The Super Smash Bros franchise burst into the scene out of nowhere in 1999, and has remained a heavy weight in Nintendos game roster ever since. It was one of those rare ideas that few had thought of, but which was recognisably brilliant as soon as you played it; a crossover game bringing all of the best loved Nintendo characters and worlds together in a 2-4 player beat-em-up. Even better, anyone who suspected that the game would be for kids had their doubts quashed when it launched, and against all odds was a fast-paced, surprisingly deep fighter that knocked most of the competition out of the water. With the new WII U Smash Bros title (the 4th in the series) currently in development, we take a look at the likely (and some of the less likely) characters to join the Smash Bros character roster.
26. King K. Rool
Probability: 70% The Donkey Kong franchise is a bit under-represented at the moment, and after the success of
Donkey Kong Country Returns, the time is ripe for a new character to enter the Super Smash Bros ring. King K. Rool offered a compelling opponent for DKs first three outings on the SNES, and would fit right in with other heavy-weight fighters such as Bowser. The only problem is that he was dropped from the newest DK game and replaced with the Tikis. Still, we can hope...
25. Krystal
Probability: 55% Another name which was commonly bandied about before
Super Smash Bros Brawl (SBBB,) but ultimately didnt make the cut. Krystal may have been introduced in a sub-par game (The Zelda imitation
Starfox Adventures,) but shes still one of the coolest characters in the Star Fox universe, and shes a female that surely knows how to fight she has that staff for a reason. She played a part in
Star Fox Assault and even made a cameo in SBBB, so heres hoping she joins this time around.
24. Tails/Shadow/Knuckles/Amy
Probability: 20% As a gamer, I feel that at the moment the Sonic franchise is criminally under-represented in the
Super Smash Bros series, but as a Nintendo fan, I feel thats how it should be. Theres a definite space for one of the other Sonic characters to join the franchise, but it would be hard to justify sticking them all in there when Kirby has 3 characters and DK only 2, and those are actual Nintendo franchises. Sonic fans will doubtless hope to see at least one of the above join the fight, however, and I must admit I dont dislike the idea myself.
23. Bomberman
Probability: 45%
Not an exclusively Nintendo character, but hes popped up on a large number of their consoles and has exploded himself a large place in video game history. His move-set may be tricky make a bomb, detonate it, kick it or throw it, and a final smash of a really big bomb? but the team are more than up to the challenge. Bomberman was hugely tipped to join the SSBB roster, and many fans felt disappointed he didnt make it in. Lets see if he does this next time around.
22. Rosalina
Probability: 65% Rosalina is the most obvious choice if they are looking to expand the Mario roster. Shes been a star (sorry) character in both
Super Mario Galaxy games now, and shes also showed up in
Mario Kart, so shes clearly not afraid to get her hands dirty. Furthermore, more female characters would definitely help the franchise achieve some kind of equality. The only question is, do we need another Mario character when we already have Peach, Wario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser etc? For a final smash involving the Lumas, my vote is yes.