With the addition of each
chapter in the Super Smash Bros saga, there’s the tingle of excitement fans
feel as the character roster is announced.
It’s like an Advent
calendar of AWESOME.
And as with any massive
cross-franchise ensemble, there is always speculation as to who the newest
addition could be. So without further ado, I'll be adding my own guesses.
(Embarrassing editorial side-note: I drafted this article months ago, lost it, then found it hidden in my Blogger drafts. I wanted to keep it as unchanged as possible, so I've just added updates where necessary.)
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| So happy, despite his struggle with pill-related jaundice. |
PACMAN
From PACMAN series, developed by Namco/Midway
Why it Could Happen
Pacman is one of the most popular
icons of retro gaming, and older than most of the current Smash Bros. roster! As far as
third-party characters go, he’d be a fairly sensible addition: although his
recent games haven’t been particularly popular, he’d be recognised by older and
younger gamers alike. Also, he might bring along his ghostly foes for a laugh.
Why it Should Happen
Recent Pacman games haven’t been much cop, and
maybe introducing him into the Smash Bros
franchise would boost his popularity - it's worked before (cough cough Kid Icarus). It’d be fun to see him up alongside other veterans such as
Mario and Sonic, and maybe it’ll pique the interest of younger gamers.
Why it Won’t Happen
Despite having mysteriously
grown arms and legs in recent incarnations, Pacman doesn’t really have the range to
keep up with other characters – he basically chases/is chased by ghosts and
eats pellets, and that’s kind of the end to his abilities. He has no weapon and
no special power besides eating things, and we already have variants of that in
Yoshi and Kirby.
UPDATE: HE'S IN! Pacman joins the brawl, bringing with him his spectral pals and his favourite fruit and pellet snacks. His moves involve munching a line of dots, whipping out a fire hydrant, and chucking his lunch around like an angry toddler. This moveset reminds me a little of Mr Game and Watch, who brought out a lot of his own props to use as attacks. Whether you like that kind of attack will be up to you. Me, I'm excited!!
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| If I had free-floating limbs, I would...not get a great deal done. |
RAYMAN
From RAYMAN series, developed by UBISOFT
Why it Could Happen
A long long time ago in a
country far, far away (alright, France
Why it Should Happen
Rayman has a huge fan
base, and is a unique character full of fun and attitude. With his unattached
limbs he could have a variety of close- and long-range attacks, and he could
use his hair to glide back to the stage after being knocked. He can also launch
Lums from his gloves in some games, which could be used as a projectile attack.
Maybe his Final Smash would release Teensies or Murfy onto the stage, creating
havoc!
Why it Won’t Happen
Rayman would certainly be
an exciting and plausible choice, but I’m personally not sure how happy Ubisoft
would be about his inclusion. After finally getting the franchise back on
track, one wonders if they would be happy handing him over to Nintendo. Also, with
his lack of weaponry, he could end up being a little too similar to some other
fighters.
UPDATE! He was announced as a collectible Trophy, and at this stage, nothing more has been said about a possible inclusion.
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| All girls love a bad guy. |
WRECK-IT RALPH
From the movie Wreck-it Ralph
Also appeared in Sonic and All-Stars Racing: Transformed
Why it Could Happen
Wreck-it Ralph was Disney’s love-letter to gaming, set in a video arcade where
characters could flit back and forth between games (with consequences) and as a
result of his popularity Ralph was included as a racer in the recent instalment
of Sonic and All-Stars Racing, making
him already a crossover character. He seemed pretty tight with Bowser in his
film, so maybe he could ask him to join Smash Bros for old time's sake?
Why it Should Happen
Ralph is a lovable Bad Guy
(but he’s not a bad guy) with huge fists that can do considerable damage, and the ability to
wreck things just by touching them. Wreck-it
Ralph 2 is being written as I type this, with Mario confirmed to make an
appearance, and Ralph’s inclusion in Smash
Bros could be used as a teaser to whet fans’ appetites. He would be a
heavy, slow bruiser of a character, similar to Bowser and Ganondorf, and could
maybe whip out a cart to mow down opponents similar to Wario’s motorcycle.
Why it Won’t Happen
As cool as the idea is,
I’m pretty sure it’d be a bit of a headache to get clearance from Disney, not to mention the expense of finding a voice actor or re-hiring John C. Reilly, particularly if they’re midway through working on a sequel. And like Pacman, Ralph might
become a one-note character, simply because I can’t think what else he’d do
besides smash things. Although that’s the objective of a beat-em-up game, he
needs a fun and unique twist, and given the plot of the film (which I don’t
want to spoil here) it made arguably more sense to put him into Sonic and All-Stars Racing than in Smash Bros.
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| "Does my sword look big in this?" |
CLOUD STRIFE
From FINAL FANTASY VII, developed and published by SquareSoft
Why it Could Happen
SquareSoft's (formerly Square Enix) Final Fantasy series is still going strong, and the seventh instalment became the most
popular, enough to warrant a film set after the events of the game. Cloud, the
hero (if you like), is one of the most recognisable characters from the
franchise, and would realistically be the obvious choice if a Final Fantasy character was to be considered
for Smash Bros.
Why it Should Happen
…I don’t think it should.
Please don’t kill me. I know some of you know where I live.
It shouldn’t happen
because it would be too much. The
style of Final Fantasy is too
different to most of the other games included in the roster, and I think his
inclusion would overshadow the rest of the characters. And how would you ‘tone
down’ the strength of his attacks in order to get him to fit in with the other
characters? Admittedly, the inclusion of Fire
Emblem characters Marth, Roy and Ike negates at least part of my argument,
but I don’t see him fitting in as well as they did. Fans of Final Fantasy might be unimpressed by a
reduced moveset, or by the fact that he has to share the spotlight this time.
Why it Won’t Happen
For reasons stated above
(and I’m too busy currently nailing 2x4s across my windows and doors to repeat
myself).
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| Pictured: The Riddler's upper-class cousin. |
PROFESSOR LAYTON
From the PROFESSOR LAYTON series, developed by
Level-5, published by Nintendo
Why it Could Happen
The Good Professor’s games
have become one of the most popular DS series, with a movie, spin-off games and
a crossover with Ace Attorney
following the games. The games were published by Nintendo, so inclusion could
be likely.
Why it Should Happen
Why it Won’t Happen
I think my proposed idea
of puzzle-fighting would give any design team a massive headache (even one as
great as the Smash Bros’ team). The
whole concept of fighting negates the entire point of Professor Layton, and I
really don’t see him engaging in fisticuffs. It’s just not befitting a
gentleman of his stature.
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| That's the smug grin of someone who never got locked out of his flat after a 3am bender. |
SORA
From KINGDOM HEARTS
series, developed by Square Enix
Why it Could Happen
A collaboration between
Disney and Square Enix, Kingdom Hearts
has turned thousands of players old and young on to RPGs, much like its ‘big
brother’ Final Fantasy. To me at
least, Sora seems a bit more youngun-friendly (maybe because he hangs around
Donald Duck and Goofy a lot of the time).
Why it Should Happen
Sora has the USP that a
lot of other characters on this list are missing. He has a unique weapon (the
Keyblade), as well as being a magic user, and although he would likely use mostly
melee attacks like Link or Ike, he might be able to cast spells like Zelda. He
could also be quite a high jumper, maybe even with the Glide feature that he
learns late in his own game as a recovery move. He could possibly swap between
a few Keyblades, and he would definitely have a cool Final Smash.
Why it Won’t Happen
Again, it’s the Disney
issue – and what’s more, if Kingdom
Hearts 3 does well, there’s a chance Sora might be tipped for the
ever-popular Disney Infinity.
Possibly. Even if he was added to Smash
Bros as a standalone character, there would have to be absolutely no
mention of any other aspect of the games, which wouldn’t really get people
interested in where he came from.
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| Jack Sparrow who? |
VYSE DYNE
From SKIES OF ARCADIA, developed by Overworks, published by Sega
Why it Could Happen
Skies of Arcadia is a little-known but much loved dungeon-tastic RPG which was
released on the Dreamcast in 2000 and re-released with more content a few years
later on the Gamecube. Vyse, the main character, pilots an airborne pirate
ship, wields twin cutlasses and uses elemental magic. Thanks to his game’s cult
status, he’s popped up in Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed, enjoyed a cameo
in Valkyria Chronicles, and the games
got a nod in Phantasy Star Online 2.
Why it Should Happen
Along with the cameos, and
copies of the game highly sought after, Vyse’s popularity is clearly soaring,
so why shouldn’t he be included in Smash
Bros? Fans have been clamouring for more Vyse and the gang for years. And
he is a pretty cool character – a lot of fun could be had with his twin
cutlasses, as he uses one for defence and one for attack, and there might be a
chance to integrate magic. The Skies of
Arcadia stage in Sonic and All-Stars
was a big hit, so I’d imagine a similar one in Smash
Bros would go down a treat.
Why it Won’t Happen
Looking at the rest of
this list, Vyse is possibly the most likely candidate: like Captain Olimar from
Pikmin, his game was a popular
Gamecube title and he’s due a comeback. It’s difficult to say if he’d fit in with
the other characters, and he might fall into the trap along with fellow RPG characters Sora and Cloud.
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| Wow, those are some nice buns - I mean guns. Nice weaponry. Buttocks. Sorry. |
BAYONETTA
From the BAYONETTA games, developed by Platinum
Games, published by Sega
Why it Could Happen
Guys, this list is a
sausage fest. And so is Smash Bros –
kind of, if you count the Pokemon as
genderless (which I don't). Bayonetta would add a bit more feisty femme power to the series,
and she’s got a unique look. Plus, like Samus, she’s not another Princess, but an
ass-kicking action girl.
Why it Should Happen
Bayonetta’s so different
to the other female fighters in this game, choosing several guns as well as an
acrobatic fighting style. She would be a popular choice with both male and
female players, whereas Peach and Zelda tend to end up as ‘joke’ character choices for
the boys that I play Brawl with. Bayonetta 2 turned out to be a WiiU
exclusive, so her addition would be a natural progression.
Why it Won’t Happen
All stupid boob jokes aside, sadly I think she’s a
touch too sexy. Absolutely nothing wrong with that by the way, but Smash Bros has a much broader
demographic than Bayonetta’s older audience. Also, Bayonetta was featured in Anarchy Reigns, a Madworld-esque beat-em-up, so she’s probably not likely to be put
into another one.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
BOMBERMAN (Bomberman)
Fits in with the art style
and character roster, but too limited. There are already myriad bombs in the
item arsenal for Smash Bros, robbing
him of the very trait that makes him unique.
SIMON BELMONT
(Castlevania)
While Simon could have a
fun range of attacks and weapons, and although he isn’t the frontman of the Castlevania franchise any more, the
series is still going. However, he’s someone that newer gamers wouldn’t
recognise, and may suffer from Bayonetta’s problem of being a little too
‘adult’ for the series.
KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA
(Sonic Series)
Since Sonic Boom has everyone talking, it might be the right time to
introduce Knuckles into Smash Bros, flaunting
the redesign that got everyone talking (he now looks uncannily like a
Quarterback).
However with the recent
addition of Little Mac, anything that might have made Knuckles stand out is
already taken. While team-mate Sonic got the nod again this time, Knuckles
might find it a bit harder to muscle in.
AMATERASU (Okami)
Amaterasu would be a fun
addition: an animal character who isn't a Pokemon makes a nice change. But a
fighting game doesn't really lend itself to the unique brush stroke commands of
Okami – unless Amaterasu was
controlled by swiping the Wiimote like a brush, or ‘painting’ onto the screen
of the WiiU or 3DS. While that sounds awesome, it wouldn’t be particularly
quick to master. Also, Ammy was recently featured in Marvel vs Capcom 3. Shame.
AND MY REALLY HOT TIP IS…
MII
From Nintendo MiiVerse
Why it Might Well Happen
In the recent April Direct
for Smash Bros, customisable characters were mentioned, and who is more customisable
than your own Mii? And haven’t you always wanted to smack Bowser for pinching
Princess Peach, or maybe whap Mario for letting it happen so often? Everyone’s
Mii is changeable and entirely different from user to user.
UPDATE! Turns out I was right, and the Mii character has been added to the roster, along with a customisable set of moves: choose from Mii Brawler, Mii Gunner and Mii Swordfighter. So you finally can give Bowser what's coming to him.
All images sourced from wikipedia.org except Wreck-it Ralph (wreckitralph.wikia.com), Vyse (skiesofarcadia.wikia.com) - if I've used your image without your permission, please contact me ASAP and I'll rectify it.
