SpectreJordan
Smash Lord
Nintendo & Microsoft have been getting pretty friendly in the past year. It all started when the two joined forces to bring cross-play to games like Minecraft, Fortnite & Rocket League last year.
Recently things have been getting even more interesting as a rumor has popped up that Xbox Game Pass will be coming to the Switch. Alongside that rumor, came another rumor that several Xbox exclusives will be making their way to the Switch as well; these games included Cuphead, Ori & The Blind Forest, Rare Replay & Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Of course, this had lead to a ton of speculation that a Microsoft character will get into Smash. This seems to have exploded today as Cuphead was officially announced to be coming to Switch. Since there’s a similar thread talking about all of Square Enix’s possible characters, why not one for Microsoft?
Now let’s talk about the candidates:
The fan favorite. Banjo Kazooie was one of the N64’s most beloved games, with Banjo himself being a Nintendo mascot during that era. But alas, Banjo left Nintendo & became a member of Team Xbox.
The series has sadly been dormant since 2008, but fans still adore the series. Banjo was once thought to be impossible, but hopes everywhere were answered when Xbox President Phil Spencer said he’d like to see Banjo in Smash Bros.
Ever since then, Banjo has been one of the most requested characters for Smash; with Ridley & K Rool out of the way, Banjo is most likely THE most requested. Banjo probably had a huge presence on the Smash Ballot & Nintendo is most likely aware of that. Banjo DLC would bring in the big bucks. Banjo is even a popular pick amongst Japanese gamers.
I also feel like Sakurai personally would want the Bear & bird in Smash. The duo was originally planned to be included to be in Melee, but were ultimately cut due to licensing reasons. I have to imagine Sakurai’s had these two in the back of his head for years. Banjo may be one of the elements that would truly make this the ultimate Smash game in Sakurai’s eyes.
But why would Microsoft want a dormant franchise to get into Smash? Well for one, Spencer knows it’s what fans want. But I also feel Microsoft has plans for the series.
There’s been a slow push for the series similar to what Battletoads received before getting a new title. Banjo was prominent in the marketing of Xbox One Backwards Compatibility, Xbox Game Pass & Rare Replay. Banjo also had a couple Easter eggs in Sea of Thieves, as well as some seemingly random merchandise recently.
Banjo getting into Smash could be great promotion for a new title in the series, much like Battletoads’s Rash in Killer Instinct.
Master Chief is the Xbox’s equivalent to Mario. Not only is the character super iconic, but his series is highly significant in the history of gaming. Halo helped to popularize the shooter genre & online gaming among the masses; if it wasn’t for Halo, the current landscape of online gaming & even consoles could’ve been drastically different. Master Chief is arguably the biggest character in gaming that’s not in Smash yet.
While he was once thought to be an impossible pick for Smash Bros, the recent friendship between Microsoft & Nintendo turns that thought process on its head. If Halo does make its way to the Switch, then Master Chief getting into Smash would just be obvious.
The Halo series may have hit a slump during this gen, but Microsoft is looking to bring it back in big ways. Master Chief Collection is making its way to PC, with the possibility of it coming to Switch. The next game in the series, Halo: Infinite, is looking to be Halo’s Breath of the Wild as it’s seemingly aiming to return to the series’s roots while adding a fresh spin.
The Halo series, & Xbox in general, has always struggled to gain any traction in Japan. One of Microsoft’s goals behind partnering with Nintendo may be to finally achieve some success in the East. Master Chief in Smash could be a great way to get Japanese gamers interested in Halo; which could ultimately lead them to buying copies of MCC or subscribing to Game Pass.
What would Nintendo gain from this? Well, Master Chief would be Ultimate’s version of Snake & Cloud; a highly iconic character that was once thought to be “impossible”. His inclusion would shock gamers around the world & get them talking about Smash again, a good majority of these people would buy this DLC.
On top of that, Master Chief could be a way to balance the highly speculated inclusion of Dragon Quest’s Erdrick. Dragon Quest is in the reverse situation of Halo; DQ is HUGE in Japan, but has a minuscule presence in the West. Erdrick’s inclusion might not be popular with casual gamers, so why not include a highly popular Western character that’ll make them go crazy?
Master Chief has been seemingly deconfirmed by 343’s Frankie. But the Tweet is a bit iffy, it almost seems jokelike as it has some misspellings in it. Frankie has been known to troll fans in the past & even outright lied about the existence of Halo 2’s remake. However if Frankie was telling the truth, Master Chief could still be a strong candidate for a potential Fighter Pass 2.
Minecraft is one of gaming’s greatest success stories; it was a simple indie game that became a pop culture juggernaut. Minecraft is the second highest selling game of all-time, only behind Tetris. The game has influenced the lives of millions of people. Minecraft has become many kids’ introduction to gaming. Its impact on gaming is rivaled only by the likes of Mario & Pokemon.
Despite being owned by Microsoft, Minecraft has appeared on the Wii U, 3DS & Switch; with there even being a special Creeper themed edition of the New 2DS. Minecraft is also the best selling multi-platform game on the Switch. It’s safe to say that the game has had a strong relationship with Nintendo. The game is even popular in Japan. Sakurai has even stated how he’s lost countless hours in Minecraft’s worlds.
However, when it comes to Smash there’s been a lot of reluctance with Minecraft’s Steve joining the fun.
A lot of this, to me personally, feels like people hating on the game because it’s “cringey” now. Minecraft’s amassed an army of child fans & with that brings a lot of cringey things that children do on the internet. But I don’t think that should ruin one’s entire perception of a game, Smash & Nintendo have a lot of negative stereotypes too. The game itself is still a ton of fun & full of unique experiences, especially if you play with friends.
I actually think Steve could have a pretty unique moveset, especially if Sakurai were to really get creative with representing Minecraft’s building & crafting features. However, I do feel the major hurdle with the character is how he’s animated. Minecraft has very simple & blocky animations; it works fine in-game, but often looks weird in titles such as Telltale’s Minecraft series. It would be very challenging to get Steve to look right in a fast paced, action heavy game like Smash.
It’s pretty clear why Microsoft & Nintendo would go with Steve. Despite not being a popular pick with the hardcore crowd, Minecraft in Smash would be everywhere. The legions of people who still play Minecraft would be potential customers for this DLC & Ultimate in general.
On top of that, over the years Smash has become about celebrating the history of gaming. Minecraft’s become a very big part of that history & it’s sure to be fondly remembered in the future much like many of the legendary franchises already in the series.
Theres’s also the fact that Minecraft content has been highly rumored for Ultimate since last year. Several respected leakers have come out & said that Smash will be getting some form of Minecraft. Though very few have given any concrete information on whether this is in the form of a fighter or something else. But with how often this has been brought up, I do feel that Minecraft will be represented in Smash... even if it’s just a stage.
Recently things have been getting even more interesting as a rumor has popped up that Xbox Game Pass will be coming to the Switch. Alongside that rumor, came another rumor that several Xbox exclusives will be making their way to the Switch as well; these games included Cuphead, Ori & The Blind Forest, Rare Replay & Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Of course, this had lead to a ton of speculation that a Microsoft character will get into Smash. This seems to have exploded today as Cuphead was officially announced to be coming to Switch. Since there’s a similar thread talking about all of Square Enix’s possible characters, why not one for Microsoft?
Now let’s talk about the candidates:
The fan favorite. Banjo Kazooie was one of the N64’s most beloved games, with Banjo himself being a Nintendo mascot during that era. But alas, Banjo left Nintendo & became a member of Team Xbox.
The series has sadly been dormant since 2008, but fans still adore the series. Banjo was once thought to be impossible, but hopes everywhere were answered when Xbox President Phil Spencer said he’d like to see Banjo in Smash Bros.
Ever since then, Banjo has been one of the most requested characters for Smash; with Ridley & K Rool out of the way, Banjo is most likely THE most requested. Banjo probably had a huge presence on the Smash Ballot & Nintendo is most likely aware of that. Banjo DLC would bring in the big bucks. Banjo is even a popular pick amongst Japanese gamers.
I also feel like Sakurai personally would want the Bear & bird in Smash. The duo was originally planned to be included to be in Melee, but were ultimately cut due to licensing reasons. I have to imagine Sakurai’s had these two in the back of his head for years. Banjo may be one of the elements that would truly make this the ultimate Smash game in Sakurai’s eyes.
But why would Microsoft want a dormant franchise to get into Smash? Well for one, Spencer knows it’s what fans want. But I also feel Microsoft has plans for the series.
There’s been a slow push for the series similar to what Battletoads received before getting a new title. Banjo was prominent in the marketing of Xbox One Backwards Compatibility, Xbox Game Pass & Rare Replay. Banjo also had a couple Easter eggs in Sea of Thieves, as well as some seemingly random merchandise recently.
Banjo getting into Smash could be great promotion for a new title in the series, much like Battletoads’s Rash in Killer Instinct.
Master Chief is the Xbox’s equivalent to Mario. Not only is the character super iconic, but his series is highly significant in the history of gaming. Halo helped to popularize the shooter genre & online gaming among the masses; if it wasn’t for Halo, the current landscape of online gaming & even consoles could’ve been drastically different. Master Chief is arguably the biggest character in gaming that’s not in Smash yet.
While he was once thought to be an impossible pick for Smash Bros, the recent friendship between Microsoft & Nintendo turns that thought process on its head. If Halo does make its way to the Switch, then Master Chief getting into Smash would just be obvious.
The Halo series may have hit a slump during this gen, but Microsoft is looking to bring it back in big ways. Master Chief Collection is making its way to PC, with the possibility of it coming to Switch. The next game in the series, Halo: Infinite, is looking to be Halo’s Breath of the Wild as it’s seemingly aiming to return to the series’s roots while adding a fresh spin.
The Halo series, & Xbox in general, has always struggled to gain any traction in Japan. One of Microsoft’s goals behind partnering with Nintendo may be to finally achieve some success in the East. Master Chief in Smash could be a great way to get Japanese gamers interested in Halo; which could ultimately lead them to buying copies of MCC or subscribing to Game Pass.
What would Nintendo gain from this? Well, Master Chief would be Ultimate’s version of Snake & Cloud; a highly iconic character that was once thought to be “impossible”. His inclusion would shock gamers around the world & get them talking about Smash again, a good majority of these people would buy this DLC.
On top of that, Master Chief could be a way to balance the highly speculated inclusion of Dragon Quest’s Erdrick. Dragon Quest is in the reverse situation of Halo; DQ is HUGE in Japan, but has a minuscule presence in the West. Erdrick’s inclusion might not be popular with casual gamers, so why not include a highly popular Western character that’ll make them go crazy?
Master Chief has been seemingly deconfirmed by 343’s Frankie. But the Tweet is a bit iffy, it almost seems jokelike as it has some misspellings in it. Frankie has been known to troll fans in the past & even outright lied about the existence of Halo 2’s remake. However if Frankie was telling the truth, Master Chief could still be a strong candidate for a potential Fighter Pass 2.
Minecraft is one of gaming’s greatest success stories; it was a simple indie game that became a pop culture juggernaut. Minecraft is the second highest selling game of all-time, only behind Tetris. The game has influenced the lives of millions of people. Minecraft has become many kids’ introduction to gaming. Its impact on gaming is rivaled only by the likes of Mario & Pokemon.
Despite being owned by Microsoft, Minecraft has appeared on the Wii U, 3DS & Switch; with there even being a special Creeper themed edition of the New 2DS. Minecraft is also the best selling multi-platform game on the Switch. It’s safe to say that the game has had a strong relationship with Nintendo. The game is even popular in Japan. Sakurai has even stated how he’s lost countless hours in Minecraft’s worlds.
However, when it comes to Smash there’s been a lot of reluctance with Minecraft’s Steve joining the fun.
A lot of this, to me personally, feels like people hating on the game because it’s “cringey” now. Minecraft’s amassed an army of child fans & with that brings a lot of cringey things that children do on the internet. But I don’t think that should ruin one’s entire perception of a game, Smash & Nintendo have a lot of negative stereotypes too. The game itself is still a ton of fun & full of unique experiences, especially if you play with friends.
I actually think Steve could have a pretty unique moveset, especially if Sakurai were to really get creative with representing Minecraft’s building & crafting features. However, I do feel the major hurdle with the character is how he’s animated. Minecraft has very simple & blocky animations; it works fine in-game, but often looks weird in titles such as Telltale’s Minecraft series. It would be very challenging to get Steve to look right in a fast paced, action heavy game like Smash.
It’s pretty clear why Microsoft & Nintendo would go with Steve. Despite not being a popular pick with the hardcore crowd, Minecraft in Smash would be everywhere. The legions of people who still play Minecraft would be potential customers for this DLC & Ultimate in general.
On top of that, over the years Smash has become about celebrating the history of gaming. Minecraft’s become a very big part of that history & it’s sure to be fondly remembered in the future much like many of the legendary franchises already in the series.
Theres’s also the fact that Minecraft content has been highly rumored for Ultimate since last year. Several respected leakers have come out & said that Smash will be getting some form of Minecraft. Though very few have given any concrete information on whether this is in the form of a fighter or something else. But with how often this has been brought up, I do feel that Minecraft will be represented in Smash... even if it’s just a stage.
Last edited: