Challenger Approaching, A new Foe has Appeared!
Super Smash Bros has always been one of my favorite Nintendo
franchises, and the Wii U entry is fantastic. It has so many great modes and
characters. The roster is huge, and has a lot of variety in it. Though, I was a
bit underwhelmed by the DLC fighters. I really like Roy and Mewtwo, but
neither of those are brand new characters. The new fighters are cool, but they
were mostly third party. I like integrating non-Nintendo characters into Smash,
but I didn’t personally like the choices. The inevitable and oft-rumored Smash
Bros. Switch port gives Nintendo a second chance to add more first-party reps.
While the following choices for new fighters are a bit biased, I have grounded
all my picks in reality. I really believe that these characters have a pretty good
chance of making it into Super Smash Bros. Switch.
 |
| Kapp'n is a quirky character and would fight right in with the other fighters |
First thing’s first, Super Smash Bros. needs more Animal Crossing representation! Since the GameCube, and
N64 in Japan, Animal Crossing has been a top tier Nintendo Franchise. It
baffles me that Animal Crossing not only has just one rep, but did not get one
until the 3DS! Isabelle and Tom Nook have been thrown around quite a bit, but
both of those characters are featured as assist trophies and final smashes,
respectively. No, I think the best choice for a new Animal Crossing rep is
Kapp’n. He is an instantly recognizable character, and has a lot of elements to
pull from for moves. I could easily see him fighting with bananas and other
fruits from the island he runs in Animal Crossing. He could even hit people
with the hammer featured in some Island tours. For a final smash, he could ride
a wave in and hit other fighters with his boat, happily singing one of his sea
shanties all the while.
 |
| The Ice Climbers' design is a little to cutesy for me, but I really like their playstyle |
Some people want Snake to return from Brawl. Well, some
people are crazy. I’m not one of them, but I would really like to see the Ice
Climbers make their return to Smash Bros. I really like the concept of controlling two
fighters, and they worked in a unique way. Whenever I go back to Brawl, they’re
always the fighters I use. Their design is simple, but they are full of
personality; during their up-B recovery for example. As far as I know, they
were only removed from SSB4 because of the 3DS’s middling power. Now that the
Switch is a beefy machine, there is no reason for Popo and Nana to be held
back!
 |
| Sakurai could capitalize on Splatoon 2 by basing the designs on the sequel |
Splatoon was a knockout success on the Wii U, and it would
be a shame if they did not get represented in Smash Bros! It’s a bit trite to
bring up, but I would really like to see the Inklings in Super Smash Bros.
Switch. They could fill a similar role to Link as a mixed attacker with a focus
on long-range combat. They could utilize the huge arsenal of weapons from
Splatoon in interesting ways. They could charge up a blast of ink from a
Splatling as a neutral B for example. Maybe they could even slide a seeker
across the floor of the stage like Bowser Jr.’s Mechakoopas. Whatever Sakurai
and his team decide to do, the Inklings could be a versatile and unique
addition to Smash Bros.’s roster.
 |
| General Pepper is just wacky enough for Sakurai to include; much like Duck Hunt Dog |
Star Fox is in my top five Nintendo franchises of all time.
Having Wolf back from Brawl would be nice, but then we would essentially have
three Foxes in the roster; Wolf, Fox, and Falco all play the same. No, I’d
really like to see General Pepper join the fight! I really like General Pepper,
and I feel like he could bring an interesting gameplay style to Smash Bros. I
envision him as a long-range attacker who could call in various Star Fox
vehicles to attack for him. Sure, he could have a standard laser pistol, but he
could also call in Arwings to shoot at other fighters, or have a land master
float upwards from below to boost Pepper to higher ground. A fighter like
this would provide a wholly new type of gameplay, and I think that Smash Bros.
could use more characters with drastically different playstyles.
 |
| Impa's Hyrule Warrior's design lends itself well to a fighting game |
For being such a big franchise, The Legend of Zelda isn’t
well represented in Smash. Sure, The Legend of Zelda has five reps, but look a bit closer. In
Brawl, Sheik and Zelda were both the same fighter. Link and Toon Link are
essentially the same character, and Gannondorf is just a Captain Falcon clone. The
Legend of Zelda needs a truly new fighter, and I think that Impa fits the bill.
I would love to see the Hyrule Warriors Impa join the roster. With her huge Naginata, she could play as a more methodical Sheik. She would still have the
same quick movement, but her attacks would be slower and deliberate. Of all the
staple Zelda characters, Impa would make the best addition to Smash Bros.
The Wii U roster was great, but an enhanced port on Switch
could propel the character selection to unmatched heights. With a couple of the
fighters on this list, the game would have a well-rounded selection that best
represents all of Nintendo’s franchises. Other characters like King K Rool,
Wolf, and Shovel Knight are fan favorites too, and I would be happy with any of
those. While I hope that Nintendo doesn't dwell too much on updating Wii U games, much like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I feel like a Smash Bros. port could add enough meaningful content to get Wii U owners like me back in the game.
Comments
Post a Comment