Fun Club Pitch a 5 character lineup for a hypothetical Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 3

[Derachi]

Uh oh! Masahiro Sakurai, who is your best friend, realized he was supposed to finish his list of 5 characters to include in Smash Ultimate Fighters Pass Volume 3 for today, but he hasn’t even started thinking about it!

As you know, because being Sakurai-san’s best friend he has explained how this process works, that he needs to pitch 5 characters to his boss, including a brief paragraph for each one explaining why they should be included. The reasons can be some combination of 1) video game historical importance 2) marketing opportunity for a recently released video game 3) fan demand 4) how fun they’d be to play, etc. Doesn’t even need to include all 4, you just need a brief paragraph explaining why you think they’d be a good fit.

Now, Sakurai’s having a Diet Coke-induced brain fart at the moment, so he desperately needs you, his best friend, to pitch 5 characters (including writing up the short paragraph for his boss) for Fighters Pass 3! You don’t want to let your best friend down, do you?

Here’s mine!

1) Kasuga Ichiban (Like a Dragon)

The Like a Dragon (née Yakuza) franchise is reaching all-time highs with popularity nowadays, with the newest entry, Infinite Wealth, selling over a million units in it’s first week. Ichiban’s a loveable character, and given he’s, in essence, a JRPG protagonist with a bat instead of a sword, his moveset more-or-less makes itself.

2) Sargon (Prince of Persia The Lost Crown)

Our friends at Ubisoft have been very good to us, and I think it’s high time we reward them with a Smash inclusion. Sargon’s from a 2D Search Action game, similar to Metroid, that is heavily focused on silky-smooth combat mechanics that would match Smash’s style perfectly 1-to-1. It would also be some great POC representation in our game which, sadly, sorely lacks it.

3) Amaterasu (Okami)

This one is a deeper cut pick, one for hardcore fans. Amaterasu would bring along an interesting challenge for our effects artists but I believe they’re up to the task. The art/style surrounding Amaterasu would be extremely visually appealing and I think would impress many players.

4) Nahobino (Shin Megami Tensei V)

Our friends and partners at Atlus have worked very closely with us in the past regarding the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. Nahobino, the main character from the latest entry, Shin Megami Tensei V, would be a very interesting addition. While it might be easy to compare Nahobino to Joker, another Atlus protagonist, Nahobino is quite different, and I believe would help boost the popularity and sales of SMT V.

5) Zagreus (Hades)

Hades has become something of a phenomenon among indie gamers. The characters of the game, Zagreus included, have struck a chord with many players and I believe his addition will be huge among Smash players.

Let’s hear your 5-character pitch for a hypothetical Fighters Pass 3!

 

[Christo750]

Lots of this carries over from my previous lists but here I go.

#1 - Jill Valentine - Resident Evil
#2 - Mio - Xenoblade Chronicles 3
#3 - Dr. Eggman - Sonic Adventure 2
#4 - Solaire of Astora - Dark Souls
#5 - Kazuma Kiryu - Yakuza 0

It was tough not to pick another fighting game character. But if I would, I’d take out Eggman and put in Chun Li.

 

[GmanSir]

The absolute state of Smash Bros. if every character moving forward is just third party characters.

 

[carbvan]

I made this without fully reading what the thread was about, so instead of well thought out arguments you get my stream of consciousness over a 8 minute period.

1) Doomguy / Doom Slayer

How is a character as important as Doomguy not in this game yet? The gaming landscape would not be the same if DOOM never came out. I don't care if he's "too violent" for a rated E10+, I don't give a damn! We don't have an FPS rep, MS and Nintendo are on good relations, and he's got plenty of cool E10+ weapons and swords to choose from even if they leave out the SSG.

2) Oatchi

Pikmin c: Doggy c:

3) Some modern Kirby rep

I don't care if it's Bandana Dee, Susie, Taranza... Please just acknowledge that there is more to Kirby past Air Ride.

4) Cereze & Cheshire / Jeanne & Charles

I just wanna play as that giant silly cat from Bayonetta Origins.

5) Geno

Fuck it, we all know he's in anyways.

 

[Porygon]

1.- Fire Emblem Protagonist
2.- Xenoblade Protagonist
3.- Pokémon

Because you know those are the easier ones Sakurai! No more explanation needed

And that's all the help he would get from me

 

[StretchNStripes]

I will try to write this with as little bias as possible, otherwise you’d be gettin nothing but obscure picks and the sales would be just plain awful…

1. Oatchi/Moss

Pikmin 4 came out, it was very well received and sold relatively well! I think it just makes sense to throw in the marketable dog as a second (or third if you count Alph) Pikmin fighter. People will pay a premium for a puppy pugilist. Moss is an alternate costume in the same vein as Alph to Olimar.

2. DOOM Marine/Slayer/Guy

Smash has become a lot about celebrating the history of video-games, so I do think Doomguy should be a part of that. One of those gaming cultural pillars that would feel right at home with the others. Plus the music.

3. Leon Kennedy

Smash suffers from a lack of any kind of horror content. Resident Evil is probably the most likely in this regard, even if I think Red Pyramid from Silent Hill would be more fun.
Hell, I’d personally rather have Alexandra Roivas from Eternal Darkness, but…

4. Rauru

Zelda needs more reps overall and this would be a popular choice from the most recent title. They can work all the hand abilities into his moveset.

5. Meowscarada

The recent Pokémon pick! I think this would be the favorite of the recent starters, and we still have yet to get a Grass starter so… this works out well I think.

 

[9-Volt]

1- Pockle!

Why? To put Giftpia back on map. Nintendo has way too many smaller franchises and some of them need reviving just like Giftpia.

2- Robin:

Lark was Pilotwings poster boy but I feel these DLC passes need more female representation so I go with next best character: Robin.

3- Muddy Mole:

We need some more cute animals too! Here's Muddy, a hardworking mole who'd do everything to care for his family. He's expertise is in bombs, Sakurai can create him a nice little final smash that blows everyone away.

4- Jill:

Another female rep! Jill has already a weapon in hand should be fun to drill in and out the stages. Maybe she'll get out of her mech and fight herself too!

5- Prince Sable:

Now here's a fun character to use. Not just "another sword fighter", this fella here can transform into a frog and a snake! Think about the possibilities of transforming midst a battle, he can easily evade attacks.

 

[Derachi]

Lots of this carries over from my previous lists but here I go.

#1 - Jill Valentine - Resident Evil
#2 - Mio - Xenoblade Chronicles 3
#3 - Dr. Eggman - Sonic Adventure 2
#4 - Solaire of Astora - Dark Souls
#5 - Kazuma Kiryu - Yakuza 0

It was tough not to pick another fighting game character. But if I would, I’d take out Eggman and put in Chun Li.

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has lost his job because you didn’t include the short paragraghs.

The absolute state of Smash Bros. if every character moving forward is just third party characters.

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has lost his job.

I made this without fully reading what the thread was about, so instead of well thought out arguments you get my stream of consciousness over a 8 minute period.

1) Doomguy / Doom Slayer

How is a character as important as Doomguy not in this game yet? The gaming landscape would not be the same if DOOM never came out. I don't care if he's "too violent" for a rated E10+, I don't give a damn! We don't have an FPS rep, MS and Nintendo are on good relations, and he's got plenty of cool E10+ weapons and swords to choose from even if they leave out the SSG.

2) Oatchi

Pikmin c: Doggy c:

3) Some modern Kirby rep

I don't care if it's Bandana Dee, Susie, Taranza... Please just acknowledge that there is more to Kirby past Air Ride.

4) Cereze & Cheshire / Jeanne & Charles

I just wanna play as that giant silly cat from Bayonetta Origins.

5) Geno

Fuck it, we all know he's in anyways.

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has lost his job because “some modern Kirby rep” is not a character and therefore you did not include the required 5.

1.- Fire Emblem Protagonist
2.- Xenoblade Protagonist
3.- Pokémon

Because you know those are the easier ones Sakurai! No more explanation needed

And that's all the help he would get from me

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has lost his job because you only included 3 names.

I will try to write this with as little bias as possible, otherwise you’d be gettin nothing but obscure picks and the sales would be just plain awful…

1. Oatchi/Moss

Pikmin 4 came out, it was very well received and sold relatively well! I think it just makes sense to throw in the marketable dog as a second (or third if you count Alph) Pikmin fighter. People will pay a premium for a puppy pugilist. Moss is an alternate costume in the same vein as Alph to Olimar.

2. DOOM Marine/Slayer/Guy

Smash has become a lot about celebrating the history of video-games, so I do think Doomguy should be a part of that. One of those gaming cultural pillars that would feel right at home with the others. Plus the music.

3. Leon Kennedy

Smash suffers from a lack of any kind of horror content. Resident Evil is probably the most likely in this regard, even if I think Red Pyramid from Silent Hill would be more fun.
Hell, I’d personally rather have Alexandra Roivas from Eternal Darkness, but…

4. Rauru

Zelda needs more reps overall and this would be a popular choice from the most recent title. They can work all the hand abilities into his moveset.

5. Meowscarada

The recent Pokémon pick! I think this would be the favorite of the recent starters, and we still have yet to get a Grass starter so… this works out well I think.

Your friend Masahiro Sakurai has kept his job! Great work.

 

[Porygon]

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has lost his job because you only included 3 names.

If he is my best friend he will forgive me

 

[Derachi]

1- Pockle!

Why? To put Giftpia back on map. Nintendo has way too many smaller franchises and some of them need reviving just like Giftpia.

2- Robin:

Lark was Pilotwings poster boy but I feel these DLC passes need more female representation so I go with next best character: Robin.

3- Muddy Mole:

We need some more cute animals too! Here's Muddy, a hardworking mole who'd do everything to care for his family. He's expertise is in bombs, Sakurai can create him a nice little final smash that blows everyone away.

4- Jill:

Another female rep! Jill has already a weapon in hand should be fun to drill in and out the stages. Maybe she'll get out of her mech and fight herself too!

5- Prince Sable:

Now here's a fun character to use. Not just "another sword fighter", this fella here can transform into a frog and a snake! Think about the possibilities of transforming midst a battle, he can easily evade attacks.

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has kept his job, and has gotten a raise for the inclusion of images! Great work.

 

[bixente]

Chunli should be there. I'd like the Knight and Hornet from Hollow Knight.

Maybe some Vampire Survivors representation? Dunno how a character would work. That'd be mad.

 

[Derachi]

Chunli should be there. I'd like the Knight and Hornet from Hollow Knight.

Maybe some Vampire Survivors representation? Dunno how a character would work. That'd be mad.

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has lost his job because you did not include 5 names.

 

[OctoSplattack]

(searches for their answer the last time we had a Smash Bros. roster thread)
(copy-and-pastes, then swaps some stuff off)

1. Impa (The Legend of Zelda. We need another Zelda rep. To make things interesting, build most of the moveset off the Wild-era version of the character as seen in Age of Calamity, but use the character design of the Skyward Sword incarnation.)
2. Monster Hunter (Monster Hunter - Capcom; MH was a a constant presence on the 3DS, Rise was a timed Switch exclusive, and Ultimate already had one of the beasts from the series as a boss in World of Light and Classic Mode)
3. Terra Branford (Final Fantasy VI - Square Enix; FF6 is probably the most well-known entry of the series from the franchise's NES/SNES days)
4. Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden - Koei Tecmo; I felt like Nintendo and KT are close enough due to all the Warriors spin-offs that they deserve a character, and the series started back on the NES)
5. Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega; ALL HAIL SHADOW! HEROES RISE AGAIN! OBLITERATING EVERYTHING THAT'S NOT YOUR FRIEND!)

 

[anderson64]

Master Chief (we all know why)
Oatchi (probably going save it for Smash 5)
Alear (have to have your Fire Emblem rep)
Dixie Kong (beyond time for her to be in Smash and goes well with the Kong Update 2K24.)
Zant (promotes Twilight Princess HD Re-released)

 

[NBOctoling]

1. Octoling (Splatoon 2)

While technically an echo fighter in appearance, there has been numerous new weapons from the original game and now that can be implemented as its own moveset.

2. Bass.Exe (Mega Man Battle Network)

One of the other iconic Mega Man series that premiered on Gameboy, Bass.Exe. is a secret boss that has been in ever MMBN game which allows you to have a large pool of moves.

3. Captain Syrup (Wario)

We need more woman and villain characters and Captain Syrup fits both. While she doesn't have a moveset per say, you can easily slap together a pirate them for her.

4. Kratos (God of War)

We already got Microsoft characters here, why not bring the whole console family together?

5. Sarah Kerrigan (Starcraft)

Because having Samus face off the Zerg sounds like the coolest things ever.

6. A Notice of Termination to Sakurai

 

[Stilt Village]

1. Dr. Eggman from off of Sonic, one of cinema's most iconic villains.
2. Pepsi-chan from off of Fire Emblem, because we might as well get this out of the way early.
3. This was going to be Geno, but Nintendo got cold feet at the last minute and decided they could not allow this eventuality to pass, so they replaced him with Captain Toad! Outcry was so great that Fighters Pass 4 was cancelled behind the scenes.
4. Reimu Hakurei from off of Touhou as the Terry Bogard of the pass, because I think it would be funny if Sakurai had to explain what Touhou is and walk us through how to run Embodiment of Scarlet Devil on a modern PC. She can hang out with Richter as a fellow NEC character who fights vampires.
5. Chun-Li because we are long overdue for a Fortnite rep. She's so iconic she was a Nicki Minaj song. Step aside Sora.

 

[isaacmaltes]

Why do I feel like this topic has been coming up again a lot recently? I’m not hounding anyone for wanting to have a fun discussion. Just curious why? Do people think a Fighter Pass 3 could actually happen again?

Please no meme replies, I am genuinuely curious

 

[Derachi]

(searches for their answer the last time we had a Smash Bros. roster thread)
(copy-and-pastes, then swaps some stuff off)

1. Impa (The Legend of Zelda. We need another Zelda rep. To make things interesting, build most of the moveset off the Wild-era version of the character as seen in Age of Calamity, but use the character design of the Skyward Sword incarnation.)
2. Monster Hunter (Monster Hunter - Capcom; MH was a a constant presence on the 3DS, Rise was a timed Switch exclusive, and Ultimate already had one of the beasts from the series as a boss in World of Light and Classic Mode)
3. Terra Branford (Final Fantasy VI - Square Enix; FF6 is probably the most well-known entry of the series from the franchise's NES/SNES days)
4. Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden - Koei Tecmo; I felt like Nintendo and KT are close enough due to all the Warriors spin-offs that they deserve a character, and the series started back on the NES)
5. Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega; ALL HAIL SHADOW! HEROES RISE AGAIN! OBLITERATING EVERYTHING THAT'S NOT YOUR FRIEND!)

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has kept his job, though his boss isn’t sure why he said that about Shadow the Hedgehog.

Master Chief (we all know why)
Oatchi (probably going save it for Smash 5)
Alear (have to have your Fire Emblem rep)
Dixie Kong (beyond time for her to be in Smash and goes well with the Kong Update 2K24.)
Zant (promotes Twilight Princess HD Re-released)

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has lost his job because you didn’t include the short paragraphs explaining each choice.

1. Octoling (Splatoon 2)

While technically an echo fighter in appearance, there has been numerous new weapons from the original game and now that can be implemented as its own moveset.

2. Bass.Exe (Mega Man Battle Network)

One of the other iconic Mega Man series that premiered on Gameboy, Bass.Exe. is a secret boss that has been in ever MMBN game which allows you to have a large pool of moves.

3. Captain Syrup (Wario)

We need more woman and villain characters and Captain Syrup fits both. While she doesn't have a moveset per say, you can easily slap together a pirate them for her.

4. Kratos (God of War)

We already got Microsoft characters here, why not bring the whole console family together?

5. Sarah Kerrigan (Starcraft)

Because having Samus face off the Zerg sounds like the coolest things ever.

6. A Notice of Termination to Sakurai

Your now enemy Masahiro Sakurai has your home address and is on his way.

1. Dr. Eggman from off of Sonic, one of cinema's most iconic villains.
2. Pepsi-chan from off of Fire Emblem, because we might as well get this out of the way early.
3. This was going to be Geno, but Nintendo got cold feet at the last minute and decided they could not allow this eventuality to pass, so they replaced him with Captain Toad! Outcry was so great that Fighters Pass 4 was cancelled behind the scenes.
4. Reimu Hakurei from off of Touhou as the Terry Bogard of the pass, because I think it would be funny if Sakurai had to explain what Touhou is and walk us through how to run Embodiment of Scarlet Devil on a modern PC. She can hang out with Richter as a fellow NEC character who fights vampires.
5. Chun-Li because we are long overdue for a Fortnite rep. She's so iconic she was a Nicki Minaj song. Step aside Sora.

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai reluctantly hands this in to his boss, and as a result is offered 3 months paid sabbatical. He is now questioning his choice in friends. He definitely makes note of Reimu though. That was a good choice.

 

[Leo]

Bomberman
Dixie Kong
Zero
Phoenix Wright
Dragonlord

 

[Derachi]

Bomberman
Dixie Kong
Zero
Phoenix Wright
Dragonlord

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has lost his job because you didn’t include short paragraphs explaining your choices.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

I kinda just want to steal your homework because it's basically my ideal Fighter's Pass but in the interests of originality I'll make my own

1. Alear - my best friend Sakurai either really loves FE or has made an eldritch pact with the shadow council to include them. Alear's gimmick is that they gets a random ring from one of the other Smash FE characters and then takes their moveset, effectively making them the "random FE character" option (My best friend deserves an easy one)

2. Astral Chain Person - I like Astral Chain dammit. Plus it would make a fun moveset

3. Noah & Mio - a lot of XC3's gimmicks rely on pairs and XC already has a duo character, so why not

4. The Protagonist of RE4 - No I don't know who this is but it seems fitting

5. Hornet - I'm assuming that maybe Silksong will be out by the time this fighters pass is done

 

[Tye]

I have too many choices to narrow it down to just five, so I’m gonna say screw the rules, I’m giving two options: one focused on semi-clones of various degrees, and another featuring all unique fighters—but only three of them—with two new stages (without fighters) in addition to those. We’ve already had two Fighters Passes, after all—let a potential third one be a bit easier to develop! (Not that a third Fighters Pass for Ultimate would ever actually happen, of course.)

Semi-clone (not Echo) Fighters Pass:
1. Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog) - Semi-clone of Sonic. He’ll be able to use his tails, naturally. The Sonic series really needs a second fighter, and Tails is the obvious choice for that.
2. Dixie Kong (Donkey Kong) - Semi-clone of Diddy Kong. She uses her hair, of course.
3. Octoling (Splatoon) - Semi-clone of Inkling. Will share many moves with Inkling, but will also mix up some with other weapons that aren’t already represented in Inkling’s moveset.
4. Ring Fit Trainee (Ring Fit Adventure) - Shares some moves with Wii Fit Trainer, but is largely unique.
5. Pikmin & Oachi (Pikmin) - Semi-clone of Pikmin & Olimar/Alph in that both will use Pikmin in a similar fashion and share the same special moves, but their normal moves are entirely different.

Unique Fighters + Stages Pass:
1. Magolor (Kirby) - As much as I’d love to see Bandana Waddle Dee, I think Magolor is more likely to get into Smash at this point. Moveset would be largely based on his moveset from Star Allies / Kirby Fighters 2 / Magolor Epilogue.
2. Sportsmate (Nintendo Switch Sports) - At last, a true rep for Wii/Nintendo Switch Sports! They’ll use various sports equipment to attack, and will have a variety of appearances like much like Villager and Inkling.
3. Meowscarada (Pokémon) - Grass. Magician.
4. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 stage
5. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom stage
…or, alternatively, in place of #4 and #5…Noah and Mio (Xenoblade Chronicles) - I really don’t see this happening, because I feel these two just don’t translate well to Smash (much like how Sakurai had to give up on a Rex & Pyra/Mythra tag team and opt for just Pyra/Mythra by themselves instead), and they’d have to come as a package deal on top of that (I really can’t see them adding just Noah or Mio alone, especially since they couldn’t become Ouroboros like that), so yeah… Honestly, if Xenoblade Chronicles X is getting a remaster and/or sequel, I could see them choosing Elma over anyone from XC3, lol.

I’d give more detailed descriptions and reasons for choosing each, but I don’t really have the energy to write more than that right now.

 

[xghost777]

I’ll pick five, no complaints Sakurai if you get fired though:

Dixie Kong - Nintendo has big plans for Donkey Kong including an upcoming theme park expansion, a new spinoff movie, and of course a brand new video game after a decade away. It’s time to exponentially boost the DK fandom’s energy and complete the party by adding Dixie Kong. Also Smash becomes more appealing as we better balance the ratio between male and female characters.

Andy - As part of the big push to revive Advance Wars that is 100% happening internally, it’s time to bring out the series biggest star, Andy! His moveset revolves around him constructing vehicles like motorcycles, tanks, and planes to control the battlefield when he isn’t whacking people with wrenches. The real secret weapon though with adding Andy is of course a new music library to pull from full of rocking tunes. When people see Andy in Smash Bros, Advance Wars sales will boom exponentially!

Noah and Mio - what better way to increase the value of the pass than a two in one tag team character? Getting more Xenoblade in Smash is also a top priority given it has a long way to go to catch up to Fire Emblem and it gives us an awesome excuse to put those lovely Xenoblade 3 songs to great work. This is the move that makes life time fans out of people so we need to make sure this crowd is catered to.

Master Chief - the people’s shouts for Master Chief have been growing louder and louder and it is time we answer the call and break the internet. The moment people hear those monks singing in the teaser reveal, Fighter Pass 3 will immediately cover all expenses as people rush to preorder and it will reignite passion for the game and Switch sales.

Iroha Tamaki - Remember how all of the sales were covered with Master Chief? Good, because it’s time to pick the deep cut pick that will inspire endless debate that may not directly correlate to sales but will keep the game in the conversation longer (which will lead to more sales). Sakurai has it on excellent authority his best friend xghost777 that Iroha Tamaki will definitely fill this roll perfectly. First, the internet will be like who??? Second, the internet will be like anime??? Third, the internet will be like is this even a video game character??? Fourth, the internet will be like is this a magical girl what??? At the end of the day, we’ll have a unique character, with a wild stage, and tons of excellent music to pull from. The debates will never end on how this character got in and therefore with the game and fighter pass 3 perpetually in the conversation, our mission will be complete.

 

[Leo]

Your best friend Masahiro Sakurai has lost his job because you didn’t include short paragraphs explaining your choices.

At least now he'll get to rest!

Bomberman is iconic, not on the same level of Sonic, Megaman and Pacman, but iconic like them. As a celebration of videogames, Smash should have Bomberman playable, plus his moveset could get really fun with all the different bombs.

Dixie is the natural choice for the DK franchise after Donkey, Diddy and K Rool, and the game needs more female rep.

Zero is the obvious choice if they're gonna add another Megaman character (which they should), and he goes really well with the Smash vibes and roster.

Phoenix Wright has been rising in popularity lately and is already an iconic videogame character. Don't ask me how he would fight, but he was in MvC3 so why not Smash.

Dragon Quest is a legendary series closely tied to Nintendo hardware and just needs more rep in general. We already got Hero so the natural next choice is an arch nemesis, which would be Dragonlord. The game could feature his human and dragon forms. Having another huge monster playable in the game aside from Ridley (rip Charizard) would be nice for variety.

 

[HockeyBird]

1. Noah and Mio from Xenoblade - All of their special attacks are based on weapons from the different classes. Smash needs more anime sword guys and gals.

2. Mineru from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - If they are not going to update Link, I think having her in would a good way of getting some TOTK's mechanics into Smash.

3. Protagonist riding on Oatchi from Pikmin 4 - He's a good boy.

4. Terra or Celes from Final Fantasy VI - Pick a Final Fantasy character from the best game in the series damn it!

5. Raven Beak from Metroid Dread - His moveset seems custom built for Smash.

 

[Stilt Village]

Why do I feel like this topic has been coming up again a lot recently? I’m not hounding anyone for wanting to have a fun discussion. Just curious why? Do people think a Fighter Pass 3 could actually happen again?

Please no meme replies, I am genuinuely curious

It's probably because they suddenly started adding new content to Smash again after a year or two of silence. Implying that they're doing something behind the scenes. Probably not another Fighters Pass though.

 

[Porygon]

Why do I feel like this topic has been coming up again a lot recently? I’m not hounding anyone for wanting to have a fun discussion. Just curious why? Do people think a Fighter Pass 3 could actually happen again?

Please no meme replies, I am genuinuely curious

Amiibo reprints
New spirits from third party franchises not in the game, which means new contracts had to be made

Seems like too much of a hassle just because for an update that will add Sora's amiibo support

Oh, also, Sora's amiibo releases a day or two after the Direct

 

[Shareholder Chad]

Mio - XC3
Geno - SMRPG
Oatchi - Pikmin 4
Doomguy - Because reasons
Waddle Dee -

My choices were based on realistic chance, current relevancy, and longtime fan requests. Three of the five were on that ultimate poll awhile back in the top 10 I believe.

 

[Earthbounder]

Dixie Kong - Because the disrespect towards the best Kong has got to end.

Waluigi - Because it would be funny. I think.

Jeff - Because I have to honor my Famiboards name and choose an EarthBound character. Plus, his moveset would be pretty versatile.

Skull Kid - Because the Zelda franchise deserves another representative, and he would be badass.

The Knight - Because it'd be cool to see some indie representation, and Hollow Knight rules.

 

[Pillydillsy]

FIGHTER 1: The ultimate savior, Master Chief: Nobody but Master Chief would be fit to start back up ultimate in my eyes. He would show better then almost anyone else that this fighter pass is gonna go just as crazy, if not more, then the previous two. In terms of his moveset, the chief would use a mix of devastating melee attacks and weapons from across the series (energy swords, plasma pistols, shotguns, etc). His stage would be on the fields of a halo ring, with warthogs and banshees zooming across the landscape while flood and convenient fight in the background. Arbiter would be an assist trophy wielding an energy sword to fight (even if he should be the character over master chief)
FIGHTER 2: The ultimate life form, Shadow the hedgehog: As many amazing options exist for potential sonic reps, Shadow is the one that deserves a slot the most. He could use his chaos abilities, speedy aerials, and lightning fast kicks and punches mixed together with reused moves from his snarky counterpart. His stage would be the ark, and a Maria mii costume would release alongside a GUN soldier costume. Memes and joke videos would go rampant as a result of this
FIGHTER 3: The ultimate pupper, Oatchi: Pikmin 4 has reached record sales for the series, bringing Pikmin to a level of popularity never before seen. The goatchi has received tons of acclaim following 4 (for obvious reasons), and he would be an amazing joke character. He could use a mix of charges, pikmin, and gadgets invented for Oatchi to fight. The stage could be any of the stages from 4, with a variety of wild life running and attacking through the battleground
FIGHTER 4: The ultimate destroyer, Kratos: It would be one of the most insane moments in gaming history to see Kratos fighting alongside Mario and Pikachu. He could bring a level of brutality and viciousness no other smash character possesses. He has tons of moveset potential from his rich history of swords, spears, axes, hammers, shields, and of course, his blades of chaos. His stage would be the besieged Sparta seen at the beginning of GOW 2, and he would have a special cutscene similar to snake where he and Mimmir would discuss each character, with Kratos sympathizing greatly with Lucas. His final smash would be a devastating combo ending with an instant knockout for any opponent over 100%
FIGHTER 5: The ultimate Saiyan warrior, Son Goku: Whenever I propose this people tell me I’m crazy, but they don’t realize this would be the most hype ending to smash possible. Think about it, smash can’t continue as it does now, I mean even Sakurai can’t imagine toping ultimate with the next smash game. Why not end the probable last traditional smash game with arguably the most requested character, and one with immense moveset potential to boot. Goku mainly uses martial arts moves from across dragon ball mixed in with petty attacks like his rock paper scissors move from the 21st world tournament and his bite against Frieza and Buu. Ki/ spirit attacks are saved for specials and his final smash, with the master martial artist using his instant transmission, kamehameha, destructo disc, Kaio ken, and ki scatter shots. The final smash has Goku raise his arms up into the sky and throw down a massive spirit bomb into the battlefield. His stage is the world martial arts tournament stage, and poor Vegeta is relegated to an assist trophy

 

[isaacmaltes]

Amiibo reprints
New spirits from third party franchises not in the game, which means new contracts had to be made

Seems like too much of a hassle just because for an update that will add Sora's amiibo support

Oh, also, Sora's amiibo releases a day or two after the Direct

I assumed as much, I guess we’ll see what happens.

 

[Mango]

1. Shantae

Long history tied to Nintendo. Indie darling. More relevant than any other big third parties.

2. The Squid Sisters

Major to Splatoon. Can easily have palette swaps for each set of idols. Major IP thats more relevant to Nintendo than any big third party.

3. Rauru from TotK

Major character of recent major game in one of Nintendos most important series. Likely to draw in the most interest both from casuals and hardcores. More relevant than big third parties.

4. Mio and Noah

Major duo from major game in a prominent Nintendo series. Offers a extremely varied possible moveset. More relevant than other big third parties.

5. Waluigi

The Waluigi fandom would probably burn down Nintendo HQ if they got "snubbed" again.

Also Smash focusing solely on third parties is why I no longer like the series and why I hate crossovers in general. It's a such a lame game of constantly trying to up the anti, till ultimate-ly nothing matters anymore.

 

[Superstarxalien]

Bomberman
Dixie Kong
Zero
Phoenix Wright
Dragonlord

who the fuck is dragonlord

 

[Neverx]

Wanted to focus on first party Switch era characters and fan requests for a hypothetical FP3.

Fighter 1: Noah & Mio (Xenoblade Chronicles 3): My most request character, I'd love to see the whole Xenoblade Trilogy represented in Smash and I still think the Xenoblade series could use another character. Move set could work like Pyra/Mythra with an interlink Ouroboros form like Arsene or they could work as Echo fighters of each other as you can class swap in 3.

Fighter 2: Dr. Eggman (Sonic): I'm not the biggest Sonic fan but I really think the series is way overdue for a new rep, Shadow, Tails or Eggman would all work but I think Dr. Eggman is the last major iconic villain missing in smash that could lead to a really interesting moveset.

Fighter 3: Oatchi (Pikmin 4): Splatoon and Pikmin both need new reps (Octoling with different kits as a moveset feels like a lock for the next game) but I'd love to see Oatchi make it in as Pikmin 4 was such a great game. Could utilize Oatchi's move set from Pikmin 4 as well as the new ice Pikmin and glow Pikmin.

Fighter 4: Waluigi (Super Mario): Memes aside I really would like to Waluigi in smash as I think he could sorta act as a rep for the Mario spinoffs (Sports, Kart, Party etc.) and have a move set based off those games. I also think that he's become a huge fan request at this point so his inclusion would be nice to see.

Fighter 5: Master Chief (Halo): I considered Doomslayer but I think ending a hypothetical FP3 with a huge gaming legend would be fitting and Master Chief would be perfect. His move set could have a nice balance of ranged/melee.

 

[Leo]

who the fuck is dragonlord

I see you're not a man of culture

(It's the main villain from the first Dragon Quest)

 

[robertman2]

1. Master Chief
2. Louie Pikmin
3. Junko Enoshima
4. Scorpion Mortal Kombat
5. Ryu Hayabusa

 

[BlackthornOrion]

1. Shantae: Plain and simple, my most wanted character since before the Smash Ballot days; I think she'd be a solid indie pick, having a legacy that goes back to the Gameboy Color and a history of being Nintendo exclusive or Nintendo-first. Move-set wise, I envision her normal attacks being a little Game&Watch-y where every move uses a different transformation, and then her specials could pull from the pirate gear in Pirate's Curse

2. Chell (Portal): First-person shooters are a glaring blindspot for the Smash roster imo and it's tough to pick one. While Doom Guy, Master Chief, and even Gordon Freeman all feel like more obvious picks, my take is that Chell a) fits in better with the more bright-and-colorful roster of Smash and b) could make for a really mechanically interesting fighter versus "shooty shooty boom boom dudes in sci-fi armor"

3. Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat): This is sorta a "I don't even want them that badly, but they probably should do it" pick; I'm not a huge fighting game person outside of Smash and the occasional Dragonball game, but I feel like if you've gone to the trouble of getting Ryu and Kazuya in the same game as Mario, you may as well go all the way and get a Mortal Kombat character in the mix to complete the set, and a ninja with ice powers feels like the one that could hang the best in a game like Smash. Also, Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero was on N64, so there's a history there (a terrible history, but it counts)

4. Spyro the Dragon: I'm firmly in the "more scrimblo bimblos for Smash" camp, and out of the high-profile ones left, I think Spyro would be one of the more interesting pulls. Crash can be there as a mii costume based on the mascot suit from the commercials if they really have to

5. Farmer (Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons): This feels like the biggest/most legacy "not Nintendo, but feels very Nintendo" series left; I think like Villager, they could make for a fun character doing all the normal farming things into attacks

 

[ammonite]

1. Oatchi. A good boy who lets you get Pikmin rep in without being an Olimar clone. Rush, jump, bite, shake his tail, maybe summon Pikmin. All sorts of cool moves.
2. Elite Beat Agents. All their attacks are likely similar, leaps and thwacks, but if you perform them in time with the stage’s music, their power drastically strengthens. One of those you have to master to get right. The Divas & Ouedan cheerleaders are costume changes.
3. Phoenix Wright. He points. Text boxes appear? Maybe throws evidence. I’ll take my mate Sakurai to Wetherspoons, get a round in, and we can come up with the moveset together in a notebook. I don’t want to hog all the fun myself.
4. Mio. First Welsh character in Smash Bros! Mostly doing it to make my homeland proud and maybe get on the local news.
5. Crono. Off of having the Trigger. If it was up to me we’d have a Nintendog or Ashley Mizuki Robbins or something but when we’re like six pints deep Sakurai reminds me we need to actually sell these characters as DLC so there has to be at least one guy that’ll make the internet lose their mind and buy the pass, and I don’t have anyone at Naughty Dog on speed dial so we compromise. He’s presented in total HD2D, as a sprite, which makes the internet further scream because we’re all sure it’s hinting at a remake that never comes.

 

[Chalphy]

Kasumi from Dead of Alive - Smash DLC needs a fighting game character, and I think a stylish lady with ninja techniques would set her apart from the other fighting game characters.

Rauru from Tears of the Kingdom - His hand abilities could make a pretty interesting moveset, and his inclusion would give Zelda fans their pound of flesh.

Legionis (Male & Female) from Astral Chain - They could offer a very fun moveset by using the different legions, it would also help promote a new IP and hopefully help it grow in the future.

Ichiban Kasuga from Like a Dragon - Like fighting game characters, RPG characters are the bread and butter of Smash DLC. Kasuga is a very charismatic character, and his contemporary and relatively grounded style would help him stand out amongst the crowd.

KOS-MOS from Xenosaga - A cool sci-fi warrior, which is a niche that doesn't have much to offer outside the Metroid cast. Her gunplay would also differentiate her from the typical RPG characters in Smash.

 

[JazzyFuture]

Fighter 1 - Geno (Super Mario RPG) (Fighter 12? I don't think anyone cares enough to list them like this)
I mean, come on. It's obvious to choose this to the point of cliché. But, I think now would be a better time than ever, with the remake coming out somewhat recently and Square LOVING to do picks that would advertise recent releases. He's been requested for so long, and needs no introduction. Have the trailer be Geno granting the wish of him joining Smash like how he granted the wish for a SMRPG remake in the reveal trailer and the credits.

Fighter 2 - Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog)
Probably the most iconic villain not playable in Smash at this point. Obviously would be weird if he was just running around everywhere, but a fighting game that was used as a major inspiration for Sonic's moveset in Smash already solved this, without making something as big as the Egg Walker from Sonic Adventure 2. Sonic the Fighters put Eggman in a much smaller mech that still retained the shape of the Eggmobile, the E-Mech. Then have his moveset reference both that and various Eggman bosses throughout the Sonic series. Gotta have the wrecking ball in there somewhere.
Then, he can also basically act as Sephiroth and let there be remixes from his series. Hopefully.

Fighter 3 - Viola (Bayonetta 3)
Alright, I know Bayonetta 3 is far from the most well regarded game from Platinum, and Viola herself played so not-great that Platinum spent months tweaking her. But man, that little twinge of disappointment is what keeps Smash realistic, isn't it? It's Platinum's most recent game, so even though I would like basically anyone else from Platinum more, like Akira Howard or Wonder Red, or even characters from series Platinum didn't make, like Raiden or 2B, something about Bayo 3 feels so likely for Nintendo to pull from, so I think keeping this list more as "what would they probably do in 2024" than "what do I specifically want" is more interesting.

Fighter 4 - Noah & Mio (Xenoblade Chronicles 3)
I'm not even gonna pretend like I know anything about Xenoblade to expand on this. But they definitely feel like a Nintendo pick for if a Fighters Pass came out this year.

Fighter 5 - Doomguy/Doom Slayer (Doom)
Whatever you wanna call him, Doom is just so important of a series. Would Nintendo be fine just keeping Doomguy as a Mii costume? Yeah probably. But I can think of no other company as important for improvements in programming than id Software. The way Sakurai briefly talked about the Doom Slayer in the Sora presentation pretty much shows that Sakurai knows he's a big deal. You could basically swap Doomguy out for any id protagonist if the Mii Costume is too much of a sticking point, like Ranger from Quake or Bitterman from Quake 2 who would play mostly the same, or even Commander Keen if you want to subvert expectations entirely! Ok maybe not BJ Blazkowicz, can't exactly see Wolfenstein going over well in the Smash style.
Point is, id Software is a big enough deal for advancements in graphics that I could see Nintendo going back and giving them a full spot.

Plus I just really like Doom and would want Doomguy.

 

[RoyalGoldenFES]

1. Raven Beak (Metroid)
2. Sigurd/Seliph (if the FE4 rumors are true); otherwise, Alear (Fire Emblem)
3. Noah/Mio (Xenoblade)
4. Doomguy (Doom)
5. Saber (Fate)

 

[LinkURL]

Eevee (with each color being an eeveelution with slightly altered specials)
Master Chief
Hollow Knight
Knucles
Kameki

 

[Phosphorescent Skeleton]

Clarice (City Connection)
Ninja Jajamaru-kun (Ninja Jajamaru-kun)
Bio Senshi Dan (Bio Senshi Dan: Increaser to no Tatakai)
Astyanax (Astyanax)
Baseball Player (Moero!! Pro Yakyu)

 

[meatbag]

Okay I'll try to pick fighters that would excite more people than my personal dream picks

Fighter 1: Monster Hunter (Monster Hunter) - I mean, come on. This is a massive franchise and I'm honestly surprised it only got an (admittedly slick) Assist Trophy in Ultimate proper. My personal hope is that this Hunter will use the less conventional weapons to differentiate them from all the swordies. Gimme that Horn action.

Fighter 2: Shovel Knight (Shovel Knight) - the poster kid for indies who's already appeared in a bunch of other crossovers. Time to upgrade him to full playable character!

Fighter 3: Master Chief (Halo) - The de facto mascot of the Xbox brand would undoubtedly be welcome in the most ambitious crossover of all time. I can already imagine the delayed explosions from the Needle Gun. Maybe even let Chief summon a jeep!

Fighter 4: Zelda (Tears of the Kingdom) - There's like three Links, so we should be allowed another Zelda. I'm picturing a tricky fighter where the Sage of Time can rewind her attacks.

Fighter 5: Kratos (God of War) - Would be out of left field and would complete the trio of major 1st party publishers. Also I think the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos would be super fun to use.

 

[Fuffelpups]

#1 Kumatora [MOTHER 3]
#2 GLaDOS and Chell [Portal]
#3 Dante [Devil May Cry]
#4 Lara Croft [Tomb Raider]
#5 Shantae [Shantae]

 

[Melpomene]

1. Phoenix Wright
2. Chibi-Robo
3. Raven Beak
4. Jack Frost
5. Porky

Being realistic is for chumps.

 

[Zalman]

Alright, I'll bite.

1. Phoenix Wright
Was Nintendo exclusive for nearly 20 years, represents a genre not yet seen in the roster, and brings along incredible music.

2. Pauline
A significant character in Nintendo's history who saw a resurgence after Ultimate was greenlit. And it's always good when we can have more female characters.

3. Ring Fit Trainee
Latest EPD series to sell 10 million units. That makes this one a no-brainer.

4. Dr. Eggman
The Sonic series is in the middle of a sort of renaissance, at least in terms of popularity, and largely thanks to the movies. Nintendo could leverage this while also adding another villain to the roster.

5. Crash Bandicoot
This one is mainly here for the shock factor. I think Crash and Master Chief are the two characters that would generate the biggest reactions online. So you can replace this with Chief, if you want.

 

[batfax]

Well, if this is a new pass for Ultimate, I don't wanna use anyone who's already an AT, Spirit, or Mii Costume... Gotta give it our all to bring as much cool, all-new stuff as possible.

1: Pete (Story of Seasons)

Just in time for a brand new "Farming Direct" featuring 4 life sims out of 50 total announcements, the progenitor of one of the most popular genres in the medium finally joins Smash. It's about time too, since Nintendo has already published several of the series's games, has had two Mario crossovers, and Nintendo went through all the trouble of mediating the schism between Natsume and Marvelous to get Harvest Moon and Harvest Moon 64 on NSO.

2: Nei (Phantasy Star)

Speaking of NSO, Phantasy Star II is an iconic game that's still missing from the Mega Drive's NSO line-up. Not only is it iconic, but Sakurai himself was inspired to get into the industry after winning a contest and having the opportunity to have a meeting with important SEGA staff like Rieko Kodama. My wacky theory is that Sakurai is already planning to include a character from the series, as he's been unusually cagey about the details when given the opportunity in his youtube series even though he had no trouble talking about it before. As for why Nei specifically... she's the break-out character who was popular enough to have an expy in every game going forward. Aging fans who used to do annual illustrations for her birthday on their Geocities pages have moved on to Twitter and still keep up the tradition. How could it be anyone else?

3: Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden/Dead or Alive)

You and me both know that Sakurai has two big loves when it comes to video games: Fighting games and ninjas. As it so happens, the Famicom's most iconic ninja was in a fighting game! Give Hayabusa a cool stance shifting mechanic between hand to hand and katana combat or something, and maybe sprinkle in a few more tricks from his arsenal for special moves, and we've got a pretty dang cool addition to the roster.

4: Reimu (Touhou Project)

The long-awaited indie rep is also the long-awaited shmup rep! One of the most iconic characters of the Japanese indie scene, beloved around the world, mountains of merchandise, albums, music videos that have been pain stakingly recreated in every format possible, and about 20 games... The only question is why Touhou isn't in Smash already!

5: Space Invader (Space Invaders)

A lot of unimaginative people like to say that there are no ultra-iconic classic characters left. I can't imagine how this could even be remotely close to the truth when there's not a shred of Space Invaders in Smash Bros yet. Probably the one arcade game more iconic than Pacman, and sure as hell dwarfs Donkey Kong, a game almost completely overshadowed by Super Mario. Don't worry about the design, either. Sakurai's already got a figure to use as reference in his desk. It's about time Smash got someone playable from the 70's.

 

[Brofield]

1) Raven Beak - While I've given more thought to the others and switched this list around from when I first started writing, I also feel his entire boss battle from Metroid Dread could easily fill his moveset three times over. There's more of a global appeal now and unless I'm mistaken I think the Japanese market is vibing with Metroid more these days.

Final Smash: uhhhhh it's been a minute since I played Dread. What's the scene where he rips off his own wing? That's metal af, something with that (and then magically grows back when it comes back to battle, idk)

2) Eeveelutions (per @LinkURL 's idea): It would be tricky to animate in the character select screen, but if you can find a way to not make a single Eeveelution the "default" option, between eight possible characters (Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, Espeon, Umbreon, Glaceon, Leafeon and Sylveon), you could keep Eevee as a standard Poke Ball character, and the meshframes and hitboxes of all the eeveelutions relatively similar. Some could use tail attacks, others may use more back legs, and Sylveon may use its ribbons to attack, but otherwise they could all keep fairly similar special attacks that would just change the element effects whether fire, electric, water, psychic, dark, ice, grass or fairy type. Maybe they could have corresponding effects too that only stack after repeated strikes like doing steady damage and surrounded by flames, sparks, bubbles, etc.

Final Smash: Mega Man-esque Backstreet Boys style, all of 'em show up (and an Eevee with a cute wink) before a mega hyperbeam of all eight's attacks

3) Master Chief - As excited as we would be, the Japanese market would be groaning just as hard as we have over another Fire Emblem character. Nevertheless, the suit, helmet and colour options would be varied, melee attacks using a combination of using his guns to butt people, or doing power slides to kick and crouch. Switching between battle rifles and plasma pistols (can be super charged, and have a brief cooldown that involves shaking the pistol like most Halo games) for a regular special attack. To differentiate himself from Snake, he should have plasma grenades (side special) to throw instead of regular grenades (maybe limited to four per life kinda like the invincible tackle Banjo has). I could see his down special involving putting up a temporary shield that could absorb/deflect attacks, but his up special would be tricky as I don't imagine him having great recovery, unless he also uses his grapplehook from Infinite? I like what @Pillydillsy suggested about Arbiter being an assist trophy, if only because he would be pretty cool to see jumping around firing off the Needler and nearby opponents and when it runs out of ammo just charge the nearest fighter with an energy sword

Final Smash: "Master Chief? You mind telling me what you're doing on that ship?" "Sir, finishing this fight." (idk, sounds cooler than "Giving the Covenant back their bomb" in context of a battle filled with Nintendo goofs. Will accept criticisms/suggestions)

4) Spyro - Get the Sony mascot up in here too; if Activision is with MS might as well make the most of it. As notorious a platformer as any, a sassy purple dragon flying around with some golden dragonflies, headbutting with horns, breathing fire, gliding with a second jump, I think the moveset would be predictable but is what would make it so easy to program and accomplish. Speaking of Sony mascots, I also laughed at @BlackthornOrion 's idea of the Crash Bandicoot suit from the 90s commercials being a Mii costume. That's too good

Final Smash: I imagine something like the final battle in Ripto's Rage, getting supercharged and flying around casting fireballs at some poor schmuck's that get caught in the FS radius where they all go flying clutching their ass because they bounce off lava in a castle

5) Paper Mario - Where it started, where it ends, it all comes back to Mario. I think Paper Mario would have a far more impressive moveset using a hammer and partner abilities to do damage, and just about any Final Smash you can think of would be acceptable across all the games (though perhaps the Star Spirits from N64 would be most meaningful)

I hope Sakurai keeps his job, and also gets several years younger so he can continue working on what he's passionate about

 

[Moltres006]

1. Shovel Knight
2. Armarouge or Ceruledge
3. Raven Beak
4. Neku/Rindo
5. Akira Howard