Lots of heady topics on the board lately, so I thought maybe we could use a bit of fun, idle speculation. After all, that's what video game forums do best.

Smash Bros.
Wii U.
Characters.
What do you think?
Who do you like?
Who do you hate?
Who do you think is likely to get a shot, even if you couldn't care less about them?

This thread is to answer questions like that. (I'm sure there've been others like this, but do you really want me to search them up and necrobump 'em? Unless someone fiercely objects, let's just roll with it). Feel free to discuss stages, assist trophies or anything else relating to characters in the game. Have a moveset all written up for that dude from Geist? Let's hear it.

One rule: NO MEGAMAN. We get it. We'd all like to see the Blue Bomber in the next game. We get that the Capcom/Inafune split might keep it from happening. Let's take that conversation as understood and move beyond it.

Oh, I lied. Second rule: NO BELMONTS. Same deal. We can agree Simon or Trevor would be great. Take it as already spoken.

Feel free to venture further into 3rd parties if you must, but I'd prefer if we stick to Nintendo as much as possible. It's harder and more fun that way.

...

What character do I think is a shoe in?

Little Mac.

Punch-Out is a popular, iconic series that every old school gamer knows well. It also had a recent entry, so it's possibly more fresh on gamers' minds than some other NES era properties. Mac's a fighter, so he makes sense within the context of the game. And his boxing style would be fairly unique.

Yeah, he doesn't have a ton of special moves. But he could borrow some moves from some of the colorful boxers he goes up against. I could imagine him with some kind of Great Tiger spin move or Bald Bull charge. I'd have to see it in action to make sure it worked, but it's one possibility. But even if you just stuck to standard boxing moves, he'd still be pretty unique for Smash Bros.

There are tons of other choices off the top of my head, but I don't want to flood the first post with all the fun answers. What do you guys think?

Oh, and another question: Do you think the appearance of a character as an Assist Trophy in Brawl makes them more likely to appear as a playable character? Is someone like Samurai Goroh more likely because we saw him in some capacity last time, or does that not matter at all?

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Considering Sakurai's last project was Kid Icarus, I wouldn't be surprised at all if someone from Uprising made the cut as a playable character. I haven't played the game so I don't know who might qualify though.

@MikeD487 Don't you dare cut out young/Toon Link. He's the best character in the game!

Alright, fine, he can stay.

Maybe.

@Jargon

I'd think Palutena was a shoo-in (okay, Grant, I got it right this time... amazing how long you can go in your life without ever having to write 'shoo-in') but she might be deemed too powerful. Or Sakurai might want to go with a character that his team came up with. In that case, I'd think Viridi has the best shot.

EDIT: Also, Smash is coming to the 3DO now. I'm breaking this story. Wide.

I totally want like EVERY Kid Icarus: Uprising Character to be in it. Obviously that won't happen, but I think there will be a couple added.

Possible Playable characters could be Palutena, Hades, Magnus. Heck, Pandora could be like Samus and transform into her, uhh, other form.
All of the other characters would make great assist trophies. ALL OF THEM!

I have always wanted Mike Jones in Smash, though it'll never happen. PERHAPS as an assist?

I also want to see Tetris block. It could transform into the 7 various Tetris pieces, all of which have slightly different stats, haha.

Also, and I don't think this really even needs to be said but...


(Thought I would hope to god he doesn't play like that, haha. WALUIGI IS A CLONE OF NO ONE.)

@PogueSquadron

Does Waluigi no longer have the enormous hate cult? I just wonder because I remember people complaining about the potential for a Waluigi playable character back when the dojo was going. But nowadays I've noticed people actually boosting the idea. Did the video change people's minds? Or did T-Bun do it single handedly? Or is it a generational thing?

Waluigi, 100% agreed.

Lyndis, please. That would be so very awesome.

BRING BACK MEWTWO. Even if this means replacing Lucario (though I'd rather have both).

Samurai Goroh or PICO would be nice, Falcon needs a rival to Falcon Punch.

I really want costume changes that alter movesets (that way we can sneak in clones on a technicality without having them take up a character slot).

For example, Mario would have a Dr. Mario costume that incorporated to his Megavitamins and the three viruses into his play style, Young Link would have a Toon Link costume (or vice-versa) where Toon Link would have his classic playstyle and Young Link would be the Masks Link that people have been proposing for quite some time now, and there could even be new Pokemon Trainers (like a female trainer or a rival trainer, or an enemy team (Rocket, Plasma, etc.) trainer) that have three different Pokemon under their control.

I'd also like to see Dixie in the character roster (really I'd want her to be partnered with Diddy in a sort of Ice Climbers-Zelda/Sheik hybrid character). I'd also like to see K. Rool (in any (or all) of his three incarnations), Ridley (if Charizard and Bowser can be scaled down to their respective sizes in Smash, Ridley should be able to as well), and Vaati (he's the second most recurring villain in Zelda and deserves the spot more than any other major Zelda villain right now, IMO).

Oh, and the return of Mewtwo.

I thought by now that Waluigi is loved the world over. He's just so ridiculous.

I want to see a Wario Bros. game where the Wario Bros. have to stop their arch enemy Wowser, a fun loving turtle who wants to make everyone happy.

I've always thought this series would be excellent on the 3DO.

Although honestly, I'd rather have less clones, just focus on that first. Sakurai is so ridiculous he would probably make more clones just for the lols. That's just a waste of space and resources. I'd like more *unique characters.

No Waluigi, there are more deserving characters that have been around way longer than that guy has.

I want someone (something?) totally random/obscure thrown in as a character, akin to Game & Watch. Lip would be a good choice, or the Bubble Bobble dragon dudes from Taito.

I kept championing Lolo and/or Lala and thought for sure they would appear (Popo and Nana are kinda similar tho?). They are HAL developed games/characters and it only makes sense to see them included in the game.

I really wouldn't mind more Mario characters and some more random first gen pokemon, like Meowth. I think they should make a Smash spinoff with just pokemon, I would play the shit out of that.

What's the big problem with clones, though? I mean, I hear Smash fans poo poo the idea up and down, but wouldn't it be better to have the option to play as someone like, say, Daisy, even if she was a clone of Peach, than to not have the option at all?

@kriswright I wouldn't mind more clones either, as long as they were different enough (weight, moveset, balance of characters, etc.). I'd love to see more Mario characters this way (and pokemon I guess since some moves may be similar to others).

@Marsh

Sounds cool to me.

I suppose in the days of Melee a clone character might feel like a rip-off. You get a new character, technically, but not a new playstyle. I can see how that'd be disappointing.

But post Brawl, there are so many playstyle options that I'd just like the extra visual variety a few clones could afford the game. Why not? If it's a choice between a clone character or simply one less character, why make a big deal about it?

@kriswright

You're right. But the ratio of clones to original characters better be kept to a minimum. I actually don't even remember if Brawl had that many clones.

@Shadowlink

That argument is so weak. Make him one of the bigger characters like Bowser. Beyond that gameplay and content should be paramount. Isn't Olimar supposed to be like millimetres tall?

Mii should probably be a character too with moves taken from Wii Sports, WSR, and all of those games. All the alternate costumes would be the different Miis.

Oh and an Animal Crossing character. Tom Nook, Villager, KK Slider whoever.

EDIT: Clone characters are mixed. Sometimes there is no discernible difference and yet in a case like Ganondorf vs. Captain Falcon the difference is huge. Sharing moves should be alright as long as it is significantly different experiences. That being said, you could make a way better Ganondorf move set without much trouble I would think. So it will always be in some way a cop-out.

Dynablade said:

Lyndis, please. That would be so very awesome.

This, 100% agreed. She was easily my favorite Fire Emblem Lord (aside from Ike) and would play similar to Marth.

I'm also about some more F-Zero representation. Samurai Goroh or Jody Summer have my vote.

I don't know about Smash Bros U. It's probably a 2014 title at earliest, right? That means Wii U has two years to establish a user base to be able to sell this software. It's launching with NEW Super Mario Bros U, but that's not guaranteed to move consoles. We all know that a Mario game wouldn't have saved the Virtual Boy. Furthermore, what is the actual market for the Wii U? Casuals have moved on to iPhone games, families aren't interested in Nintendo anymore. Hardcore gamers are going to wait for the largely more powerful PS4 and X720. I really wonder if Smash Bros U will be worth the investment for Nintendo, considering the future is so uncertain.