Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[osby]

GTA has a similar issue to Resident Evil, I'm sure they can tone a character down if they want, but I'm not sure what they'd do that's particularly exciting in the context of Smash.

Personally, I'd be more partial to a Red Dead Redemption character.

None of the Resident Evil protagonists would need to be toned down any more than Snake. Chris's moveset in MVC isn't anything you can't put in Smash.

 

[Gengar84]

My biggest issue with a GTA character in Smash is that they just aren’t visually interesting to me. I’m sure they could make something work if they really wanted to but the characters just look like average people you’d see in real life. The same is true for Call of Duty. It’s not so much the age rating as I do support Sub-Zero for Smash and Mortal Kombat is at least as controversial in that aspect as GTA. I just think an MK character would have a lot more interesting material to work with and most of the characters generally have cool designs.

 

[Oracle Link]

I think they should keep Green Hill Zone and add in one or two other zones from the Genesis era, like Casino Night Zone and Flying Battery Zone.


View attachment 387060

I ThInK tHeY ShoUlD aDd AnOtHer GrEeN HiLl ZoNe, ChEmIcAl PlaNt aNd Sky SaNcTuArY!
Yeah no these three in particular are in the Time Out ZONE Haha!
I think the next classic stage should be the death egg as an home stage for eggy! I mean it appeared a lot so it would make sense!

 

[Gengar84]

My vote is for Chemical Plant Zone. That stage had such a memorable look and great song. I made a version of the stage that I was really proud of in Stage Builder that managed to get the number one download spot a couple of times.

 

[Perkilator]

My choice for an Eggman stage was always the Interstellar Amusement Park from Sonic Colors. And I don't mean any single planet from Colors, I mean all of them at once as a pseudo-traveling stage where you visit different planets while fighting on a central platform the whole time. It's an Eggman-related location with the added benefit of tons of visual variety and a potentially fun gimmick involving the Wisps.

 

[Gengar84]

Do you think Knuckles getting his own TV series helps his chances of making it in Smash as the next Sonic rep? He’s always been my favorite character from the series but he does have a lot of competition from Eggman, Shadow, and Tails for Smash.

 

[Wonder Smash]

theres nothing actually stoping them just hurdles to get around they already did with many other characters. and same way snake doenst use realistic pistols (even though joker does) nieither do the gta characters have to, theres a lot more to gta than pistols.

What else do they use?

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Do you think Knuckles getting his own TV series helps his chances of making it in Smash as the next Sonic rep? He’s always been my favorite character from the series but he does have a lot of competition from Eggman, Shadow, and Tails for Smash.

I feel like Shadow is still more likely given how much attention Sega's been giving the character in recent years.

 

[Kirbeh]

What else do they use?

All manner of firearms, some explosives and a couple of melee weapons like baseball bats and machetes.

 

[Gengar84]

All manner of firearms, some explosives and a couple of melee weapons like baseball bats and machetes.

And let’s not forget cars

 

[Kirbeh]

And let’s not forget cars

True, but I was only naming the weapons that would be feasible within the actual move set. I could see car being used in the Final Smash or having traffic as a stage hazard, just not as a regular move. I think the closest you could get to having a vehicle in the move set is to copy Wario Bike and give them a motorcycle.

Either way I still can't say I'd be very interested in a GTA character tbh. I just think there are more interesting normal guy and/or firearm based characters to work with like someone from Resident Evil, Frank West, Doom Guy, a Fallout character, or even a hero shooter/battle royale character.

GTA definitely has the size and the history but I just don't find the content it could offer to be very compelling. It'd be pretty funny to boot up the game and see a trophy/spirit of Big Smoke and I like city stages in fighting games so there are good options there but the candidates for characters just don't excite me.

 

[Wonder Smash]

All manner of firearms, some explosives and a couple of melee weapons like baseball bats and machetes.

Are all the firearms and explosives based on real-world weapons?

 

[RileyXY1]

And I'm not expecting any more M-rated characters at all at this point thanks to the ESRB.

 

[Kirbeh]

Are all the firearms and explosives based on real-world weapons?

They're all legally distinct guns. So x is very clearly based on y, but they changed a couple design elements and it has a different name.

 

[Gengar84]

And I'm not expecting any more M-rated characters at all at this point thanks to the ESRB.

That would really limit a lot of popular options but it’s possible. I’ve said it before but I think it might be time to move to a slightly higher age rating if it’s at the point that it’s limiting roster selection.

 

[SpecterFlower]

I’d love to see a character like Nemesis in Smash if they can somehow make him work within the age rating. I just think a zombie makes a much more interesting rep for a horror game like Resident Evil than a police officer.

I personally think Leon would be the better choice due to how crazy popular he is.

zombies/ funky mushrooms/ mutants can be stage hazards though.

however, zombies really aren’t the focus of the series and the enemies change a lot, the only constants really are Jill, Chris, Leon and ada
The story is pretty much focused on them stopping stuff rather than the actual zombies.

And nemesis wouldn’t be a good rep for the zombies considering his role in the story imo

The case where the enemy makes more sense is definitely monster hunter
, idk how they could make rathalos work though though.

 

[Guynamednelson]

That would really limit a lot of popular options but it’s possible. I’ve said it before but I think it might be time to move to a slightly higher age rating if it’s at the point that it’s limiting roster selection.

To be fair Riley isn't expecting anyone, period. Not from M-rated games, not from E-rated games, not from anything in between.

 

[RileyXY1]

That would really limit a lot of popular options but it’s possible. I’ve said it before but I think it might be time to move to a slightly higher age rating if it’s at the point that it’s limiting roster selection.

Yeah. Due to the ESRB's more stricter standards Smash might be forced to increase its rating in order to have more options for characters.

 

[Gengar84]

I personally think Leon would be the better choice due to how crazy popular he is.

zombies/ funky mushrooms/ mutants can be stage hazards though.

Leon’s my top choice if they go with one of the protagonists. I personally prefer more fantastical characters in Smash but I’ve got no real issues with a few more normal humans here and there. The zombies as hazards definitely helps. Leon’s not at the top of my Capcom list or anything but he’d be a fun addition.

 

[BritishGuy54]

That would really limit a lot of popular options but it’s possible. I’ve said it before but I think it might be time to move to a slightly higher age rating if it’s at the point that it’s limiting roster selection.

I’d agree in bumping it up to a T rating. I don’t want to imagine a world where Fire Emblem, Xenoblade, Mother, and METROID get axed from the roster because of the ESRB. And that’s not even half of it.

I feel like Nintendo won’t make the jump to an M rating though. This does mean some of the first characters we should look at to be on the chopping block are Bayonetta, Joker, and Snake.

 

[Gengar84]

I’d agree in bumping it up to a T rating. I don’t want to imagine a world where Fire Emblem, Xenoblade, Mother, and METROID get axed from the roster because of the ESRB. And that’s not even half of it.

I feel like Nintendo won’t make the jump to an M rating though. This does mean some of the first characters we should look at to be on the chopping block are Bayonetta, Joker, and Snake.

I think an M rating is overkill anyways. It only needs to be high enough not to cut off potential newcomers or returning characters. Marvel vs Capcom is T and was able to have a character like Nemesis without issue so I think that’s as high as you need to go. I don’t really want blood, nudity, or swearing in Smash so I don’t think an M rating really offers much they couldn’t do at T.

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

To be fair Riley isn't expecting anyone, period. Not from M-rated games, not from E-rated games, not from anything in between.

Ah, so he's expecting The Antagonist from Hatred.

(As in the player character, who is KNOWN as "The Antagonist"; confusing, I know.)

 

[SpecterFlower]

Leon’s my top choice if they go with one of the protagonists. I personally prefer more fantastical characters in Smash but I’ve got no real issues with a few more normal humans here and there. The zombies as hazards definitely helps. Leon’s not at the top of my Capcom list or anything but he’d be a fun addition.

Honestly they could do Leon as a base and have the others as costumes, they all play Bassically the same.

if they want a villain wesker is the only one that makes much sense.

 

[DarthEnderX]

if they want a villain wesker is the only one that makes much sense.

Yeah, I don't understand the 'Nemesis over Wesker' sentiment.

Nemesis was a one-game wonder that doesn't even really have a character. Wesker is a franchise spanning, scenery chewing villain.

 

[Wonder Smash]

They're all legally distinct guns. So x is very clearly based on y, but they changed a couple design elements and it has a different name.

But if these guns are supposed to be real and at the same time, the best way to represent GTA characters, then it may be a problem when it comes to Smash.

 

[Gengar84]

Yeah, I don't understand the 'Nemesis over Wesker' sentiment.

Nemesis was a one-game wonder that doesn't even really have a character. Wesker is a franchise spanning, scenery chewing villain.

Wesker is definitely more important but my reasoning is as simple as that I think a playable zombie would be fun and I really like Nemesis’ design. I just like the idea of a zombie representing a series about zombies.

 

[Slime Scholar]

I don't think an RE character would need to be sanitized at all, but I do wonder how they'd approach the other content. The series is full of gruesome monster designs and leans into body horror a lot, which might not fly with ratings boards.

This doesn't seem like something Smash would do, but I'd love it if we got something heavily-stylized along the lines of Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

Wesker is definitely more important but my reasoning is as simple as that I think a playable zombie would be fun and I really like Nemesis’ design. I just like the idea of a zombie representing a series about zombies.

In short:

Who really cares about "character" when the concept of a biological freak of nature with parasitic tentacles and a rocket launcher is inherently cool?

 

[Kirbeh]

But if these guns are supposed to be real and at the same time, the best way to represent GTA characters, then it may be a problem when it comes to Smash.

Hey, I'm not the one pushing for them. Just pointing out what they can do since it was asked.

 

[Gengar84]

In short:

Who really cares about "character" when the concept of a biological freak of nature with parasitic tentacles and a rocket launcher is inherently cool?

Pretty much. I like a good character and backstory as much as anyone else but I feel that aspect isn’t quite as relevant in a game with very little story like Smash. For Smash characters, I tend to put higher priority on character design and moveset over importance/relevance and story. If we got another ambitious story mode with more meaningful character interaction, that could change but for now, that’s my stance.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Hey, I'm not the one pushing for them. Just pointing out what they can do since it was asked.

Yeah, I know you're not the one pushing for them. Neither am I.

The thing is, people tend to use Joker's pistol as an excuse for characters to use real-world weapons when even his pistol doesn't fire actual bullets. And of course, Joker has more abilities besides just that normal looking pistol.

The same doesn't seem like it can be said for GTA characters, who seem like all they can use is real-world weapons.

 

[DarthEnderX]

my reasoning is as simple as that I think a playable zombie would be fun

"...am I a joke to you?"

 

[Schnee117]

The issues with GTA have nothing to do with realistic firearms (which is a complete non-issue) and everything to do with... almost literally everything else about the series.

 

[Gengar84]

Yeah, I know you're not the one pushing for them. Neither am I.

The thing is, people tend to use Joker's pistol as an excuse for characters to use real-world weapons when even his pistol doesn't fire actual bullets. And of course, Joker has more abilities besides just that normal looking pistol.

The same doesn't seem like it can be said for GTA characters, who seem like all they can use is real-world weapons.

I suspect that fact about Joker’s guns didn’t really factor into the ESRB decision. Smash fans that didn’t play Persona 5 would have no way of knowing Joker’s pistol isn’t a real gun. I wouldn’t think a person would be expected to play the source game if the guns were otherwise going to be an issue.

 

[Kirbeh]

Yeah, I know you're not the one pushing for them. Neither am I.

The thing is, people tend to use Joker's pistol as an excuse for characters to use real-world weapons when even his pistol doesn't fire actual bullets. And of course, Joker has more abilities besides just that normal looking pistol.

The same doesn't seem like it can be said for GTA characters, who seem like all they can use is real-world weapons.

To be perfectly fair though, I don't think the firearms are necessarily the issue. Joker and Bayo both use pistols already and while there's P5 lore to explain away how Joker's isn't real, I doubt it hardly matters to the ratings board. If it looks just like a real gun and gets used like one, it likely counts. The context won't be known to anyone that hasn't played P5.

Plus, as I and others have mentioned before, including how Smash already handles them there are other examples of allowing characters to use firearms while being stylized enough to be in lower rated games like Marvel vs Capcom, etc.

The main issues that i think GTA has are the subject matter and themes of the games along with the constant irl controversies associated with both the brand and even Rockstar as a whole.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

And let’s not forget cars

And motocycles like Wario's side B.

 

[RileyXY1]

I’d agree in bumping it up to a T rating. I don’t want to imagine a world where Fire Emblem, Xenoblade, Mother, and METROID get axed from the roster because of the ESRB. And that’s not even half of it.

I feel like Nintendo won’t make the jump to an M rating though. This does mean some of the first characters we should look at to be on the chopping block are Bayonetta, Joker, and Snake.

Yeah. They might be forced to cancel a North American release entirely so that they don't have to cut a bunch of characters just to please the ESRB.

 

[Kirbeh]

Yeah. They might be forced to cancel a North American release entirely so that they don't have to cut a bunch of characters just to please the ESRB.

You do know that CERO is stricter than the ESRB right? And if a particular piece of content was going to present an issue, they just wouldn't include it? You know, instead of completely cutting themselves off from a major market.

 

[RileyXY1]

You do know that CERO is stricter than the ESRB right? And if a particular piece of content was going to present an issue, they just wouldn't include it? You know, instead of completely cutting themselves off from a major market.

It's mostly just an ESRB problem, as this whole issue is because of a new ESRB policy that bans games from referencing other games of a higher rating, something CERO doesn't have. It's created a lot of issues for Smash, such as Mii costumes from primarily M-rated franchises not being allowed to list what series they're from in Smash reveal trailers and now the 13 Sentinels, Noah and Mio, and Zagreus Spirits do not even list what franchise or game they were from, a first for Smash. And it's an issue they have to address or else they will be severely limited in what characters they can add and they would be forced to completely cut certain franchises from Smash like Metroid, Earthbound, Xenoblade, Fire Emblem, and more. They would be forced to either elevate Smash itself to a higher rating or completely stop releasing the series in North America entirely.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

It's mostly just an ESRB problem, as this whole issue is because of a new ESRB policy that bans games from referencing other games of a higher rating, something CERO doesn't have. It's created a lot of issues for Smash, such as Mii costumes from primarily M-rated franchises not being allowed to list what series they're from in Smash reveal trailers and now the 13 Sentinels, Noah and Mio, and Zagreus Spirits do not even list what franchise or game they were from, a first for Smash. And it's an issue they have to address or else they will be severely limited in what characters they can add and they would be forced to completely cut certain franchises from Smash like Metroid, Earthbound, Xenoblade, Fire Emblem, and more. They would be forced to either elevate Smash itself to a higher rating or completely stop releasing the series in North America entirely.

I think it's more that they didnt give enough of a **** to put the names in rather than any restriction they had placed on them