16. Paula
Probability: 30%
Earthbound fans tend to be torn between Paula and Porky when discussing who theyd most like to see join the next game. Personally I land on the Paula side, if only because the idea of a little girl beating up Solid Snake and Wario is so amusing. She appeared as a sticker in SSBB, and the only difficulty would be making her move-set sufficiently different from that of Ness and Lucas.
15. Waluigi
Probability: 50% Waluigi seems a natural choice hes joined most of the other collective character titles such as
Mario Tennis,
Mario Kart and
Mario and Sonic at the Olympics Games. His long reach would certainly give him a unique feel as a character, as well. But while he offers a distinctive playing style, does anyone really care if Waluigi joins? There are much more popular characters around waiting for a chance in the ring, and the Mario franchise is hardly under-represented as it is.
14. Banjo & Kazooie
Probability: 5% Back in the day this might have seemed like a great idea. Banjo and Kazooie was a flagship franchise for Nintendo, and Banjo even showed up in the excellent crossover title
Diddy Kong Racing, along with Conker. But, as with Conker, Nintendo lost the rights to the character when Microsoft acquired RARE in 2002. Its a shame, because theyd fit in very well and the move-set writes itself, but its almost definitely not going to happen. Although itd certainly be a step up from appearing in games like Nuts and Bolts.
13. Gruntilda
Probability: 1% On the off-chance they did include Banjo and Kazooie, how could they leave out Gruntilda? A heavyweight female fighter with a broom Id welcome the chance to see her brawling. In the unlikely event that RARE struck a deal with Nintendo to let them use some of their characters (and as mentioned, its unlikely Microsoft would ever allow it,) then Grunty would definitely deserve a spot in the roster.
12. Viewtiful Joe
Probability: 30% Viewtiful Joe almost plays like a Super Smash Bros title already, so hes a natural choice to join the Smash Bros. Capcom have a good working relationship with Nintendo, and this much-loved character saw the bulk of his success on the Nintendo Gamecube as well, so theres no reason this shouldnt happen. The only question is whether or not hes still relevant enough.