Even though it’s been two weeks since the Nintendo Direct, it’s probably safe to assume there are many Smash Bros. fans who are still recovering from the atomic bomb of a character announcement that was dropped on us November 12. Cloud Strife. From Final Fantasy. There will be a Final Fantasy character in Sm4sh, and that character is Cloud. Unbelievable. Without question, this is the most shocking character reveal the franchise has ever seen, and that’s saying something when you consider the likes of Pac-Man, Ryu and Solid freaking Snake.
But with Smash developer, Masahiro Sakurai’s, latest promise to include the Omnislasher came another promise to have one last Nintendo Direct dedicated to the title in December. Fans have been spleculating for more than a month on possible DLC characters since a recent datamine of an update which showed three new character slots being added into the game. What’s more, is Cloud was never revealed to be the Smash ballot (which concluded in October) winner that fans have been waiting so eagerly for, so it’s likely that will be announced. Add this with Sakurai’s penchant for always upping the ante when it comes to character reveals and fans of the series have quite a lot to be excited about.
From Metroid’s Ridley to Donkey Kong Country’s King K. Rool, and even some zanier picks such as Goku and Shrek (a couple sick jokes from the bowels of the internet no doubt), there’s no telling who’s going to get the invitation to Smash as DLC. But with a little common sense and a whole lot of conjecture, PUG is going to do it’s best to make some educated guesses.
Looking at polls conducted by Nintendolife.com and GameFAQs gives us an idea of what people are hoping for from the next batch of DLC. Popular choices include Donkey Kong Country’s King K. Rool, Solid Snake, Wolf, Ice Climbers, Bayonetta, Isaac and Splatoon’s Inklings. But who do we think has the best chance of becoming playable? After some careful considerations and putting natural bias aside, we might have a few DLC characters in these picks:
Shovel Knight (Shovel Knight)
His chances would be extremely high if Yacht Club Games didn’t already put out a soul-crushing tweet saying the new Shovel Knight Amiibo was mislisted as a Smash Bros. Amiibo. While that doesn’t necessarily kill all chances that the indie hero excavator would be included, it does at least put up the illusion that it’s looking unlikely. However, Sakurai has been known to engineer some brilliant masterplans. It’s possible that Yacht Club Games are just privy to this one.
Wolf (Star Fox Series)
With Star Fox Zero flying in during 2016, Wolf would surely make for a sensible inclusion. Not to mention he was already playable in Brawl, so if Lucas can be added as DLC, I don’t see why Howly McGee wouldn’t get the same treatment. While all of this is purely speculation, I’d say Wolf is one of the most likely to be put up for market.
King K. Rool (Donkey Kong Country Series)
People complain and complain that there aren’t enough of 3 things in Smash Bros.: Villains, heavy characters and females. Although Sm4sh did introduce Lucina, Rosalina, Palutena, Wii Fit Trainer, Robin and Villager, we actually lost a villain with Wolf’s disappearance. Well, K. Rool satisfies two of three conditions and turns out to be quite sought after, if the poll is any indication of his popularity. Last time we saw the Kremling King he was squaring up at the plate in Mario Super Sluggers, but we might just get a chance to see him square off against Cloud now. A match nobody knew they wanted to see and probably still don’t.
Ice Climbers (Ice Climber)
IThe dynamic duo got the cold shoulder after two consecutive bouts with Smash Bros. after Sakurai said their inclusion would be impossible for the less powerful Nintendo 3DS. There’s no doubt the pair are a staple to the series even in the eyes of competitive players as they have seen their fair share of tournament play in both Melee and Brawl. Although I don’t truly believe the Climbers will be in, it also wouldn’t come as a surprise to see them in December. We’ll just chalk this one up to a big maybe.
Isaac (Golden Sun Series)
Yeah, that’s right, another swordsmen. Get over it. Golden Sun has 3 entries in the series, a few songs from them are in Sm4sh and Isaac himself was in Brawl as an assist trophy not returning to the latest installment. He’s also seen some love in the polls placing high in both. If only Golden Sun had a more recent release than 2010. While I don’t see him as highly likely, he absolutely has a fair shot.
Banjo & Kazooie (Banjo & Kazooie Series)
Microsoft executive Phil Specer said it would be “cool” to see Banjo as a Smash Bros. DLC character. It might not be the biggest factor when getting a character into Smash, but we all saw what happened when Kojima showed interest in Snake’s inclusion. Who knows? It could also happen with the bird and the bear.
Inklings (Splatoon)
Inklings have quickly become part of the Nintendo family, but are they ready to get involved in the family feuds? I say yes, and as it turns out, so do quite a lot of others. Splatoon’s not even a year old and the amount of praise it’s received is impressive, so it’s no wonder people want these quirky squid children in the mix. With an array of weapons at their disposal and plenty of costume options, this character looks to be a strong possibility.
Bayonetta (Bayonetta Series)
Would she make an interesting character? Perhaps. Does Bayonetta’s success validate her inclusion into Smash? Debatable. Is she tough enough to hang with some of the best in the business? Oh, heck yeah. But for some reason, every time I see people mention her as an option, my gut reaction has me feeling less than positive about her chances. Between the insanely violent game she comes from and the threads she wears that scream “one kick away from outfit malfunction,” I think Bayonetta’s dead in the water. Sure, Snake is from a violent franchise and Zero Suit Samus dresses in skimpy duds, but Zero Suit is a Nintendo character and Snake is a much bigger name in gaming. There will be people who argue this up and down, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing the flashy witch hand Sonic his blue butt anytime soon.
Ridley (Metroid Series)
Too big.
Well, there you have it. Come December, I can almost guarantee we’ll be seeing at least one of these characters announced as DLC with stages, music, costumes and all the other goodies you might expect from a Smash-only Nintendo Direct. The only disclaimer I have is that the options I’ve laid out before you are nowhere near as earth shattering as Cloud and with this being the final Smash-dedicated direct, I’d say there’s something just as big waiting for us. Sakurai has one more big surprise for us, so be sure to hold onto your butts.
Who would you like to see added as DLC/who did you vote for? Tell me in the comments below.
