These days, it seems like hardly a week passes by without news regarding Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC. And in early September, it was reported that Nintendo has no plans to slow down the ceaseless deluge of new characters and fresh content. Ultimate is covering new territory for the Smash Bros. series, having already gone far beyond previous editions in terms of the pure number of characters. And with some crossover deals having been worked out with non-Nintendo entities, it’s also beginning to seem like Ultimate has fewer constraints than ever before. This is becoming more of an industry-wide brawler mash-up than the Nintendo-centric game it started out as.
The implications of this for the competitive gaming community are clear. Smash Bros. already inspires some thrilling tournament play, and is arguably one of the most relatable games in eSports. And Ultimate is establishing ever-broader appeal, such that it could ultimately become one of the most popular competitive gaming options. In the meantime though, given Nintendo’s stated intention to keep going with its DLC characters, we did some thinking about some outside-the-box options we’d love to see considered.
Princess Ida
In a subtle way, Princess Ida is arguably one of the most popular characters in modern gaming. She’s the tiny, unassuming lead of the mobile Monument Valley games, which have captivated millions and even inspired a film adaptation with their gorgeous geometric puzzles. Granted, Princess Ida doesn’t do much in the way of combat (or really anything other than walking around), but she’s iconic in her own right, and we have no doubt the Smash Bros. crew – if it could get its hands on her rights – could come up with some creative ways to integrate her.
Whomp King
Even if Nintendo is reaching beyond its own gaming archives for new characters, it still stands to reason that it will continue to rope in old characters of its own as well. Enter the Whomp King. This goofy, grumbling baddie was introduced in the legendary Super Mario 64, and would be a nostalgic delight to a whole lot of gamers. Plus, he already has a signature move (whomping, of course).
Gonzo
Like Princess Ida, Gonzo has become a major character in modern gaming, albeit in a realm separate from that of traditional console titles. He’s the primary focus of a digital slot machine game, found among Canada’s top casino sites and on some similar European gaming platforms. Gonzo is popular enough that he’s already gotten his own virtual reality game as well, so he’s not as obscure as he may seem. He’s not necessarily a combatant in existing games, but given that he’s basically a cartoon conquistador, it wouldn’t be a challenge to turn him into a warrior.
Professor Oak
Smash Bros. games have had playable Pokémon, Pokémon you could summon, and Pokémon in purely symbolic roles. But we haven’t yet seen the world’s preeminent Pokémon expert himself: Professor Oak! The cerebral researcher could make for an incredibly fun addition though, if all of his attacks relied upon Pokémon. For instance, perhaps he could block by way of stepping behind a Blastoise’s shell; maybe his jumps would be aided by an aerial Pokémon. He’d be just the sort of bizarre character a few Smash experts get annoyingly good with (looking at you, Ness).
Larry Bird
This is the strangest suggestion on this list. But if you consider Smash Bros. Ultimate branching out beyond Nintendo to rope in other popular games, why shouldn’t sports games be on the list? Larry Bird has featured in all sorts of basketball games across all mediums over the years; he’s a name most everyone is at least aware of, and a distinctive-looking guy at that. Throwing a human basketball player into a Smash game would be weird, certainly, and it’s extremely unlikely to happen. But it would be fun, and oddly inclusive, in a way.
The implications of this for the competitive gaming community are clear. Smash Bros. already inspires some thrilling tournament play, and is arguably one of the most relatable games in eSports. And Ultimate is establishing ever-broader appeal, such that it could ultimately become one of the most popular competitive gaming options. In the meantime though, given Nintendo’s stated intention to keep going with its DLC characters, we did some thinking about some outside-the-box options we’d love to see considered.
Princess Ida
In a subtle way, Princess Ida is arguably one of the most popular characters in modern gaming. She’s the tiny, unassuming lead of the mobile Monument Valley games, which have captivated millions and even inspired a film adaptation with their gorgeous geometric puzzles. Granted, Princess Ida doesn’t do much in the way of combat (or really anything other than walking around), but she’s iconic in her own right, and we have no doubt the Smash Bros. crew – if it could get its hands on her rights – could come up with some creative ways to integrate her.
Whomp King
Even if Nintendo is reaching beyond its own gaming archives for new characters, it still stands to reason that it will continue to rope in old characters of its own as well. Enter the Whomp King. This goofy, grumbling baddie was introduced in the legendary Super Mario 64, and would be a nostalgic delight to a whole lot of gamers. Plus, he already has a signature move (whomping, of course).
Gonzo
Like Princess Ida, Gonzo has become a major character in modern gaming, albeit in a realm separate from that of traditional console titles. He’s the primary focus of a digital slot machine game, found among Canada’s top casino sites and on some similar European gaming platforms. Gonzo is popular enough that he’s already gotten his own virtual reality game as well, so he’s not as obscure as he may seem. He’s not necessarily a combatant in existing games, but given that he’s basically a cartoon conquistador, it wouldn’t be a challenge to turn him into a warrior.
Professor Oak
Smash Bros. games have had playable Pokémon, Pokémon you could summon, and Pokémon in purely symbolic roles. But we haven’t yet seen the world’s preeminent Pokémon expert himself: Professor Oak! The cerebral researcher could make for an incredibly fun addition though, if all of his attacks relied upon Pokémon. For instance, perhaps he could block by way of stepping behind a Blastoise’s shell; maybe his jumps would be aided by an aerial Pokémon. He’d be just the sort of bizarre character a few Smash experts get annoyingly good with (looking at you, Ness).
Larry Bird
This is the strangest suggestion on this list. But if you consider Smash Bros. Ultimate branching out beyond Nintendo to rope in other popular games, why shouldn’t sports games be on the list? Larry Bird has featured in all sorts of basketball games across all mediums over the years; he’s a name most everyone is at least aware of, and a distinctive-looking guy at that. Throwing a human basketball player into a Smash game would be weird, certainly, and it’s extremely unlikely to happen. But it would be fun, and oddly inclusive, in a way.