This come from the smashkaiser. This is his take on the roster and what we might expect over the coming weeks
Okay, so this is my personal desired roster for the upcoming Smash 4. I could have simply done this using the roster maker, but I though it would be a bit more interesting to type it up and explain some of my wants & reasoning from it. Before I start I’d like apologize before hand for this being so long. I have a lot of ideas and just kind put most of them here. This is also strictly base game. I will go into the idea of DLC based characters later, but for now it is about my thoughts and wants for the base game roster. As another note, this is not a rumor, not a leak, or anything of that nature. These are my personal thoughts, wants, or expectations and why I’ve come to certain conclusions. That said, I’d like to to point out some assumptions in which my list is based upon, these being —-
-The only actual cuts will likely be Ivysaur, Squritle, and Snake. With Charizard becoming its own standalone character, due to it being the most popular of the three, it can be inferred that Ivysaur and Squirtle won’t be seeing a return. And as for Snake. Nintendo & Konami don’t really have the best of relationships at this point in time, leaving him to possibly get the ax as well. This means 36 returning characters.
-However, it is my hope and belief that the veteran count from Brawl, being 39, will only drop by 2, due to Ivysaur & Squirtle. That leaves Snakes spot, which I will get into later. This means 37 vets could return, with our Poke’friends possibly freeing space for newcomers.
-The development team will likely keep the neat, rectangular shaped roster present in the original and Brawl. Of course, in Brawl there was a box for random unlike in past iterations. If that wasn’t there, we very well could have seen a staggered roster much like Melee. Even still. While Melee had an odd roster structure compared to its siblings, it was still uniform in the way it had been done. Had Melee included a random box itself, we could have seen at least a 2x13 style roster, or just had two random boxes added on the each side of the bottom row to keep everything even. For the sake of argument though, we will assume that the roster will be reminiscent to Brawls. This said, I will be including a single random box and rounding down from numbers that would produce anything not rectangular in shape. Meaning the minimum number of characters included. I will include the idea of Melee style rosters as well, if only to point out the possibilities. I would love for them to go back to the this structure, as it would mean more characters then most people expect or assume.
-If you look at all the past Smash games you can notice that there has been a trend. This was probably unintentional on the developers part, but it’s a trend I took notice to nonetheless. In SSB there were a total of 12 playable characters. From SSB to Melee there was a 13 count roster increase, with 14 newcomers including transformations. This resulted in a 25 count roster with a total of 26 characters. From Melee to Brawl there was a 12 count increase, a 5 man removal, and 18 newcomers including transformations. This made for a a 35 count roster and a total of 39 characters. This means that there was 1 less TOTAL character count added between SSB/Melee (12+14=26) and Melee/Brawl (26+13=39). Assuming this trend were to keep up in Smash 4, with the confirmation of mid-match transformations no longer being a thing, we could assume that there could be a 12 count/character increase to the series. This is not including the 2 cuts mentioned above. This would set a character count at 49. A 50 count roster if including random. If we were to use a Brawl style roster, this would work in a 5x10 structure.
-Another trend you can observe is the number of newcomers between each new installment. Melee had 14 while Brawl had 18. This means a 4 man newcomer increase between those two games. So one could assume that we could see 22 newcomers for a total of 57 characters. While this could work, I do not think this will be the case. If there is an increase, I think it will only be by 2 men, due to to spots freed by Ivysaur and Squirtle mentioned earlier. So I feel that the newcomer count will either increase to 20, remain at 18, or drop if anything. Going back to my assumption that the vet count won’t drop below 37, this would mean a 55 character roster if it remains at 18 newcomers. This could very well work if utilizing a Melee style roster in a 4x12 structure, with 8 boxes centered on the bottom and a single random box for a total of 56 boxes. For the sake of it, however, we will round down. This would bring it to 55 boxes, including a single random. This means one less newcomer then what could be, making only 17. This number would work in a 5x11 Brawl style roster. All of that said, a 57 count roster could work too. This would again use the 4x12 structure, but with 10 boxes on the bottom row now and a single random box once again. This brings the box count to 58. But as I’ve said before, I don’t think they will go back to the structure used in Melee.
-Now my list also assumes the Gematsu leaks. Some of you might question why I would do such a thing. My reasoning is that, up until the point of Chrom, there had not been anything damning to it. It may not have been exact, but most of the information leaked to that point had been right within reason. One would argue that certain characters were not mentioned. I’d argue that it’s possible for someone to have only so much information and that information is not static. Things do change. You could also argue that of most the characters mentioned were predictable. But I’d argue that almost no one predicted Wii Fit Trainer. That was a bombshell, which gives it a bit of credibility in my opinion. More of these two leaks have been proven true compared to what was not mentioned or proven false. Hence why I’ve included it within my list. More than that, these characters are all ones that I have either wanted from the start or come to love. This is still true for the remaining portions of the leak, being Shulk and Chorus Men. This isn’t a support for the leak or the leaker per say, but rather a desire and interest in what was presented as a possibility.
-This makes for my desired roster count at a low of 49 characters and a high of 54, which would mean either 12 or 17 newcomers. I will go through each character. For the sake of including as many characters as I believe reasonable, I will use a max of 55. I will also do the 57 character roster for the sake of including the lesser characters I’d like. Again, 57 feels like a push to me. While it is completely plausible, I do not see it happening. I will also include several other inclusions, the absolute max that could be set based on all of the information above. This number, mind you, is a whopping 63 possible characters. I am incredibly doubtful that this will ever happen. Not in the base game anyways. I will separate the first 49 characters here from the additional 5 possible in a 54 character roster, and all other instances will be done the same.
-As a note, the current number of newcomers is 9. This leaves room for either 3 or 8 more newcomers. If including the remaining Gematsu characters it would make make 49, including predicted Brawl vets. That pretty much covers 36 vets and the 12 newcomers I expect from the Low Tier.
-One more thing: I will also include desired alt costumes in parenthesis with each character. With the recent confirmation of Little Mac having two, I will include two if possible. I also hold hope that there is at least one more, for a total of 3 alternate costumes per character, which I will also include after the first two. These will be marked by a single asterisk. I’ll also make notes of things I’d like to see within that character or anything reasoning while I’ve included them or believe they may be included.
So, without further adiue. Here is my roster.
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Low Tier: Trend 1: Brawl Style, 12 Newcomers, 49 Characters, 50 Boxes Total
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-Mario (Dr. Mario, Shadow Mario, Strikers Charged*)
Not much to say about Mario. I’d have liked for them to have changed F.L.U.D.D. To the iconic Ground Pound or something. I never could effectively use F.L.U.D.D. myself. I guess I can understand why Ground Pound isn’t used. Between Bowser and Yoshi, there are 2 Mario universe characters that do it. So I guess an excuse could be diversifying things. I have the Strikers Charged gear for mario, and many other Mario universe characters, because many of them don’t have much to pull from that I find interesting. That, and they also look truly battle ready when wearing that imo.
-Luigi (Mr. L, Strikers Charged, Dr. Luigi*)
Nothing to say about Luigi either. Glad his FS was changed. Loved Negative Zone for what it was, but anything involving the Poltergust is a win in my book. I have Dr. Luigi as the last costume because I’d like the characters to be varied between one another. While it would definitely be fun to play as Dr. Bros & the sweet as peahes nursing assistant, some variety amongst the masses would be great. That is only if the number of costumes will be two.
-Bowser (Dry Bowser, Mecha Bowser, Strikers Charged/Dark*)
Bowser’s good in my book. I couldn’t ask for anymore changes then what they have done. Not even Giga Bowser. His Mecha look mainly came from Mario Sunshine. But really, part of me hopes that they can make it look as awesome as the Lego “Mecha Bowser” you can find in Google images. Dark Bowser would work pretty well as an alt, but I think the armored shell his Strikers outfit gives him is amazing. They can remove the claws if they want. I never did like them and he punches instead of slashing now anyways.
-Peach (Strikers Charged, Shadow Queen, Nurse*)
First I’d like to point out why I don’t have Daisy listed as an alt costume. This is because I want her retained as a palette, but as an actual skin swap like in Melee. The reason for this is that, like Wario, it can be assumed that all costumes have palettes themselves. So I’m hoping that Daisy in her Strikers gear would be an option if that were a costume to get picked. Other then that, a new FS would be. Peach Blossom is great for what it is, just not worth using in Smash. Something that is actually offensive would be nice. I’d be okay with them keeping the border though if they could.
-Rosalina & Luma (Cosmic Spirit, Concept Art, Biker Jumpsuit*)
I hope her FS is buffed before release. It is underwhelming in execution and simply doesn’t look satisfying to use. Maybe more range or just more power to make up for the range would be nice. Some might ask what I mean by Concept Art. Before her final design, Rosalina had another that looked older and more royal looking if you ask me. Admittedly it is kind of ugly. But I’d still like to see it in.
-Yoshi (Yarn, Yoshi Kid, Strikers Charged*)
Yarn and Yoshi Kid costumes would be great for of dinosaur friend. Those two mixed with the already numerous number of color palettes would complement well. Of course the hair on the Yoshi kid costume would have to be different for every palette if you want to do it proper. Otherwise, his FS is fine to me. I’d like it if he had the added effect of burying any characters touching the ground upon him landing. He has all the powers of eating a Kamikaze Koopa excluding the yellow shell. Add that and he is truly a Super Dragon imo.
-Wario (Biker, Captain, Mario-Man*)
I hope they take a classic approach to Wario this time around. This really would only require his bike special to be swapped out for his classic tackle. Maybe the bike can become an item. And while I don’t have anything against Wario-Man as a FS, I am sure they can find something else to use if they wanted to. And if they do, I’d like it to at least be retained as a costume.
-Donkey Kong (Boxer, Strikers Charged, Dread Kong/Funky Kong*)
How I wish Kong Beat didn’t exist. Or at least was done so much different. That unfortunately doesn’t appear to be the case. Unlike other characters whose FS were shown to be different at E3, I don’t think DK has a chance of it being changed with the addition of the timing bar. His boxer costume could be unlocked in an event that involves you playing Little Mac on the Boxing Ring stage against a Boxer DK. And Dread Kong is just too cool not to be used if alt skins aren’t out of the question. Funky Kong could be nothing more then DK in clothes, but would still be cool.
-Diddy Kong (Strikers Charged, Dixie Kong)
Diddy really doesn’t have anything in the way of costumes to pull from. So aside from his Strikers gear, Dixie would be the best choice if she isn’t an option for playable. It would be nice if some attacks had visual differences between costumes, but I don’t think that will happen. So we will be left with a Dixie Kong who has stolen Diddy’s rocket barrel and peanut guns. Don’t know how many people would be okay with that.
-Link (Skyloftian Outfit, TP Magic Armor, Fierce Deity*)
Not too many complaints about Link really. It would be pretty cool if some of his sword techniques learned in some games were in his moveset, but otherwise he’s fine. Sword Beam would be a nice inclusion as well. I really hope they change the Skyloft outfit to match what it really is. It seems a bit unfair that they were willing to go the extra mile with Little Mac and some others, but not everyone else. I’ve always loved the Magic Armor since its debut in Twilight Princess. Anything that puts Link in some armor is cool in my book. And while I’d love for Fierce Deity to be an option, I do worry that it will probably be him with a Master Sword sized Helix Sword and a Hylian Shield in tow. Think I’d rather not if that’s the case.
-Zelda (Priestess, Puppet/Robbed, Hilda*)
Even though Zelda has a stern look to her, the priestess outfit from Skyword Sword would be complimented by it I think. What’s cooler then a princess that can kick some ass? Why a priestess of course! Puppet Zelda would be great too. Kinda had this hope that those with evil alter egos could have those as costumes. Robbed Zelda would be pretty sick too, but one TP based costume or the other. Hilda would be neat, especially if she has an added staff prop.
-Sheik (Oot Classic, OoT Impa/SS Young Impa/HW Impa Costume, HW Sheik*)
I hope and pray she gets an original FS. I understand why the Light Arrow is there, because Sheik is Zelda, and by extension is capable of using Zelda stuff. But if they were willing to separate the two and give them new moves, why wouldn’t you put the time in to make the one thing that makes them the most unique different? Even Zelda, when disguised as Sheik, wouldn’t be foolish enough to use something that clearly gives away her identity. Now as for costumes, I’m really hopeful that Sheik is given a place within Hyrule Warriors. I would much prefer that over Sheik dressing like Impa.
-Ganondorf (OoT Classic, Oot Phantom, WW Robbed/HW Ganondorf*)
Like most people, I too want the great King of Evil to get a revamp. Unlike most, I do not want it dominated by a sword. While the form known as Ganondorf only appeared in three games, the idea of him to me was always mostly about his ruthlessness, cunning, strength, and magic more so then his skill at arms. I understand this is part of his character, but Ganondorf employs his magic more then he does his sword skills. Some standard attacks and maybe a single special using the Sword of Sages would be great, I admit. But it shouldn’t be his focal point. I would also love for them to include his Dead Man’s Volley and the Trident of Power, the latter as an item if not a move. I do like some of Ganondorfs current moveset, however, so he wouldn’t need a huge overhaul to satisfy me. As for costumes. I seems unlikely that we won’t get his Ocarina of Time outfit, but my want is a OoT Phantom Ganon costume. I could die happy.
-Toon Link (Outset Island Outfit, Ezlo Hat w/ Pictori or Four Sword, Engineer*)
Yes, we all wanted Tink to get a revamp. Even something as small as a few moves would have been substantial in diversifying him. Unfortunately this is not the case. Lets just hope his custom holds some options from his own series of games. And a new FS. I’d like something involving the King of Red Lions and the Great Flood personally. The very first outfit you see our young hero in is the one from Outset Island. Seems like a shoe in for a costume. Just hope it doesn’t get the treatment Links Skyloftian outfit did. An outfit with Ezlo and either the Pictori Sword or Four Swords would be great homage to none seafaring game he’s in. Engineer is a possibility too, if you don’t complain that it’s used in a stage.
-Kirby (Various Kirby game hats, Hypernova, Yarn*)
All I’d like from Kirby is a costume that uses the power hats from his own series of games, that also uses different hats as palettes. These visual hats would be replaced with Smash power hats if the player chooses to absorb their power. Hypernova Kirby would also be pretty cool. Idk how people would feel about a walking disco ball tho. May be kinda distracting. Yarn would work too. Some people voice concerns of how his Inhale would work since he’s see through and all. But they can manage it.
-King Dedede (Masked, Dark)
Masked and Dark Dedede are the best, if only, routes they could take for reasonable costumes. Other then that, a new FS would be nice. Waddle Dee Army was just nothing to write home about. Idk what they could possibly do, some suggest a transformation into Masked Dedede, but a new FS would be great for this greedy king.
-Meta Knight (Galacta Knight, Concept Art)
It was no secret MK was OP, and it seems very likely he will see drastic nerfing which I’m okay with. Galacta Knight and the Concept Art costume that Project M uses are probably the best choices. I can’t really think of anything that would be easy to tell apart if multiple MK’s were in battle. Dark I don’t feel would work as a result. His FS could due with visual buffing as well. Just isn’t cool enough for MK if you ask me.
-Pit (NES Classic, Dark, Fighter Armor*)
Pit has come a long way from Brawl thanks to Uprising. Now while it would be cool to have Dark Pit as a PC, I’d rather he be a costume under the idea that we could see mixed sets of custom specials. What I mean by this is that there are thus far two kinds of customs. One being variants of the moves the characters have, like Mario’s Firebolt (personal name for it) and Fire Orb. Then others being completely alternate moves, like all of Palutena and Mii Fighter customs. I’m hoping that at least a few characters will have a mix of these. In Pit’s case, his standard and up specials are likely to see variants, whereas his side and down specials could possibly see alternates. I’m also hoping for alt costume props. So if staff was included as a special, then Dark Pit would use his own. He’d make for a great character, but I’d rather have him as a costume on my list. This could be unlocked through a Pit vs Dark Pit Event, or beating him as Pit if he is to be a boss. Time will tell. The Fighter Armor and Classic Pit would be great too.
-Palutena (NES Classic, Pseudo, Medusa*)
Only thing I’d like out of the Goddess of Light are costumes of her back in NES days, her clone in Uprising, and her eternal rival, the Goddess of Darkness. The outfit back on NES was not the same as it is now, and I doubt will ever see a 3D model unless here. Pseudo seems almost guaranteed, and Medusa would work incredibly well with sightly altered attack visuals.
-Fox (Assault Outfit, Adventures Outfit, Falco/Wolf*)
Assault and Adventures costumes are all I need from Fox. A James McCloud costume would be awesome too, but would be hard to tell apart. Only if Falco and/or Wolf don’t return would I want them to be skins.
-Falco (Assult Outfit, Command Outfit)
New FS involving an Arwing. That is the only thing most of us truly want. A slight moveset revamp to make him more unique would be fine too, but I don’t see it happening. And I don’t think Falco fans would approve.
-Wolf (Assault Outfit, Command Outfit)
If Wolf comes back and they can manage to give him his own FS as well I’d be ecstatic. Unlike most, I don’t really feel like he will go anywhere. Really that feeling does boil down to me simply not wanting him to go. I don’t much care for cuts. I understand the necessity to it, but to me it just seems kinda lazy on a developers part to cut a character in a fighting game instead of trying to make them unique. Now I have two rough ideas for a FS. One uses Leon and Panther in some way. Maybe they fly by the stage in their Arwings to serve as support. The other being something that involves the fact that he is a wolf and his feral nature. Maybe a series of attacks or something. Something involving the Wolfen II would be great to. That does boil down to whether you want two Arwing FS or two Landmaster ones.
-Captain Falcon (Blood Falcon, Phoenix, Black Shadow*)
Captain Falcon is coming back. A Smash without a Falcon Punch is not a Smash game at all. While Blood Falcon was a palette in Brawl, it kinda wasn’t a fully fleshed one and had some missing elements. It would work as a costume, but I’m sure it will be a palette again. Phoenix though would be a great costume. For those of you who are unversed in F-Zero or don’t bother to do research like I do, Phoenix is the Captain Falcon of 200 years in the future basically. Now If Black Shadow doesn’t make it in somehow, would make for yet another amazing costume that could have all the visual effects of Ganondorfs hopefully outdated moveset.
-Pikachu (Shiny, Possessed)
Now onto Pokemon. Pokemon do not have many things that could really be done to make them pop as far as alternate costumes go. I’d say employ hats as alts instead of palettes, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Pikachu at least. The best option otherwise would be to give them sparkles as a Shiny Pokemon would have. Another option for Pikachu would be the Blue Orb possessed Pikachu in the anime. Unless Pikachu gets actual color swaps, freeing his hats as costumes, I don’t see many options for it.
-Charizard (Shiny, Charizardtwo, Charizard Y*)
Again, not much to work with here. Aside from Shiny, the clone from Mewtwo Strikes Back would be an option. Megazard Y could work too, but I’d much rather this be an optional swap for his FS in some way. Hats could work too. I would also be all for Pokemon Trainer making a return as a costume element for all the available Pokemon. This would be amazing see as how Trainer won’t see a return any other way.
-Lucario (Shiny, Hats)
Hats would be an option here too, with the best examples being Riley or Sir Aarons hats. I’m expecting his FS with be Mega Lucario. I think it will follow the trend of most transformation Final Smashes and give him more then just max aura. Some things possible include invulnerability, control over maxed Extraspeed, agility and speed boost. A power boost wouldn’t really be needed seeing as how his max aura is expected to be pretty insane in that department. One thing I would like to see is Aura Storm translated into a custom special for Aura Sphere. Doubt this would happen, but what would be greater then Lucario going Super Sayian and then unleashing a Kamehameha Wave? Nothing. Simply nothing.
-Greninja (Shiny, Hats, Ninja Costume*)
The only difference here would be that a ninja outfit could be used to kinda go along with his overall character. Otherwise Shiny or Hats as an option. Now I know this is kind of a late mention, but Sakurai could very well come up with his own costumes for a number of characters that have few options. I’d be completely okay with this. I will say that Greninja interests me quite a bit and that I will probably second him.
-Jigglypuff (Shiny)
I expect the return of Jigglypuff. I just hope for a slight update to go along with it’s new Fairy subtyping. Pound should go, or be incorporated into it’s jab combo. I never liked it as a special. Seemed wasted. It should instead be replaced with either Hyper Voice or Disarming Voice. The former I picture being a ranged form of attack, shooting sound waves in front of itself that deal damage. The latter would be more of an AoE, dealing damage to enemies around it. Rollout should become its side special, while Sing and Rest remain unchanged. And while Puff Up fits its character, I’d like to see what they could do with Dazzling Gleam. As a side note, I’ve always imagined that the reason Rest does damage is because Sleep Talk is used a well. This doesn’t really apply to the old games, but it’s an amusing thought.
-Samus (PED Armor, Light Armor)
With Power Suit Samus, any number of her various suits would work here. My personal wants would be the PED and Light Armors. With the comment that assist trophies will”figure into all-star mode” in some way, maybe Dark Samus could be an option too. Assuming that you have to fight them in an almost boss like manner, maybe you can unlock her as a costume by beating Dark Samus as Samus so many times. Or simply clearing the All-Star Mode. That could work too.
-Zero Suit Samus (Justin Bailey, Young Zero Suit/Young Military Dress)
Mainly my choices are based on the hair. Justin Bailey isn’t pulled up and young Samus from Other M has short hair. But any of these would be great, with Justin Bailey being the absolute best as it is homage to the first instances of a suitless Samus. Not sure how these would all work with the jet boots and wrist bangles, but maybe they could have costume stylized variants.
-Marth (Classic, Masked/Awakening Outfit)
The “Marth” from Awakening, complete with the mask or without, would work pretty well. Compared to his outfit used in both Melee and Brawl, it is a lot different. Look at the Wii Fit Trainers.
-Ike (PoR Lord, Vangaurd, Roy*)
Ike is really the reason I’ve included some characters like Wolf on this roster. Ike is my main, but I was confident he would be replaced much like Roy, who would probably work best as an Ike costume if included. I was beyond happy when he was announced. And his reveal threw out the idea of certain cuts. I have a theory when speaking of his Eruption special. During the last reveal trailer, it was seen to have had blue flames. I think this may be a visual indicator of sorts as a way to verify that you’ve indeed pulled off a “Critical” Eruption. Here’s hoping that his FS has blue flames.
-Lucina (Great Lord, Kimono, Chrom/Roy*)
Now for the first portion of the Gematsu leaks. Or what would have been. This past reveal has made it necessary to edit my thoughts on a new Fire Emblem rep. I was personally shooting for Chrom myself. While many people didn’t see how they could change his moveset to be different from Ike or Marth, others still did and had great ideas. I had confidence and hope that if anyone could manage it that Sakurai could. He has fabricated completely unique movesets for several characters in the past, I saw no difference here in being able to do that, especially since there was at least some material to work with in the form of class based things and the use of other weapons. While I believe that Chrom is more deserving then simply being made a clone, I’d have been okay with this. At the very least I had a character that I wanted to be able to play as. After all, Chrom could have very well had what Lucina has going for her as far as differences. And if you ask me, Lucina was just as deserving of a bit more development as I feel Chrom was. Just has he could have been her, she could have been him when taking about a unique moveset. And personally, I find Sakurai’s statement as to why Chrom wasn’t included to double back on itself for that exact reason. He described Chrom as being just another swordsmen, but what makes Lucina all that different? She is still “just another swordsmen” after all, and a clone of Marth at that. Granted, I have no problems with clones. But I do feel that will the right amount of time, research, and willingness to do so that each character that has been a clone could have been ever so slightly made more unique to themselves. I digress however. I’m thrilled at Lucinas inclusion and will honestly probably play her over Marth. But there is still that slight level of disappointment I have for her being a clone and for Chrom not having been included. Part of me honestly feels that it was an effort to crush many leaks like Gematsu, which I am completely okay with. Now as far as some wants for Lucina, there aren’t much. I’d like for her standard special to be visually different at the very least. With her swords power being along the length of the blade instead of the tip, the thrusting execution of Shield Breaker just doesn’t fit. It could still function as Shield Breaker does, but instead be executed in a slashing manner. As far as costumes go, Great Lord would be the one I’d probably sport the most. I think it would be cool if her mask was stylized to look like her shield, since I always thought that’s what it was when looking at the concept art. The kimono from what I believe is Awakening DLC would be interesting too. Personally though, I would like a Chrom alt still. I know this is far and in between, and that Nintendo has already stated Chrom will not be playable in any way, I can still hope. As far as I’m concerned, if it wasn’t said my Sakurai personally I am taking that statement with a grain of salt. Anyways, my want for this isn’t fueled by my want of Chrom actually. It is more so due to the fact that, if Chrom had been playable, that I would have wanted a Lucina alt, likely for Marth as was originally intended. The roles are just reversed now. I also think it would be really neat if they took the time to go the extra mile and change Robins FS to include Alfonzo in his place if they are both being played. Or Lucina. Whichever works. It would have been amazing to know that the devs took the time to do such a thing. Alas, this is a pipe dream I know. Aside from that, Roy I think would be good here too considering his playstyle was the exact same in Melee, excluding fire this time. As far as FS’s go, Rightful King or Awakening. I’d think the former as a trapping/cutscene attack would be interesting, maybe have her awaking her sword and going in for some devastating attacks. Awakening would be a power-up/transformation. Lucina is otherwise an interesting and great inclusion. I look forward to using her myself. Just in case you are interested, I’ve chosen to leave my previous thoughts on Chrom below. If nothing more then to be something interesting to read.
“Even without the leaks it was assumed that Chrom would make it into Smash this time around, replacing Ike. While Ike is still ruling the battlefield, this doesn’t weaken Chroms chances. Fire Emblem has become a huge franchise in the states since Melee introduced it with Marth and Roy, and Awakening was possibly the best selling game in it. I admittedly, yet begrudgingly, have never played a Fire Emblem game. But I’ve played plenty of other tactical games and love the genre, and adore this series regardless. As such, I wanted Chrom in just as much as I had hoped Ike would be back. I feel this series is deserving of a third rep. Now I will say that it would be kinda bland for the franchise if his moveset was purely sword based. I’d have no problem with this personally and don’t doubt that it could be pulled off by the devs in a unique manner. After all, in life there are a number of different swordfighting styles and techniques, all unique in their own ways. I’d like his FS to be either Dual Strike involving Lucina or Rightful King. They could use Lucina as a skin if she isn’t used for Marth. Aside from that, Great Lord and Dread Knight would be good choices of alts. Robins cloak could work as a costume I think too. It is pretty cool after all. I’d be okay with Robin as a character, but I’d much rather have Chrom and I feel it is discredit to the franchise not to include THE main character of one of its games. That’s just my opinion though.”
-Robin (Hooded/Grima [Hooded w/ Glowing Eyes], Morgan [M&F], Grandmaster Robes*)
Now believe me when I say I am beyond excited for Robin’s inclusion. I know I would have rather had Chrom myself, but Robin presented something completely fresh and has brought just that. I would have included Robin & Chrom, but I never thought that Fire Emblems, or Smash for that matter, conventions would be broken the way they were. I don’t think anyone imagined that FE would get any more then three reps after Ike was confirmed. I’m looking forward to using Robin greatly. Everything I’ve seen so far looks incredibly fun to play. I do believe they will be a locked character however due to the learning curve I imagine they have. Otherwise I’ve not too much to really say here. As mentioned above, if Chrom miraculously makes it into Smash as an alt, I hope Robins FS gets the Spirit Tracks treatment. I also think that their FS is likely called Dual Strike. I’d like a hooded costume on top of the gender swap. This could technically translate into the “villain slot” of FE. The Grima possessed Robin could take this a bit further by having glowing eyes. Male & Female Mogan would be great here too, as well as Grandmaster class outfit.
-Shulk
Next on the list of Gematsu is Shulk. I’ve never been able to play Xenoblade but have a great interest to do so. Shulk is one the most demanded for character in Japan, and for that reason it is not unthinkable that he would be included. Again, another character I don’t really have ideas for as to how he would work, but I don’t doubt he would. I’ve no costume ideas for him as, again, I’ve not touched the game.
-Ice Climbers
It seems that the Ice Climber were giving the devs some issues on the 3DS. If Olimar and Rosalina can be done, then I can’t see why they weren’t ultimately added. A new FS would be kinda cool, but largely unnecessary to me. This duo has virtual nothing in the way of alt costumes, so I imagine we will see original ones.
-Ness (Pajamas, Ninten)
Ness isn’t going anywhere. Why? Because Sakurai had to chance to scrap him in Brawl and didn’t. Back during Melees development Sakurai had wanted to include Lucas in the game to replace Ness. This was not done, however, due to MOTHER 3 having been delayed at the time. It is my opinion that once Lucas had been decided to be placed in Brawl, that Ness became obsolete. This didn’t happen either though. This is likely because Sakurai places some stock into the “Original 12”. Yes I know, an outdated argument. But really, when you look at how things turned out between Ness and Lucas, it could be argued that the O12 aren’t going anywhere. Now I have no issues with his FS, but if it were PK Rockin I’d be okay with that.
-Lucas (Clause, Masked Man)
For the same reasons as Ness, I don’t think Lucas will go anywhere. If Sakurai saw him as dispensable, I don’t think he would have bothered putting him in Brawl. Of course, you could look back at the cuts made from Melee and make an argument from it. But I’d like to counter with the fact that Lucas had originally been planned to replace Ness, meaning Lucas was held on a higher pedestal at the time. So Lucas, while reasonably on the chopping block, I don’t think will go anywhere. I would like a revamp for him though. If Ness can learn things from his friends why can’t Lucas? This really only applies to PK Ground, which I think would be a good down special. His own PK Love could be used as a side or neutral special, but wouldn’t mind PK Fire to remain. PK Thunder would likely stay, as I don’t see anything that could replace it. PK Freeze can stay, maybe redone so that it isn’t a varient of PK Flash. This makes for two moves that Ness doesn’t have. PK Starstorm can remain as his FS, but something involving PK Love would be great. Clause and his Masked Man persona are the only costumes I think I would work. Now Lucas could very well be cut. Out of all the possible cuts that could be made now, Lucas is the first option. If so, he could be a Ness costume with custom specials of his own moves. My problem with this is that customs are not viable during matches with anyone you aren’t friends with. So this rips Lucas away from those that like to use him in a competitive manner.
-Olimar & Pikmin (Louie)
Louie as a costume and praying for a new FS. It just seems redundant with the Hocotate Bomb. It seems unlikely though.
-Villager (Developer selected male and female skins, Animal Crossing crossover/Player made*)
The Villager seems like a ton of fun to play as. I’m very curious as to the full extent in which Pocket will function. I’m thinking that the costume choices will probably be ones selected by the devs. But I’m hoping this isn’t the case and that there is some way to customize them. The most likely way to do this would probably be a crossover with your own Animal Crossing save files. The other option could be an in game way of customizing. It hasn’t been show exactly how alt costumes will be selected. It is likely in the same way that you could select them with Wario. But what if there is a system of some sort? I doubt this would be the case. But with the Mii Fighters, there is really no telling.
-Chorus Men
I have no clue what Rythem Heaven is. Didn’t even know it existed. But the idea has begun to intrigue me. Being a set of three, they will likely work in the realm of other multiple fighter characters such as IC, Rosalina, and Olimar. The real question is will they take this approach and is the 3DS capable of handling 4 sets of these guys. Once again, this assumes Gematsu which hasn’t be proven wrong yet. This is one I’m not overly excited for, unlike Shulk and Chrom, but I can’t wait to see what Sakurai does with them if included.
-Mii Fighter (Player made outfits)
I have a few theories about how the Mii Fighter will work. Like in past games and trnasformations, I think the three classes will only take up one roster spot. This could work one of several ways. During character customization of the Mii Fighter, one could choose how they want there personal fighter to look and function. The end result of this could be the Fighter present on the roster. To take this a step further you could do this with multiple Fighters, each with its own class, moveset, stats, and appearance. Each of these would be “palette” options, with a max of 6 maybe. This is how I’d like it to work. Another idea is that each palette is a predetermined class, which you go in and customize yourself. This wouldn’t be a bad way to do it, but it is restrictive in nature. I’m hoping there are also a few more class options. Three if I had it my way. Another hand-to-hand option, another weapon based option, and another ranged option. I have a few ideas for these. The h2h option could be called Bruiser and would be a heavy hitter style of fighter. Think characters like Bowser and DK. This option could be large in body size as those two are, an amusing Hulk sized body with a Mii head. These guys are able to take harder hits and dish them out as well. The next class I’ve denoted as Striker. This option would use a dagger as its weapon of choice, instead of a sword as the Fencer does. Fencer is a personal name btw. Swordfighter is kinda long and monotonous when compared to Mii Fighter. The Striker would fall in the realm of characters like Sheik, Greninja, and Fox. While none of these are weapon users really, they are all about speed, agility, and cunning. The final option is one called Caster. These fighters would obviously use magic. They would be more ranged, as the Gunner is, but would use things like area of effect attacks and attacks that inflict status effects. This would make for 6 different class options, all different from one another in some way and fun to use. I don’t see 3 more options happening to be honest, but I’d at least like a magic based one if anything.
-Wii Fit Trainers (Wii Fit U outfit)
Not much to say here. I like what I see and expect costumes based on Wii Fit U.
-Mr. Game & Watch
I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Aside from his inclusion in the Pac-Man trailer, he is a hardware character just like Wii Fit Trainer. I see no reason for him not to be included. Sakurai likes his hardware characters it seems.
-R.O.B.
Just as G&W, R.O.B. is a hardware character. As such, I don’t see him going either.
-Sonic (Metal, Riders/Boom*)
The Blue Blur has a far greater number of costume choices then most on this list do. My wants would have to be Metal Sonic for sure, and maybe Riders or Boom outfit.
-Mega Man
The Blue Bomber is an amazing addition. Sakurai has seemingly done more right by this little guy then Capcom have. Not sure what to expect from his costumes. Protoman and Bass are options, but it remains to be seen if they will work.
-Pac-Man
Nothing much to say here. A Mrs. Pack-Man costume and maybe the modern version of him, which I have no issues with myself.
So that’s it then. That’s my bare minimum roster. 36 vets, 12 newcomers, for a total of 49 playable characters. This of course only covers the first portion of my thoughts, which we will now move onto. As I’ve stated above, two trends can be observed from the past Smash games. All of these next entries involve the second trend, which sets the possible number of characters above 49 in a number of ways. Some of these instances involve the use of Brawls style of roster while others will use Melee. So lets get to it.
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Mid Tier: Trend 2: Brawl Style, 17 Newcomers, 54 Characters, 55 Boxes Total
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These additional characters assumes that the second trend previously mentioned happens. This list utilizes the Brawl style roster format. The total character count would be 54, with 1 random box, 17 newcomers, for a likely 5x11 roster. This is my personal desired maximum for a Brawl like roster.
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-King K. Rool // Dixie Kong
DK is due for another rep I feel and there are really only two that would work. Now I know what you’re thinking “K. Rool hasn’t been in a game since 2008”. We’ve seen Smash make characters and games relevant and popular again. This is pretty rare, pun intended, but this is really my hope for him. I love ol’ K. Rool and really want to see him in another DK game. While Dixie Kong has been in a game recently, K. Rool offers so much more uniqueness in comparison. Either or would be okay with me, but my heart is clearly for the crazy croc. I would just like DK to get some expansion.
-Krystal
Yet another lady that would be great for Smash. Krystal need not replace any of the other three, as all for are equally important to Star Fox I believe. She would be the best option in an effort to diversify that franchises reps. With Palutena, we have one character that uses a staff but not like Krystal would.
Wonder Red
An interesting looking game indeed. Don’t know much about it, but Wonder Red is a fine looking character to serve as a character in Smash. I’m just gonna leave it at that really. Wonderful 101 has trophies in the game, so it isn’t out of the question. Many people would like to have him in, and I’m no exception.
-Mathew // Isaac
I’ve never had the chance to play a Golden Sun game yet, but I have to say its right there with Fire Emblem when you talk about favorite unplayed games. I would personally like Mathew over Isaac. Mathews design, while not to much different from his fathers, is just more appealing to me. Whenever I see young Isaac, I can’t picture anything bigger then lets say Little Mac. Mathew I look at standing more in like with Links height. Seriously speaking though, Isaac would probably get in over his son. Either way, a mix of swordsmen and psychic like powers would be fantastic. Lets make it happen Sakurai.
-Ridley
And in comes the likely bashing. Let me be clear on one thing, Metroid as a whole is my least liked franchise represent within Smash. I love Samus, just don’t like playing her games. And as for Ridley, I was completely opposed to the idea when I started floating about the web. But eventually I started to see the bashing he got and the unreasonable arguments people tried to make against him. Some of these very people are the same ones that would much rather have a clone as opposed to a completely unique character, all because they think he is too big. When has size ever mattered in Smash really? I understand the argument, I do, but it is over used and invalid. My biggest amusement from Anti-Ridley folks is when someone else makes a completely reasonable, not right, but reasonable argument, and the push it off as it the points made are invalid. As such, I’m all for Ridley to be included. He is the ONLY character I would be okay with from Metroid as a playable character. No one else comes close to the importance and fanbase he has. He’s what makes Samus who she is and is a constant threat to her. “But he was hinted at being a boss”. Were you guys really paying attention to that part and do you guys not know Sakurai? He has been known to troll just about everything about Smash. Now I’m not saying that anything that can be taken as a Ridley hint is one. In fact, I would be just like Sakurai to troll us and then not include him. I am however saying that the implication is there and his inclusion really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
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Mid Tier: Trend 2: Melee or Brawl Style, 18 Newcomers, 55 Characters, 56 Boxes Total
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This additional character assumes the the second trend will utilize a Melee style format. The total character count would be 55, 18 newcomers, for a either a 5x10+6 structure or a 4x12+8 structure, each with one random box. This makes for a total of 56 boxes. If a Melee style roster isn’t out of the question, this would be the maximum number of characters I’d be okay with base game. Any more then this feels like too many in regards to the base game.
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-Mewtwo (Armored, Cloaked, Mega Mewtwo X/Y*)
Now to the character I’m sure most of you could have guessed was on this list, the Genetic Pokemon Mewtwo. Before I go further, I’d like to take a quick step back. When I mentioned how I only think the vet count will drop by two, Mewtwo was the reason for this by taking Snakes spot. Mewtwos cut was the start of my dislike for Smash based cuts. Compared to the rest, it was completely unique in playstyle. I saw no need for the cut and do not believe it was because Lucario was fighting for the same spot. I’m sticking by the idea that it was due to time constraints and/or a miscommunication between Sakurai and fans. It’s not like its inclusion is unreasonable. Its been included before, so even development time isn’t really an issue. A number of people will be against this for one reason or another, such as having six Pokemon being too many. I actually feel it is just enough, kinda playing on the fact that you can only ever hold six at a time. I also think that the comment Sakurai made at the Pokemon X and Y conference gives its return some stock. That and fans are clamoring for it. Sakurai has never said or done anything without meaning, whether that be to mess with us or because he actually intends to do so. I don’t think it would be in his best interest at this point not to include him as there would be backlash. I have to imagine that because of where it was said and how it was said that he is at least serious in his considering the idea. There is also the fact that there are almost no other Legendary reps aside from Mewtwo that would really work in a PC position. Deoxys and Genesect would work, but they have both been confirmed to be released from Poke’ & Master Balls. And most other Legendaries have a define role in Smash, like Mew, Celebi, and Jirachi, or aren’t humanoid enough to be included. After all, the only Pokemon thus far included and was not capable of walking on two feet was Ivysuar, and that was a special case due to what Pokemon Trainer was meant to be I feel. As far as fan desire for it, there is the point of people simply wanting to play as there favored character. You may not like Mewtwo, and that’s your own prerogative. But others, myself included, do. Nothing wrong with that in the slightest. Let me say that I probably won’t even play as Mewtwo myself, but I feel putting this Psychic Pokemon back in the fight would do wonders for the game. And again, I never liked the fact that it was cut. And as far as some people believing it sucked, that really comes down to your opinion or inability to use it effectively. And it isn’t like the “bad portions” of its moveset can’t be changed. We’ve already seen that Sakurai is willing to almost completely revamp characters. Not much updating would be needed here anyways. I’d say keep Mewtwo as it is, but give it some added range game. From my understanding, unless you really knew how to play as Mewtwo, it was easy to beat due to its stats. Floaty, slow, and heavy made it an easy target. Giving it some attacks that create space for it would fix this. Keep Shadow Ball. Mewtwo without it wouldn’t feel right. Change Confusion to Psyshock, in which it creates a number of floating, chargeable orbs around it that it shoots off in a rapid fire manner. Shadow Ball could be given some more knock back and power, while this could be for racking up damage. This could also be Psycho Cut instead. Swap Disable with Barrier. Barrier is kind of a staple to Mewtwos character in the movies and anime, so why not. This would also work as a reflector in opposition to Lucarios counter. Keep Teleport, with or without some tweaks. Now as for the FS. Assuming Charizard AND Lucario are going to be Mega Evolution transformations, I’d rather Mewtwo not follow that. Instead, I’ve always thought that it being a legendary, and showing capability to Mega Evole without a Trainer, that it could use both forms as it saw fit. So my FS idea is that it starts off surrounded by a sphere, teleports to center stage, and emerges as Mega Mewtwo Y. In this form it would use Psychic, lifting opponents into the air and towards it. It would then once again be surrounded in a sphere and teleport, this time to below, and turn into its X form. This form would unleash a number of Psycho Cuts upwards before, again, teleporting. This time it would be in its normal form, charging energy and unleashing a Psystrike in the form of an expanding sphere, shooting off those caught in it at its climax before floating down to the ground. If anything, I’d be completely fine with just the Psystrike. If that’s the case, then it’s mega forms could be costumes.
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Pushing It: Trend 2: Melee Style: 20 Newcomers, 57 Characters, 58 Boxes Total
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I would include these two to take over the spots leftover from Ivysaur and Squirtle. Adding them to the above sets, this would use the Melee style roster, adding 20 newcomers for a total of 57. It could be a 5x10 structured roster, with a row of 8 below with only 1 random box. This seems like a push imo. It is an option, however, with two free newcomer spots as a result of cuts.
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-Ghirahim // Wolf Link
Ghirahim and Wolf Link would be great additions, with Ghirahim taking a clear one up on Wolf Link. The latter would be the first “beast” character in Smash, and one of the only ones Nintendo has to work with. Even though Midna is an Assist Trophy I don’t feel it should matter. Hyrule Warriors has proven she can take care of herself and I think Wolf Link could too. That is neither here nor there, but it still stands for me. They could create some reason as to why he can use the powers that Midna would typically allot him, but it isn’t necessary imo. He is however past his prime. Ghirahim isn’t though, and how fun I can see him being. He has enough options available to make him a character and I’d be all for it. His FS could either be his armored form or Demise, in which case he could be one few characters that’s transformation gives him completely different moveset
-Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr. is the only reasonable Mario addition for me, or at least he is above every one else. His moveset could be reminiscent of his fathers, but would far from be the same. Using his Magic Paintbrush, he has so much room for originality. Creating magic barriers, magic portals, and the like. And his FS? Koopa Clown Car or something involving the Koopalings.
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The Unlikely & Max Coverage
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Now I’d like to talk about two more things and it is what I’d like to call “The Unlikely” and “Max Coverage” lists. These additional characters assumes that, completely true to Trend 2, the total newcomer count would rise by 4 as it had done between Melee and Brawl. This would make a total of 59 characters, not counting the two spots that Ivysaur & Squirtle free. With those, it would be a total of 61 characters. This seems like just too much for the base game, but I’m including it here for the sake of acknowledgment. 59 characters would likely be placed in a Brawl style roster, using a 6x10 or a 5x12 structure, with 1 random box. The 61 characters would probably use a Melee style roster, with the best structure being 5x11 with 7 characters centered below and a single random box for a total of 62 boxes. This said, 4 more characters could be added on either instance. If the Unlikely list was used, I’d place Ghirahim and Bowser Jr. on it to keep with the six reps for the major franchises, with the first two characters presented here as well. If Max Coverage was done however, I’d add all of the following.
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-Baby Mario & Luigi
I’ve always loved the idea of the Baby Bros. being in Smash. They would function more or less like Ice Climbers, but I’ve no ideas on how they can be made unique from that team. They would fall into the Yoshi franchise, which I’d rather have then any other Yoshi character.
-Takamaru
If you asked me what The Mysterious Murasame Castle was I wouldn’t be able to tell you. But I think we can all agree that Takamaru would be a great inclusion for a number of reasons. One, he is retro, with the original Japanese version being released in 1986. He’s a samurai, which we’