for this. If it happens, it will be DLC and hit us like a thief in the night, similar to what was experienced in the Cloud reveal. I expect the noise to really pick up though as we progress and more and more newcomers (so freaking weird there are no veterans left to confirm; this feels like an alternate reality) get confirmed.
3. Shadow the Hedgehog: I think it's happening, and I think many people are going to be hyped it is happening.
4. Dixie Kong: A bit quiet now from the K. Rool hype, but expect the hype for Dixie to ramp up. She would essentially "complete" the Donkey Kong Country series roster.
5. Heihachi Mishima: After the tease of an appearance in Smash 4, I think this is just a hand-in-glove fit, and I am reasonably confident it will happen.
6. A new Pokémon: Always a big deal. Whether Incineroar or Decidueye, it's gonna be a big hit.
7. Rayman: Not sure of the odds here any which way, but the hype train from the fake is chugging along slowly, and may begin to pick up steam soon.
8. Rex: I think the hype train is forming with this one. He's gonna get the train rolling for JRPG fans.
9. Ken: 4 year old me is screaming at this being almost a lock, and so is adult me now!!! :laugh: But really, Ken has a huge following; expect it to get loud for Smash!
10. Spring Man: Not the biggest fanbase, but we know it's happening. I expect people will warm up to it.

~Honorable mentions~

3rd Party:
-Mega Man X: Once people realize he can actually happen as an Echo Fighter (only) and has a very realistic shot, oh man... it will get rolling (same goes to Proto Man, though I imagine to a lesser extent).
-Big Boss/Raiden: Same but not as realistic a shot as an Echo Fighter.
-Sephiroth: If people think there's even a small chance Sephiroth is an Echo Fighter, RIP human existence, because this hype train is gonna run over speculation!
-Phoenix Wright: This hype train hasn't even been loaded yet.
-Geno: Still stuck in the "cult zone" and not quite the "mainstream cult zone," as well as being overshadowed by another (Sora).
-Lloyd Irving: Same, albeit with a bit more to it (and Heihachi's shadow instead of Sora's).
-Monster Hunter: The hype train might get rolling, but I don't see much to it.

Nintendo-owned:
-Impa: Echo Fighter possibility is slow to pick up.
-Isabelle: We don't know if she will be an Echo Fighter or original moveset character if we get her. Both are in play, but irregardless she is rather popular.
-Fire Emblem: The Three Houses Main Character: Not even confirmed yet, but once it is... expect the Fire Emblem hype train to get rolling for DLC.
-Black Knight: Hype train for this Ike Echo Fighter candidate could really reach a fever pitch.
 

RouffWestie

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Geno, Skull Kid, and Dixie Kong
They look like they’ve had of the longest-running support campaigns and are frequently name dropped in Smash discussion.
 

Seanp12

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To be fair, I don't think Waluigi is in the same league as Dixie Kong. Waluigi has the popularity for sure, but in terms of his actual history, he has never been more than a party game rep. Same level as Daisy basically, but she only got in as an echo. As far as I'm concerned, Ridley and King K. Rool were both fun characters to support with a bit of tongue in cheek banter, but they also had legitimate reasons to be included and were the main villains of major franchises. Waluigi is not on that level, he seems kind of like a troll/meme pick? I don't know, I never realised that the support for him was that serious. No hate or anything.
No offense, but I can't understand why people are so eager to dismiss Waluigi as a "troll pick." Shortly ago, people were beginning to dismiss Ridley as a troll pick. I think the tone of support a character gets has far less bearing than the amount. I think it makes little difference to Sakurai. (I know there is the issue of the Waluigi supporters harassing Sakurai, but most of them do it in English, so I'm not certain how much that affects him. It's not like he has a translator skimming the internet for troll posts to give Sakurai.)
 

TheZoologist

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Geno, Issac, and my boy and girl Banjo & Kazooie would probably garner the most hype, at least from me. With Ridley, Simon Belmont, & King K. Rool revealed, that's three huge ones already off my list. If Geno, Issac, and ESPECIALLY Banjo-Kazooie make it in, this would be the most hype Smash Bros. of all time.
 

RayaGRH

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No offense, but I can't understand why people are so eager to dismiss Waluigi as a "troll pick." Shortly ago, people were beginning to dismiss Ridley as a troll pick. I think the tone of support a character gets has far less bearing than the amount. I think it makes little difference to Sakurai. (I know there is the issue of the Waluigi supporters harassing Sakurai, but most of them do it in English, so I'm not certain how much that affects him. It's not like he has a translator skimming the internet for troll posts to give Sakurai.)
I'm not dismissing him as simply a troll pick, but I do think the basis of the push for his inclusion comes from his popularity on the Internet, specifically with memes. Because in terms of Waluigi in actual games, there isn't much substantial there. Ridley had a tonne of memes too, but he was the main villain of a huge franchise, so he had a lot more backing him up, and deserved to be in based on that. I just don't understand where the Waluigi support comes from besides the fact that he has become the face of a certain internet meme culture.

Hey, perhaps that's reason enough for him to get a spot, I don't know. But let's not pretend he's on the same level as Ridley or K. Rool, because he isn't close, and it's asking a lot more.
 

Nimbostratus

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I'm not dismissing him as simply a troll pick, but I do think the basis of the push for his inclusion comes from his popularity on the Internet, specifically with memes. Because in terms of Waluigi in actual games, there isn't much substantial there. Ridley had a tonne of memes too, but he was the main villain of a huge franchise, so he had a lot more backing him up, and deserved to be in based on that. I just don't understand where the Waluigi support comes from besides the fact that he has become the face of a certain internet meme culture.

Hey, perhaps that's reason enough for him to get a spot, I don't know. But let's not pretend he's on the same level as Ridley or K. Rool, because he isn't close, and it's asking a lot more.
Really this depends on whether we are talking about the Big Three of Smash-fans-at-large or the Big Three of hardcore fans/Smashboard users, as I don't think those groups would come up with the same answers. If we are talking about fans-at-large, I'd actually say Waluigi might have been almost as big as Ridley or K. Rool given that he's more recognizable to a larger group (not going to make the case for hardcore/Smashboards fans. Rids and Rool were obviously bigger). Most characters don't get widely spread Washington Post articles when disconfirmed. Waluigi is actually a bit of anomaly in that I think he would probably make Top 3 in both categories of fans. I'm not going to characterize some types of support as less legitimate as others by degrading them as memes or trolls. I'd agree that Dixie has more "merit", if such a word is fair to use, than Waluigi does, but that isn't the question at hand. Having lots of prominent and relevant roles and games under the belt doesn't necessarily correlate to the size of the fandom. Ask Geno.
On the topic of Geno, he seems like a really popular choice among others. I don't necessarily disagree, but I'm a little less confident. He was definitely among the Big 3 in the Brawl days, but he went pretty dormant until recent days. He's made an impressive resurgence due to his old peers making it in the game, for sure, but I'm not sure it will hold up if he doesn't make the roster this time. Geno is a bit of a controversial character (his last RTC day was ugly) among those who don't think he has "merit" as a one-off third party character from a long time ago. Compare that to relevant first-party characters with major roles (like Dixie Kong) or first-party characters from unrepped series from underappreciated eras of gaming (like Isaac). Smashboards loves them some unrepped series.
 

TBone06

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Really this depends on whether we are talking about the Big Three of Smash-fans-at-large or the Big Three of hardcore fans/Smashboard users, as I don't think those groups would come up with the same answers. If we are talking about fans-at-large, I'd actually say Waluigi might have been almost as big as Ridley or K. Rool given that he's more recognizable to a larger group (not going to make the case for hardcore/Smashboards fans. Rids and Rool were obviously bigger). Most characters don't get widely spread Washington Post articles when disconfirmed. Waluigi is actually a bit of anomaly in that I think he would probably make Top 3 in both categories of fans. I'm not going to characterize some types of support as less legitimate as others by degrading them as memes or trolls. I'd agree that Dixie has more "merit", if such a word is fair to use, than Waluigi does, but that isn't the question at hand. Having lots of prominent and relevant roles and games under the belt doesn't necessarily correlate to the size of the fandom. Ask Geno.
On the topic of Geno, he seems like a really popular choice among others. I don't necessarily disagree, but I'm a little less confident. He was definitely among the Big 3 in the Brawl days, but he went pretty dormant until recent days. He's made an impressive resurgence due to his old peers making it in the game, for sure, but I'm not sure it will hold up if he doesn't make the roster this time. Geno is a bit of a controversial character (his last RTC day was ugly) among those who don't think he has "merit" as a one-off third party character from a long time ago. Compare that to relevant first-party characters with major roles (like Dixie Kong) or first-party characters from unrepped series from underappreciated eras of gaming (like Isaac). Smashboards loves them some unrepped series.
I disagree with the fact that the fan base for Geno was pretty dormant depending on your definition of "recent days" is. I would agree wholeheartedly that the fan base fell off a bit after Brawl. Once he got his Mii Costume, hype was back. Then Sakurai made his comments about the costume. As Ultimate was announced, his fan base was still very big and if you ask any of us, we all believe this has been his best chance to get in. But I think everything else you say is bang on.

I'm not dismissing him as simply a troll pick, but I do think the basis of the push for his inclusion comes from his popularity on the Internet, specifically with memes. Because in terms of Waluigi in actual games, there isn't much substantial there. Ridley had a tonne of memes too, but he was the main villain of a huge franchise, so he had a lot more backing him up, and deserved to be in based on that. I just don't understand where the Waluigi support comes from besides the fact that he has become the face of a certain internet meme culture.

Hey, perhaps that's reason enough for him to get a spot, I don't know. But let's not pretend he's on the same level as Ridley or K. Rool, because he isn't close, and it's asking a lot more.
Also this, Waluigi doesn't have the history that K. Rool or Ridley have. I never understood the hype with either Waluigi or Daisy, but I understand they are in a lot of spin-off games. I just don't think either are on the level of others that are still not in the game.
 
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Bayopuff

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In my opinion, the three characters with the largest following would be Waluigi, Geno and Ashley.
 

Nimbostratus

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I disagree with the fact that the fan base for Geno was pretty dormant depending on your definition of "recent days" is. I would agree wholeheartedly that the fan base fell off a bit after Brawl. Once he got his Mii Costume, hype was back. Then Sakurai made his comments about the costume. As Ultimate was announced, his fan base was still very big and if you ask any of us, we all believe this has been his best chance to get in. But I think everything else you say is bang on.
My apologies, "dormant" was too strong of a word. Geno has always had a dedicated fanbase that never went away, but I do think he lost enough wide appeal to be considered Top 3 in the Range from Wii U speculation until E3. In a quick glance at SSBU speculation on this site prior to E3,

Rate Their Chances: Want of 43.75%, putting him in 31st place.
Newcomer Bracket Challenge: Bandana Dee beat Geno by a score of 42-17
Top 10 Most Wanted Thread: As of July 13, Geno was #9 in Points but outside of the Top 10 in total votes cast. On a vote tally before E3 occurred, he's completely out of the Top 10.

Like you said, the Mii Costume and Sakurai's comments brought back some hype (probably more energizing his fanbase than widening it), but considering all of these results come from after those, I think you would agree that he wasn't a consensus "Top Three". As for what shifts more recent developments will cause, I'm not sure. His star is rising, but I'm not sure it will hold without falling to previous levels if he misses this game.
 
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Jamison

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The characters I can think of in America I hear people still really wanting are probably Isaac, Dixie, Bandana Dee, Banjo, Rayman, Crash, Goku and Geno. Nintendo said they wanted a larger presence in China. IDK enough about Chinese culture to know which character they would want. Any character that was beloved by the Chinese community would instantly become a fan favorite based on China's massive population. Same could be said if they tried to push for a stronger presence in India. But as far as North America and Europe go I don't think there's another character quite comparable anymore. I don't know the actual numbers. I honestly think the smash ballot numbers they have would serve them better as an indicator of what people want than anything on smashboards. But I do think a stronger presence for Smash in Asian countries outside of Japan merits a lot of consideration. Frankly, we've been given a lot already and if there's more to come I think it's more than fair to have say a Chinese anime/manga character earn a slot to help garner interest there.
 

TBone06

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My apologies, "dormant" was too strong of a word. Geno has always had a dedicated fanbase that never went away, but I do think he lost enough wide appeal to be considered Top 3 in the Range from Wii U speculation until E3. In a quick glance at SSBU speculation on this site prior to E3,

Rate Their Chances: Want of 43.75%, putting him in 31st place.
Newcomer Bracket Challenge: Bandana Dee beat Geno by a score of 42-17
Top 10 Most Wanted Thread: As of July 13, Geno was #9 in Points but outside of the Top 10 in total votes cast. On a vote tally before E3 occurred, he's completely out of the Top 10.

Like you said, the Mii Costume and Sakurai's comments brought back some hype (probably more energizing his fanbase than widening it), but considering all of these results come from after those, I think you would agree that he wasn't a consensus "Top Three". As for what shifts more recent developments will cause, I'm not sure. His star is rising, but I'm not sure it will hold without falling to previous levels if he misses this game.
That's a great find for information. I will say for the Rate Their Chances that a lot of people who don't like Geno, will give lower scores (0%-10%). That is the thing with being a cult following. The people who love him, really love him, and the people who don't really don't. The difference being, most of the fan base (at this point) can look at it rationally. I still would only give him maybe 50%-60% chance of getting in, which is still very strong, but when you have five people who give him 0%, it's going to skew the scores. Bandana Dee outscoring Geno doesn't surprise me because he has more recent popularity.

The Top 10 Most Wanted, that actually makes perfect sense. Before E3 occurred, Ridley still would have been seen as a character who may never get in. We didn't have a lot of information on the game. We only really knew that Mario, Link and Inkling were in the game. Once E3 was revealed, it definitely showed that Sakurai is trying to do the impossible. He is going to great lengths to get what the fans want. This is proven by the inclusions of Ridley and K. Rool. Furthermore, when Dark Samus and Chrom were included, he had mentioned that they were "highly requested characters". This is similar to what he said about Geno when he was explaining the Mii Costume.

But I can confirm your statement, when this game first got announced, he probably wasn't in that top three. But two of those spots would have been occupied by Ridley and K. Rool who are both powerhouses. So that only really left one spot.

As for your last statement, I can understand that. I think Smash 6 will go in a different direction as he's stated he doesn't think he'll ever be able to add every character again. This is why we in the Geno community feel this is his best chance, and frankly I truly believe he will be in. But if you go all the way back to Brawl, as a whole, Geno is one of the top three requested characters who hasn't been announced, which is why I feel he's the logical next step after Ridley and K. Rool.

Also a fun little fact, based on Sakurai's journal entries in Brawl, here is the top list, and the status of those characters

King Dedede(5) - CONFIRMED!
Diddy Kong(4) - CONFIRMED!
Geno(4)
Ike(4) - CONFIRMED!
Ridley(4) - CONFIRMED!
Captain Olimar & Pikmin(3) - CONFIRMED!
Krystal(3) - AT
Takamaru(3) - AT
Windwaker Link(3) - CONFIRMED!
Animal Crossing MC(2) - CONFIRMED!
Claus(2)
Demiru(2)
Isaac(2) - Unconfirmed AT
Jeff(2) - AT
Kawasima(2) - AT
King K.Rool(2) - CONFIRMED!
Lip(2)
Lucas(2) - CONFIRMED!
Mega Man(2) - CONFIRMED!
Oguma(2)
Ouendan(2)
Sukapon(2) - AT
 
D

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Guest
Bomberman is going to be among the Top Three by the time they decide the roster for next game which will be years away.

Bomberman has a combination that no other characters have, he's a popular request, the main protagonist of a franchise, a third-party, and a franchise revolves itself around multiplayer gaming. How many console games during the 90s could you play with five players locally in a game? The PC Engine/Turbografx-16 and Super Bomberman 3, 4, and 5 could do exactly that.

His franchise came back in spite of the buyout and the Konami controversy seemingly indicating that Konami was leaving gaming outside mobile and Pro Evolution Soccer. Yet they choose to come back with Super Bomberman R, a decision that fans handsomely rewarded them for with over a million copies. With them also filing two trademarks for Bomberman-related products, a video game and a trading card game, it's clear the franchise has a future, boosting the perception of his likelihood which in turn makes fans more comfortable with supporting him as a playable character next game.

As far as remaining candidates are concerned, he also has the benefit of being with Konami. As this game proves, they are relatively generous with the contents they will allow Sakurai to have in Smash if three characters including an echo for Castlevania (not even going on into all the contets the franchise is getting) is any indication. There are no arbitrary restrictions and with Konami pushing Bomberman as one of their flagship gaming franchises, he's clearly next in line from them. As far as competition for fan demand is concerned, who is left? Clearly not many. Nintendo characters that do not become newcomers this game might not sustain their fan base when the reality of a reboot becomes apparent (which I would argue will be branded as an all-gaming crossover) and as far as Japanese third-parties are concerned, it's clear that Bomberman will be the choice to rally around. Any competition for fan support will come from Western third-parties and I highly doubt three or more of them will be heads and shoulders over Bomberman, especially if they don't keep getting new games.

Furthermore, as the roster clears out popular candidates by confirmations like Ridley and King K. Rool, which may also include DLC, that frees more space for Bomberman support as there are fewer candidates available. Considering his over three decades worth of legacy as a franchise, he's a candidate that a lot of people are sleeping on when it comes to potential additions.
 
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Isaac: Venus Adept

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Bomberman is going to be among the Top Three by the time they decide the roster for next game which will be years away.

Bomberman has a combination that no other characters have, he's a popular request, the main protagonist of a franchise, a third-party, and a franchise revolves itself around multiplayer gaming. How many console games during the 90s could you play with five players locally in a game? The PC Engine/Turbografx-16 and Super Bomberman 3, 4, and 5 could do exactly that.

His franchise came back in spite of the buyout and the Konami controversy seemingly indicating that Konami was leaving gaming outside mobile and Pro Evolution Soccer. Yet they choose to come back with Super Bomberman R, a decision that fans handsomely rewarded them for with over a million copies. With them also filing two trademarks for Bomberman-related products, a video game and a trading card game, it's clear the franchise has a future, boosting the perception of his likelihood which in turn makes fans more comfortable with supporting him as a playable character next game.

As far as remaining candidates are concerned, he also has the benefit of being with Konami. As this game proves, they are relatively generous with the contents they will allow Sakurai to have in Smash if three characters including an echo for Castlevania (not even going on into all the contets the franchise is getting) is any indication. There are no arbitrary restrictions and with Konami pushing Bomberman as one of their flagship gaming franchises, he's clearly next in line from them. As far as competition for fan demand is concerned, who is left? Clearly not many. Nintendo characters that do not become newcomers this game might not sustain their fan base when the reality of a reboot becomes apparent (which I would argue will be branded as an all-gaming crossover) and as far as Japanese third-parties are concerned, it's clear that Bomberman will be the choice to rally around. Any competition for fan support will come from Western third-parties and I highly doubt three or more of them will be heads and shoulders over Bomberman, especially if they don't keep getting new games.

Furthermore, as the roster clears out popular candidates by confirmations like Ridley and King K. Rool, which may also include DLC, that frees more space for Bomberman support as there are fewer candidates available. Considering his over three decades worth of legacy as a franchise, he's a candidate that a lot of people are sleeping on when it comes to potential additions.
I definitely agree with you. Bomberman is and always will be my second most wanted third party after Rayman and I felt inner pain when I saw he was an assist but I kind of appreciated how true the bomb mechanics are to the source game. It seems Ultimate is putting in alot of characters people have been wanting for over a decade like Ridley and King K.Rool. And if hopefully Isaac and Geno are next, Bomberman is going to be the pretty much going to be a bigger contender as I recall he was also part of that huge pre-Brawl demand group of characters and has had a new resurgence with BomberMan R
 

Seanp12

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Messages
223
I don't know if third parties are going to stay popular, though. People could start getting irritated at third parties the same way they used to with clones, if too many show up when people have Nintendo characters in mind, they may start viewing them as getting in the way of their favorites. On the other hand, so many of the Nintendo favorites have been added that people may start to believe that third partie main characters are a better direction than scouring Mario and Pokemon for their lesser characters or bringing in sidekicks and villains from lesser first party series.
 

Diddy Kong

Smash Obsessed
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Messages
25,961
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1. Dixie Kong
2. Geno
3. Isaac

In any given order. Geno might probably be the most requested, or long-lasting supported character.
 

UserKev

Smash Champion
Joined
May 10, 2017
Messages
2,621
I forgot about Skull Kid. He's potentially up there, easily. Bandana Dee is missing but at the same time, his popularity kinda came out of no where to me. I'm also gonna say there is more to the Big 3, what the characters can bring as far as potential. I'm gonna use a title like the Yonko in One Piece. Dixie Kong or Bandana Dee aren't ultimately exciting, where's Skull Kid or Geno is because they have that massive potential behind them. This isn't to say Dixie Kong and Bandana Dee don't belong in Smash, they do. Just I feel like I ultimately know what they can do.

Dixie Kong and Bandana Dee are anonymously in the Big 3 to me.
 

xpnc

Smash Lord
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1,367
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Canada
NNID
RexTurbocool
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Geno, Skull Kid, Isaac
 

Dan

Smash Lord
Joined
Dec 26, 2013
Messages
1,937
I will never understand the Waluigi support; I like the character, but you could tell he was made just so Wario could have a doubles partner in Tennis; the way Sakurai has trolled him reached its tipping point during the Direct, fueling the overwhelming support which I'm fine with because Sakurai has all too often kicked requested characters while they're down.

According to the most supported newcomers thread, it's Isaac, Bandana Dee and Dixie (in that order [none of them were even in the same league as K. Rool]); Geno isn't even in the top 20 :surprised:. I guess it was my bias. We always have Sakurai's comments and the Mii costume to fall back on.
 

Dixie Kong

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 9, 2018
Messages
762
Dixie, Banjo, and Isaac maybe? (I don’t know anything about him, but he apparently was the main character of a couple fan loved games, so he deserves to be in IMO)
 
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