Fox McCloud
First appeared: Star Fox (1993)
There will never be a Smash Bros game without FOx McCloud. Sure, he's been around since the N64, but since he's become a total powerhouse used by many of the top competitive Smash players in the world. He's agile, powerful, and the sight of him coming against you should strike fear in your heart. What does the fox say? This one says total domination.
Fox is bringing back his lasers, reflector shield, and general speed that will likely keep him as a favorite among fans and pros alike. What he hasn't brought back yet, though, are his compatriots Falco and Wolf. Will we be seeing more Star Fox characters in the future, or will Fox go it alone from here?
Donkey Kong
First appeared: Donkey Kong (1981)
He's the leader of the bunch, you know him well. He's finally back to kick some tail. This giant ape was Nintendo's first famous name in gaming, and his arcade hit launched Mario's career, and his appearance in Smash was expected the minute the game was announced.
We've seen that Donkey Kong will have his helicopter attack and a few other familiar moves, but we've yet to see how extensive his abilities will be. We hope his Final Smash is changed from the Jungle Beat bongos to something from Donkey Kong Country Returns...though we're not sure what that could be. That Final Smash really disappointed us; we thought this big ape deserved better than that.
Wii Fit Trainer
Nintendo has made it a point to try and help their consumers' overall quality of life, which has made this white-skinned warrior a household name for those with a Balance Board laying around. While the most hardcore of Nintendo fans might have skipped the game, the Wii Fit Trainer is absolutely deserving of a spot on the roster.
As we've seen so far, Wii Fit Trainer's moveset will incorporate many of the exercises and yoga poses we've be awkwardly trying to perform in the privacy of our homes. Tree, Warrior, we've seen a lot, especially in her screen-filling Wii Fit Final Smash. She certainly wasn't expected to be a part of Smash, but now that she is she totally fits in.
Mr. Game & Watch*
First appeared: Ball (1980)
Before Samus, before Link, even before Mario, there was Game & Watch, one of Nintendo's earliest forays into the video game market. The very simple games were the phone apps of their day, only they ran on repurposed LCD tech taken from calculators. These early handhelds often featured a little stick figure that could be seen juggling, or killing rats, or cooking sausage. This man would become Mr. Game & Watch, the mascot of this lost era of Nintendo, a man who joined the Smash Bros. cast with Melee.
Mr. Game & Watch is a fan favorite, with many loving his goofy moves and flat dimensions. He was confirmed for the newest Smash Bros. in typically weird form, by dropping in at the end of the Pac-Man reveal trailer to stand next to his fellow 1980 creation. No matter how it was revealed, fans can breathe easy knowing G&W will soon be in HD.*Game & Watch was shown in a trailer, but not technically 100% confirmed, but we believe he'll be included based on this.
Who else deserves to be in the game?
So that's every character that we currently know is in the game, but why stop there? We have dozens of characters we want to see added to the next Smash Bros, and we're sure you do too. What follows are a mix of our picks and reader choices for additions to the 3DS/Wii U smashers. If you have any more suggestions, let us know!
Mallo
First appeared: Pushmo (2011)
Our potential Smash Bros. roster is in danger of having too many normal looking characters and could use more of the cartoony protagonists Nintendo loves. The squat Mallo looks a bit like a sumo wrestler, and he uses his low center of gravity to push blocks around to solve puzzles. His jumping abilities would translate well into Smash, though Mallo doesnt exhibit many offensive moves in Pushmo or Crashmo. Wed be fine with the devs simply ripping off the all the moves of E. Honda from Street Fighter.
Chance hell be in SSBWU: Nintendo has been extra focused lately on creating downloadable franchises, and Mallo is the star of one of the earliest hits on the 3DS eShop. If Nintendo wants to prove that its eShop franchises are on the level of its retail releases, putting Mallo in the Smash would go a long way. Pushmo has already had one sequel, so appearing in the next Smash would elevate both Mallo and the entire concept of eShop originals.
The Wonderful 101
First appeared: The Wonderful 101 (2013)
Platinum Games is one of the top independent developers in Japan, and the teams next franchise launches in September with Wii U exclusive The Wonderful 101. The game features an army of costumed heroes fending off an alien invasion, and the group consists of colorful, Power Ranger-style fighters as well as weird members made of sushi and washing machines. Together they can transform into various massive weapons like a sword or a fist, and if they were included in Smash, the Wonderful 101 would use those abilities to work similarly to the Pikmin in Brawl, but with 20-plus team members instead of four.
Chance hell be in SSBWU: Wonderful 101 was one of the earliest exclusive announced for the Wii U, and Nintendo has gotten pretty close with Platinum lately, agreeing to also exclusively publish Bayonetta 2. Nintendo would no doubt like to keep that friendship going by adding the the stars of 101 to Smash, and it would help establish the game as the start of a franchise, not just another one-off from Platinum.
Bayonetta
First appeared: Bayonetta (2010)
Created by many of the developers behind the first Devil May Cry games, Bayonetta is a sassy witch that kills demons and angels with equal panache. She doesnt care what side of Heaven or Hell shes fighting, so long as shes paid. Bayonettas weapons of choice include her four favorite guns--two of which are attached to her heels--as well as her enchanted hair. Her flowing locks can transform into giant fists or gnashing fangs to destroy her enemies, and the rest of the time her mane takes the form of the clothes on her body. Like we said, sassy.
Chance shell be in SSBWU: Up until a few months ago Bayonetta seemed firmly established as a Sega franchise, but then came the shocking announcement that Bayonetta 2 is a Wii U exclusive. Now that Nintendo seems so firmly behind our favorite witch, the odds of her showing up in Smash Bros. have increased substantially. Yes, shed have to leave some of her more risqu moves at the door, but with the kind of arsenal shes packing, shed be a great addition.
Krystal
First appeared: Star Fox Adventures (2002)
Fox and Falco are already part of Smash Bros., but there are other members of the Star Fox crew wed like to see in SSB, with Krystal at the top of the list. Krystal has proven herself to be more than capable, thanks in large part to her magical staff. Shes first introduced as the protector of a dinosaur planet Fox McCloud crashes on, and shes also blessed with telepathic abilities. Krystal joined the Star Fox team when she and Fox became an item, though in a later game Krystal left to be a part of the rival Star Wolf Team.
Chance shell be in SSBWU: Krystal may have been introduced in a game that was barely a Star Fox title, but at this point Nintendo has proven to be pretty committed to the character. In fact, given her melee skills, shes arguably the most fitting member of the Star Fox crew for a fighting game, and SSB could always use more ladies on the roster. Unless Nintendo has totally turned its back on the newer Star Fox characters, we think the odds are in her favor.
Matthew
Son of the stars of the original Golden Sun for GBA, Matthew takes after his father Isaac a lot. Wielder of the famous Sol Blade, Matthew is a master of earth magic like his papa, often calling upon the ground in his mystical battles. Like most RPG protagonists, he teamed up with his childhood friends to save the world. Including him would not only add a newer character to the mix, but also finally give Golden Sun some real recognition in the SSB series.
How they should play: Given his potent mix of sword and sorcery, we see Isaac playing like a combination of characters. Obviously hed have sword-heavy attacks similar to Link and Marth, but based on the number of spells he knows, we could see him using area-effecting magic attacks ala Zelda or Gannon.
