Eidolon

The release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is only getting closer and closer, and we’re all pretty excited to get our hands on the game and try out all of the newest features and characters. Still, it’s almost a guarantee we haven’t seen everything Ultimate has to offer, and with four months of wait still remaining, anything could happen. With that in mind, we went around the Smashboards offices and asked some of our staff which characters they still hope to see squeeze their way into the game before the final release. Here are some of their answers!

EVO 2013 was right around the corner. SSBM had earned itself a second lease on life by being featured on the tournament’s main roster. With all eyes back on the community, it was their time to show they had what it took. There was only one problem: Their most recognizable player was a no-show.

Jon “Sol” Lackey first broke into the Super Smash Bros. scene early in 2015, making waves with solid performances in his home state of Florida and quickly ascending in popularity to be nearly universally recognized as the best Little Mac player in the game. His innovative techniques and unique playstyle helped shape the character as we know it today. These accomplishments are only made all the more impressive when one learns that Sol bumped into the Smash scene nearly by accident.

The Smash community has always prided itself in its diversity, with players of all ages, nationalities and races coming together for the sake of having some healthy competitive fun with the game we all love. The scene, however, has always had a bit of trouble attracting women.

YouTube is a tricky landscape to navigate. Fame is hard to attain, and when it does come around, it’s usually not in the form or because of the reason people expect it to be. If you were to go all the way back to the first video your favorite YouTuber made, you would probably notice a severe drop-off in quality and shift in style: most people don’t have a clear idea of what type of content they’d like to produce when they first start, and it takes a while for them to settle into something they feel comfortable with.

There will occasionally, however, be those who don’t need to find their identity: People who understand what they want to do and how they want to go about it right from the start, no experimentation needed.

Earlier today Leonardo “MK Leo” Lopez, widely regarded as the best Super Smash Bros. Wii U player in all of México, announced via Twitter that he had finally managed to obtain a Visa that should allow him to travel between the US and his native country.

Following an excellent performance at Smash Factor 5 and a short absence due to medical complications, Eduardo “Eddy México” Lucatero is back on his feet, full of energy and eager to show the world what new tricks he’s been working on for The Big House 6!

Shine 2016 was, without a doubt, one of the finest Smash-centric events we’ve seen this year. The tournament had high production values, ran incredibly smoothly and had some of the most recognizable names in the community as attendants. Players like Tyler “Marss” Martins, Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios and Eric “ESAM” Lew (just to name a few) promised to put on a show the likes of which are only seen at the highest quality majors.

But there was a name that stood out amongst the usual suspects in the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U bracket; an unlikely challenger who few people knew and even fewer expected to see break into Top 8. A man who would come into the tournament as an underdog, but come out as a hero to all mid-tier players: Austin “EVB | Dath” Brown, the Robin main from Florida.

Shine 2016 has been, without a doubt, one of the brightest tournaments Super Smash Bros. for Wii U has had this year, with some absolutely outstanding performances from players on all ends. The event has gone by in a flash, leaving us all more than a little dazzled, but what’s happened until now seems to be nothing compared to what’s brewing for today’s matches.

“What does it mean to be strong?”

Jon “Noble|Sol” Lackey, commonly agreed upon to be the best Little Mac main in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, recently delighted us with the release of “Solstorm”, a combo video highlighting some of the best and most impressive moments he’s had with the character.

“Samus is one of the best characters in the game (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U)”

If you were a Metroid fan watching the E3 Invitational in the July of 2014, these words from Smash director Masahiro Sakurai were a godsend. For the past 3 iterations of the series, Samus had been at best, a mid-tier character. Her fans had it rough.

Finally though, Samus was getting some love; or so it seemed. In a deja vu situation, she was again what she once was: mediocre.

Earlier this morning, GosuJasuo uploaded the first glimpse to what’s to be their next huge project -- a new Smash documentary, focusing on the less-known Smash communities! Featuring the likes of James “VoiD” Makekau-Tyson and Randall “NinjaLink” Simon, as well as a plethora of local players and tournament organizers, this series aims to help these often ignored parts of our scene tell their stories.

Although Project M’s development may have ceased, its community remains as loyal as ever, and they’re ready to show it with the event taking place at this year’s Super Smash Con! Organized by Smash legend Arjun “Junebug” Rao and featuring the likes of Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma, Joseph “Seagull Joe” Raucher, Alex “Hyperflame” Mireles and Michael “Emukiller” Silbernagel, this tournament is already shaping up to be one of the greatest displays of PM play we’ve seen this year!

It’s been a busy week for those of us who like to keep up with tournaments! With important majors and regionals going on all over the map, from México to Japan, it’s been almost impossible to keep up with all of the news about our favorite players. But worry not, for Smashboards has you covered! Here’s what you may have missed over the last few days.

GimR, the creator and owner of VGBootCamp, one of the oldest and most popular streaming and video-archiving organizations in the Smash community, just posted a video informing his subscribers of a serious mistake made by an employee that could severely affect the future of their YouTube channel.

Undoubtedly the best Wario in México, Edgar "Waymas" Lizcano is a dedicated fighting game player that has supported the competitive Smash scene since it first appeared in his country. Over the years, he’s earned himself a reputation as an amazing defensive player, climbing all the way to 4th place in the Mexican Power Rankings with consistently high placements. And as the scene continues to grow, with competition getting continuously harder, it doesn’t seem like he’s planning on slowing down anytime soon.

#1 Ranked player in México, world renowned child prodigy, and one of the greatest pioneers for Meta Knight in Smash 4; Leo made headlines back in 2015 after beating well-known players Mr. R and Vinnie in Smash Factor 4 and True Combo respectively, and hasn’t stopped since. At only fifteen years of age, his consistency and impeccable play have made him one of the most prominent figures in the scene, and with an entire country already in his pocket, he seems eager to go out into the world and find even stronger contenders to beat.

There's a level of artistry to Addy's play. A reflection of days spent training, practicing and honing his skills, not to optimize his play but to ensure he'll always have the upper hand on his opponent. His relentlessly aggressive style, impeccable punish game and uncanny ability to read his opponents make him a force to be reckoned with, and a terrifying prospect to face in bracket.

In the northern regions of Mexico, legends tell of a man whose Bowser makes his enemies quake in their boots. From Saltillo, Coahuila, Dozi is a competitive player with a twist. Armed with impossible levels of optimization and the sickest hairdo ever rocked in a tournament, he has only two goals in mind: to win hard, and to style harder.