While this week’s Nintendo Direct provided gamers with an abundance of new content to look forward to in the coming months, the excitement is made bittersweet by director Mashiro Sakurai’s announcement that this will be the last batch of DLC for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS.
Sakurai has been hinting at the end of Smash Bros. DLC for a while now, citing the developer’s decision to buck the industry trend and create content from scratch after the game’s initial release. Creating DLC for Smash has been Sakurai’s full-time job since the game’s release and you can tell he’s been itching to start working on something new – like, say, a sequel to Kid Icarus: Uprising.
However, Sakurai definitely knows how to depart on a high note. This week’s announcement is awash in fan-service sure to please even the most hardened gamers.
- Orrin, whose moves are tied to her (and his — like with Robin you can change the character’s gender) ability to morph into a Dragon, is sure to excite Fire Emblem fans eagerly awaiting next year’s Fire Emblem: Fates.
- Sakurai detailed Cloud Strife‘s move list, which includes a version of Final Fantasy VII’s once-revolutionary “limit break” mechanic. Cloud is already available for purchase.
- The Midgar stage features summon materia, allowing players to call for the help of some of Final Fantasy’s most recognizable demigods, including Ifrit and Bahamat Zero.
- Most surprising was the announcement of Bayonetta, the ultra-sarcastic femme-fatale from the series of the same name. Her precision-rewarding combo mechanics seem cribbed directly from Bayonetta 2.
While 58 characters total (!) is nothing to sneeze at, I can’t help but daydream about all of the characters that could have been. Now presenting: the 8 characters that we want to see in Super Smash Bros. but, as of today, will never exist.
Professor Oak
Ash Ketchum’s grandpa and certified Pokemon genius would make a perfect addition to the Super Smash Bros. roster. Professor Oak‘s vast pools of data and connections across Kanto might allow him to do battle with any Pokemon of his choosing (after a couple of phone calls.) Otherwise, his short temper and ability to put players in their place with some biting criticism regarding their lacking photography or Pokedex skills would certainly do the trick.
KK Slider
Animal Crossing’s KK Slider is a musical canine with astounding range and the voice of a sweet, robotized angel. Though his chilled-out demeanor and willingness to entertain might make this mysterious minstrel seem like a pushover, the subtle brutality of lesser known songs like KK Metal suggest that he’s got a lot of fire in him. On top of that, I wouldn’t mess with a dog that has so many fans.
Isaac
Leaving Golden Sun‘s Isaac out of Super Smash Bros. seems like a glaring omission. He might be a lesser known Nintendo character, but his psynergy attacks, which literally harness the limitless power of the user’s spiritual connection to the galaxy, are devastating.
Tetra
A bit of a spoiler here, but Tetra, the swashbuckling pirate from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, is in fact Hyrule’s Princess Zelda. She doesn’t realize it at first, which explains her less-than-royal approach to life, but she soon realizes her fate as the series’ most dangerous bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. Fast on her feet and capable of taking down foes many times her size, she would make a perfect addition to the Super Smash Bros. rumble.
Masked Link
In The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Link has access to a number of masks that allow him to transform into different Hyrulian species, each armed with its own set of unique abilities. I imagine Masked Link functioning similar to the Pokemon Trainer in Super Smash Bros. Brawl; one of Masked Link’s special moves could allow him to cycle through different masks and different abilities. Just imagine getting a KO with Deku, Goron, or Zora Link. Of course his super smash would have to involve putting on the infamous Fierce Deity’s Mask and sending foes to the moon.
Phoenix Wright
Phoenix Wright, the esteemed lawyer from the Ace Attorney franchise, seems to lack the brawn necessary to take on the brawlers in Super Smash Bros., but don’t underestimate him. Wright has already proven himself as a viable contender in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
Waluigi
Waluigi’s absence from Super Smash Bros. has always seemed odd. His flatulent brother Wario has ridden his motorcycle through the series since Brawl. Meanwhile Luigi, his rival in green, earned his own historic Year of Luigi. When will Waluigi, the lanky scrooge who got his start with Mario Tennis, have his day in the sun?
Goku
I know that working out the license with Toei Animation is unlikely, if not impossible. I know that Goku‘s inclusion in Super Smash Bros. has evolved into a bit of a meme. I know that wanting him to be in the game, at this point, is pointless. All that said, there’s no denying that going Super Saiyan and blasting enemies with the dreaded Kamehameha would be incredibly satisfying.
Oh well. I guess there’s always the (hopefully) inevitable Super Smash Bros. for Nexus. Keep your fingers crossed for next time!
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