Summary
Sometimes it seems like nobody can agree on the direction that the nextSuper Smash Bros.game should take. Everyone certainly has a different wishlist comprised of who they think deserves to join the fray. However, what’s likely is that any follow-up toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatewill not be able to sustain its “Everyone is Here!” approach to game design. The next entry in the series is possibly bound to cut back, so it’s best if the roster takes other measures to offset this.
Fans of anyfighting game franchisecan never truly predict what characters are on a developer’s radar, especially when it comes to crossovers. When character speculation inevitably comes back to the forefront, it may be in players' best interests to swing for the fences. As much as Nintendo may want to achieve brand synergy, and prioritize some third parties more than others,SuperSmash Bros. Ultimateshowed that developers are still listening to fans as much as anyone else.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Sequel’s Roster is Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a Tough Act to Follow
Soon after its initial reveal,Super Smash Bros. Ultimatedeclared that “Everyone Is Here” would be the driving force behind its design. The game prioritized including every single character that had ever featured in the series before. Despite the focus on returning fighters,Ultimatedidn’t slack on the newcomers either.
Though there were fewer new characters added than in previous games, the number certainly wasn’t negligible. More importantly, the characters chosen to join the fray each met fan demands in their own way, and raised the profile of the roster even higher. Years after release,Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Fighters Pass DLCmanaged to keep the attention of fans.
While its predecessor was focused on reinventing cut characters with its DLC,Ultimate’s “Everyone Is Here” policy had already accomplished this, lending developers the freedom to focus on more crowd-pleasing newcomers. When all was said and done,Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s rosterballooned to include almost ninety characters.
Super Smash Bros. Can’t Keep Every Character Next Time
Characters getting cut fromthe nextSuperSmash Bros.gameis less a question of if, and much more a question of when. There’s a good reason speculation has begun to balance discussion between who should stay and who should be added. Whether there’s a third party whose license would be too difficult to maintain, or a first party that has simply run its course, there are likely to be plenty of characters who can’t make the cut.
Online discussion briefly gathered around a trend in which players would deliberately slice the roster in half and elect who should stay. Nintendo is rather unlikely to take such a drastic approach with its roster, but this trend is simply a thinly veiled attempt to put out a wishlist, and there’s certainly no harm in that.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Sequel Needs to Learn from the Best
There are a few decently safe bets one can make when simply predicting the roster for the nextSuper Smash Bros.game. For example, the nextFire Emblemprotagonist seems likely, and anotherPokemoncharacter or two seems very plausible. However, if Nintendo hopes to live up to thesuccess ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, it needs to try anything but the safest approach.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s character revealswere among the best in the series. There were many standout characters that finally made their way into the franchise after years of requests. Age-old requests such as Ridley and King K. Rool were included in the game’s launch roster, with other fan favorites such asBanjo-Kazooie’s titular duo making the cut through later DLC.
Each of these long-awaited characters generated plenty of hype on their own, but the game’s most surprising reveal came from what was considered a relatively obscure pick at the time. More than five years have passed since the release ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, andThe Game Awards' revealingPersona’s Jokerremains one of the game’s most jaw-dropping inclusions.
Unexpected Characters Could Bring the Hype Back to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Sequel
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Sequel’s Newcomers Are More Important than Ever
Thesequel toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatehas yet to be announced, but it feels inevitable given the imminent announcement of a Nintendo Switch Successor. An eighty-nine-character roster is an incredibly tough act to follow, and many long-term fan favorites have already made it into the series at this point. When it comes to newcomers, the nextSmash Bros.can’t afford to take the easy way out.
ThenextSuper Smash Bros.sequelwon’t be able to replicate the seismic announcement of “Everyone Is Here”, so its newcomers will hold more weight than ever. If it wants to live up to expectations, new inclusions will have to swing for the fences. Of course, this doesn’t mean speculation should be wholly unrealistic, and plenty of franchises with a close relationship to Nintendo could prove worthy.
The Next Super Smash Bros. Most Underrated Characters Could Be its Saving Grace
While they may not bring the largest audience,Rhythm Heaven’s Chorus Kids would certainly bring variety to the franchise.Super Smash Bros.has become a celebration of gaming history at large, and rhythm games have yet to receive any acknowledgment yet. Nintendo could opt to include its very own rhythm game, and aninfamousSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateleakshowed that the demand is there.
Another genre that is sorely underserved despite its immense popularity is the tile-matching puzzle game. Dr. Mario technically hails from these origins, but his status as a clone holds him back significantly.Tetrisis undoubtedly the face of this genre, but doesn’t feature any character of note that could be included. Thankfully, thePuyo Puyoseries could swoop in and save the day. Though she may have seemed like an unlikely inclusion in the past,Puyo Puyo Tetris' bright-eyed protagonist Arle would fit right in.
While it’s nearly impossible to predict Nintendo’s third-party priorities from an outside perspective, one of its most surprising moves in recent memory was the slew ofSquare Enix characters added toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Chrono Trigger’s titular protagonist could serve to create yet another third-party surprise, and his status as a classic RPG icon will get more than a few fans to leap out of their seats.
For better or worse,Super Smash Bros. UltimateDLC speculationignited more rumors than the series has ever had to face before. This has set expectations impossibly high, perhaps even more thanUltimate’s gargantuan roster already had. Though developers may find it difficult to follow the precedent set byUltimate, the nextSmashgame can still give fans a nice surprise.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
WHERE TO PLAY
Gaming icons clash in the ultimate brawl you can play anytime, anywhere! Smash rivals off the stage as new characters Simon Belmont and King K. Rool join Inkling, Ridley, and every fighter in Super Smash Bros. history. Enjoy enhanced speed and combat at new stages based on the Castlevania series, Super Mario Odyssey, and more!Having trouble choosing a stage? Then select the Stage Morph option to transform one stage into another while battling—a series first! Plus, new echo fighters Dark Samus, Richter Belmont, and Chrom join the battle. Whether you play locally or online, savor the faster combat, new attacks, and new defensive options, like a perfect shield. Jam out to 900 different music compositions and go 1-on-1 with a friend, hold a 4-player free-for-all, kick it up to 8-player battles and more!
