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I thought of a crazy karting game roster for one of the most rockin' educational shows of all time:
Schoolhouse Rock: Karting Rock!
1. Zero (from My Hero, Zero)
2. The Boat Man and His Son (from Elementary, My Dear)
3. The Magician (from Three Is A Magic Number)
4. The guy from Ready or Not, Here I Come.
5. Lucky Seven Sampson
6. The skater from Figure Eight
7. The pool-playing cat from Naughty Number Nine
8. Little Twelvetoes
9. The daughter and her turtle from Un-Pack Your Adjectives.
10. Lolly Sr. and Lolly Jr.
11. Conjuction Junction
12. The "Darn, that's the end" girl from Interjections.
13. Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla
14. Mr. Morton
15. Mother Necessity
16. Bill
17. The singer from Sufferin' 'til Sufferage
18. The singers from the Them Not-So-Dry Bones
19. Interplanet Janet
20. The greaser from A Vitcim of Gravity
21. Tax-Man Max
22. The garden-grower from Tiny Urban Zoo.
I thought of a crazy karting game roster for one of the most rockin' educational shows of all time:
Schoolhouse Rock: Karting Rock!
1. Zero (from My Hero, Zero)
2. The Boat Man and His Son (from Elementary, My Dear)
3. The Magician (from Three Is A Magic Number)
4. The guy from Ready or Not, Here I Come.
5. Lucky Seven Sampson
6. The skater from Figure Eight
7. The pool-playing cat from Naughty Number Nine
8. Little Twelvetoes
9. The daughter and her turtle from Un-Pack Your Adjectives.
10. Lolly Sr. and Lolly Jr.
11. Conjuction Junction
12. The "Darn, that's the end" girl from Interjections.
13. Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla
14. Mr. Morton
15. Mother Necessity
16. Bill
17. The singer from Sufferin' 'til Sufferage
18. The singers from the Them Not-So-Dry Bones
19. Interplanet Janet
20. The greaser from A Vitcim of Gravity
21. Tax-Man Max
22. The garden-grower from Tiny Urban Zoo.
Persona 5 Arena
Has a 3D artstyle this time, like Strive or DBFZ.
Story features a murder mystery plot that features the Phantom Thieves clashing with the Investigation Sqaud and the Remnants of SEES
Joker
Skull
Panther
Fox
Queen
Noir
Oracle
Morgana
Goro Akechi
Yu Narukami
Yosuke Hanamura
Chie Satonaka
Kanji Tatsumi
Naoto Shirogane
Mitsuru Kirijo
Akihiko Sanada
Aigis
DLC Pass 1
Violet
Sophie
Wolf
Yukiko Amagi
Teddie
Yukari Takeba
DLC Pass 2
Sae Niijima
Lavenza
Nanako (features her aged up design from the P5 leaks)
Junpei Iori
Labrys
Maya Amano
'Ultimax' Edition
A update with new modes and a new story focusing on the velvet room.
Super Smash Bros: The Ulitamite Platform Fighter Nintendo Part 1: Super Mario Series
Mario Series:
Pauline
Jumpman
Mario
Luigi
Koopa Troopa
Foreman Spike
Eggplant Man
Goomba
Prinina Plant
Bowser
Toad
Blooper
Cheep Cheep
Lakitu and Spinies
Hammer Bros
Buzzy Beetles
Princess Peach
Ninji
Birdo
Beezo
Mouser
Pokey
Tryclyde
Bob-Omb
Flurries
Wart
Fursuit Mario
Dry Bones
Boom Boom
The Koopalings
Thwomp
Boo
Chain Chomps
Spike
Pinopi
Tatanga
Princess Daisy
Dr Mario
Viruses
Rex
Chargin Chuck
Monty Mole
Wiggler
Mechakoopas
Mario Kart(Gimmick Fighter)
Antotto
Wanda
King Bob-Omb
Whomp
Penguin
Mr Blizzard
Koopa Kid(Gimmick Fighter)
Plum(Gimmick Fighter)
Kid
Alex and Nina(Gimmick Rep)
Ghosts
Professor E Gadd
Vacuum Luigi
King Boo
Toadsworth
Pianta
Shadow Mario
Fludd Mario
Petey Prinina
Mecha Bowser
Bowser Jr
Toadette
Mini Mario(Gimmick Fighter)
Brighton and Twlila
Robo Mario
Perry
Super Team(Gimmick Fighter)
Ace and Clay
Dry Bowser
Mini Donkey Kong
MC Ballyhoo and Big Top
Rosalina and Luma
Honeybee
Honey Queen
Captain Toad
Boldergist
Pom Pom
Nabbit
Sprixe Princess
Cat Mario
Dr Luigi
Builder Mario(Gimmick Fighter)
Wingo
Beep-O
Rabbid Mario
Ziggy
Rabbid Donkey Kong
Megabug
Cappy
The Broodals
Peachette
Hellen Gravely
Curusa
Wildclaw
Edge
Rabbid Rosalina and Sparks
Prince Florian
Poplin
Elephant Mario
The Phantom
Spark Hunters
Allegra
Biddybugs
Bird
Bullet Bills
Coin Coffer
Helen Gravley
Huckit Crab
King Totomesu
Lava Bubble
Magamaraaugh
Penguin
Pidgit
Polterpup
Rocky Wrench
Spawny
Scuttlebug
Swoop
T-Rex
Viruses
Wingo
This is my Mario Series so far I'll update it once New games release and Release the Mario RPG Series when I can
Xenoblade 2 characters can switch between weapon mode and blade mode.
X overdrive is used as awakening.
Chain attack can be activated when 3 members have a full special attack gauge. And when one of the characters use their special, the other two characters are temporarily transported where the one using a special. Then one after an other use a special art, ending with the special of one of the three
Xenoblade 3 characters work like AOC weapons or Three Hopes’ classes. For the Ouroboros, you equip what you’re gonna use before the fight and that serves as your combo and attack kit. Oroboros could also work if both (Exp: Noah and Mio) are side by side with both full awakening (or overdrive) gauge filled up. Then they temporarily assume the oroboros for of the character being played, at the cost of having one less character on the field during that time.
Skells from Xenoblade X work as a power up, like the devine beast segments from AOC
Super Smash Bros: The Ultimate Platform Fighter Nintendo Part 2: Super Mario Side Series
Mario RPG Series:
Mallow
Croco
The Smithy Gang
Geno
Boshi
Booster
Jonathan Jones
Culex
Valentina and Dodo
The Axem Rangers
Smithy
The Star Spirits
Kammy Koopa
Paper Mario
Jr Troopa
Merlon
Mario and Luigi(Mario and Luigi Series)
Cackletta
Fawful
Queen Bean
Poppole
Prince Peasley
Lord Crump
X-Naut
Sir Grodus
The Shadow Sirens
Flurrie
Rawk Hawk
Dooplis
The Shadow Queen
Baby Mario and Baby Luigi(Partners in Time)
Shroob
Princess Shroob
Elder Princess Shroob
Count Bleck
Tippy and Pixls
O'Chunks
Mimi
Dimentio
Francisis
Mr L
Midbus
Baroque Monisqur
Durmite/ Wizdrum
The Dark Star
Kersti
Antasama
Prince Dreambert
Massif Bros
Huey
Team Captain
Best Fitness Friends
King Olly
Oliva
Exor
Folded Bowser
Koopatrol
Natasia
Slurp Guy
Watt
Mario Multimedia Series:
TV Donkey Kong
Bones Bailey
Clovis
Barney Todd
Trixie
Dr Demise
Kid Dynamo
Master Brian
Gorilla Ghost
Prince Haru
Mechakarubo
TV Mario
TV Luigi
Princess Toadstool
TV Toad
King Koopa
Mervin the Magician
The Genie
Mark Twang
Brutius Maxmus Grochicus
Queen Rotunda
Quirks
Salvador Dariniano
Herclufles
Captain Clump
James Blond
Vampa White
Captain Abidab
The Flab Boys
Zero
Mugga the Medicine Woman
Sargent Kooperman
Misaki
Waldo the Wizard
Mermushroom
King Neptune
Robo Koopa
Bunsen
Plumbinator
Herman Smirich
Mushroom King
Dirk Drain-Head
Tommy Treehuger and Co-Mc
Evil Eric and Tammy Treehuger
TV Koopalings
Queen Mushrookamen
Mighty Plumber
The Wizard King of the East
Junior
Crime Wave Clyde
King Windbag
Mario-Kun
Oogtar
Wizenhimer
Dino Riders
Tomboy Peach
Film Mario
Film Luigi
Film Daisy
Iggy and Spike
Film Goomba
President Koopa
Big Bertha
Lego Mario
Koopa General
Wooster
Freindly Floyd
Hooded Robin
Princess Centauri
Ratigator
Yoshi Series:
Shy Guy
Snifft
Yoshi
Kamek
Baby Mario(Basically a Amalgam Fighter of all the Mario Series Babies)
Bandit
Poochy
Tiny Mouser
Ukiuki
Baby Bowser
Mongo the Book Spirit
The Spirit Who Loves Surprises
Yarn Yoshi
Burt The Bashful
Lunge Fish
Spirt Who Loves Surprises
Wario Series:
Wario
Captain Syrup
Demon Head
Rudy the Clown
Waluigi
Princess Shakeora
Golden Diva
Pyroro
Jimmy T
Dribble and Splitz
Mona
9-Volt
Orbuleon
Doctor Crygor
Kat and Anna
The Black Jewel
Red Brief J
18-Volt
5-Volt
Ashley and Red
Mike
Young Cricket
Master Mantis
Penny Crygor
Count Cannoli
Thief Wario
Carapatchio
Terromisu
Bandiero
The Shake King
Lulu
13-Amp
Leo
Ball Bunny
Bobo
Demon Head
Fronk
Mad Scienstien
Donkey Kong Series:
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr
Stanley the Bugman
Cranky Kong
Diddy Kong
Kritter
Klump
Animal Buddies
Candy Kong
Funky Kong
Krusha
King K Rool
Dixie Kong
Wrinkly Kong
Bluster Kong
Kiddy Kong
Timber
Wizpig
Taj
Baby Kong
Kapatian Scurvy
Eddie the Mean Old Yeti
Kong Fu
Tiny Kong
Lanky Kong
Chunky Kong
Metal Head
The Evil Kings
Ghastly Kings
Kip and Kass
Kalyspo
Xanabab
Tiki Tack Tribe
Tiki Tong
Tucks
Lord Fredrick
Hoots
Waldough
Bashmaster the Unbreakable
Kip and Kass
Klaptrap
Necky
Squitter
Swanky Kong
TT
Zinger
I figured I'll knock out the rest of the Mario series so next time I post I can move on to Zelda once again whenever there's a new entry I'll update the roster
Super Smash Bros The Ultimate Platform Fighter: Nintendo Part 3: Main Series Legend of Zelda Series
2D Zelda Series:
Link
Octorock
Old Man
Moblin
Armos
Great Fairy
Lynel
Stalfos
Goryia
Kesse/Vire
Dodongo
Darknut
Manhandla
Wizzrobe
Gohoma
Gannon
Princess Zelda
Thunderbird
Dark Link
Agahim
Hylian Soldier
Poe
Sarashala
Hinox
Monkey
Marin
Nightmare
The Youth
Din
Onox
Maple
Ricky
Subsorian
Pirate Captain
Naryu
Ralph
Veran
Vaati
Four Links
Ezlo
Picori
Oshus and Cia
Lineback
Jolene
Bellum
Alfonzo
Cole and Malladus
Toon Zelda
Bryene
Yuga
Ravio
Princess Hilda
Madame Countre
Lady Maud
Yves
Zora
Gleeok
Gibdo
Gulley
Osfala
Irene
Rosso
Queen Orene
Stalchildern
Bubbles
Enemy Trains
Gleeok
Like Like
Wallmaster
3D Zelda Series:
Young Link
Ganondorf
Saria
Skull Kid
Deku Baba
Deku Scrub
Malon
Epona
Impa
Happy Mask Sales Man
Daruinia
Lizfalos
Ruto
Sheik
Naboruru
Twinrova
Beast Gannon
Chuchu
Gekko
Darumini
Mikau
Garo
Majora
Toon Link
Tetra
Bokoblin
Toon Ganondorf
King Daphes
Beedle
Medli
Makar
Ilia
Bulblin
King Bulblin and Lord Bulblo
Wolf Link
Midna
Zant
Heroes Shade
Agitha
Yeta/Yeto
Twill Midna
Groose
Fi
Ghirahim
Mogma
Ancient Robot
Demise
Volga
Wizzro
Lana
Cia
Linkle
Kokori
Talon
Ingo
Goron
Redead
Phantom Gannon
Gerudo
Fierce Deity Link
Tetra's Crew
Rito
Korok
Darbus
Prince Rails
Cucco
Dampe
Helmroc King
Kaepora Gabeora
Mayor Bo
Phantom Gannon
ReDead
Wolfos
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Series:
Wild Link
Wild Zelda
Old Man Roham
Ancient Guardian
Calamity Gannon
King Roham
Hetsu
Wild Impa(Age of Calamity)
Wild Faries
Yiga Footsolider
Yunoboo
Daruk
Teba
Revaili
Sidon
Mipha
Riju
Urbousa
Master Koga
Terrako
Sooga
Astor
Purrah
Robbie
Gannon Blight
Tulin
King Rauru
Zoni Construct
Queen Sonia
Mineru
Hidden Korok
Kass
Talus
Of course same thing as before and I'll see you next time where I go over the Tingle and Multimedia series of Zelda before moving on to Metroid
Super Smash Bros: The Ultimate Platform Fighter: Nintendo Part 4: Zelda Side Series:
Tingle Series:
Tingle
Uncle Rupee
Pinkle
Aba
Oinker
Yamouri
Tingle's Troupe
Segare
Majiyo
Teddy Toto
Zelda Multimedia Series:
Manga Link
Manga Zelda
Biri
Ganos
Com
Gannon's Minnion
Gump
Shelmon
TV Link
TV Zelda
TV Gannon
King Harkian
Sing
Sleeznose
Doof and Automation
Water Monster
Queen Seline
Gannon's Heart
Roam
Riruto
Haggis
Gonza
Kala
Raska
Captain Arjuna
Tou
Rouro
Sir Raven
Ghanti
Demon Head
Morshu
I made a list of picks for if there was a PS4 Classic in like 30 years:
Bloodborne
Days Gone
Death Stranding
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Fortnite
Ghost of Tsushima
God of War
Gran Turismo Sport
Horizon Zero Dawn
Infamous: Second Son
Killzone: Shadow Fall
The Last of Us Part II
Monster Hunter World
Persona 5 Royal
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Ratchet & Clank
Red Dead Redemption II
Resident Evil 2
Spider-Man
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
Yakuza 0
(Fortnite is the “bonus game” since it’s free. I also tried to avoid games for PS5 but also PS3 since I have a seperate list for that. Also I have a list for a Vita classic which is why some indie games aren’t here. Might do a Switch one later, too.)
IMO calling it the “United States of smash” is a little odd when plenty of these characters were made or even owned by a non-American company but that’s just a nitpick I suppose
IMO calling it the “United States of smash” is a little odd when plenty of these characters were made or even owned by a non-American company but that’s just a nitpick I suppose
No disrespect to them, but I think the general Smash fandom lumps European gaming characters into the Western moniker nowadays. Calling this spinoff "United States of Smash" just grabs more attention in its proverbial reveal trailer. You can bet your nitpick would become more common with this roster, though.
However, I will admit my note on DLC speculation was mainly to address just how many requested characters came from America or Europe. In hindsight, adding Maxwell before Scorpion was also a weird choice. I apologize for my rushed roster and Assist categories.
What if the Super Smash Bros Series started on the NES:
NES Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Little Mac
Devil(Devils World)
Mach Rider
Link
Takamaru
Samus
Pit
Ninten
Capatin N The Game Master
Simon Belmont
Ryu Haybusa
SNES Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Peach
Yoshi
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong
Link
Gannon
Mr Game and Watch
Kirby
King Dedede
Samus
Marth
Celica
Captain Falcon
Ness
Bomberman
Ryu
Gameboy Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Wario
Kirby
King Dedede
Pikachu
Mewtwo
Prince Sable
Link
Samus
Bomberman
Mr Game and Watch
Nintendo 64 Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Peach
Bowser
Yoshi
Wario
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong
King K Rool
Link
Zelda
Gannondorf
Samus
Kirby
King Dedede
Fox
Falco
Pikachu
Jiggypuff
Mewoth
Mewtwo
Marth
Roy
Ness
Captain Falcon
ROB
Pit
Lark
Lip
Bomberman
Ryu
Banjo and Kazooie
Mariana Lighyear
What if the Super Smash Bros Series started on the NES:
NES Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Little Mac
Devil(Devils World)
Mach Rider
Link
Takamaru
Samus
Pit
Ninten
Capatin N The Game Master
Simon Belmont
Ryu Haybusa
SNES Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Peach
Yoshi
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong
Link
Gannon
Mr Game and Watch
Kirby
King Dedede
Samus
Marth
Celica
Captain Falcon
Ness
Bomberman
Ryu
Gameboy Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Wario
Kirby
King Dedede
Pikachu
Mewtwo
Prince Sable
Link
Samus
Bomberman
Mr Game and Watch
Nintendo 64 Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Peach
Bowser
Yoshi
Wario
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong
King K Rool
Link
Zelda
Gannondorf
Samus
Kirby
King Dedede
Fox
Falco
Pikachu
Jiggypuff
Mewoth
Mewtwo
Marth
Roy
Ness
Captain Falcon
ROB
Pit
Lark
Lip
Bomberman
Ryu
Banjo and Kazooie
Mariana Lighyear
Not really too familiar with what games are best selling in Japan for the PlayStation systems but I could see a lot more RPG’s for the PS2 and PSP. Maybe there’d be a Falcom game for PSP, and I can also see stuff like Dynasty Warriors or the original Yakuza on PS2 and Kurohyou for PSP.
Syphon Filter and any GTA game would probably be cut too and the PS3 classic would probably be very different in Japan.
Gameboy Color Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Wario
Donkey Kong
Mr Game and Watch
Kirby
King Dedede
Link
Samus
Prince Sable
Pikachu
Mewtwo
Maril
Bomberman
Mega Man
Gameboy Advanced Roster:
Mario
Luigi
Peach
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Yoshi
Issac(Golden Sun)
Link
Zelda
Gannon
Samus
Kirby
Meta Knight
Marth
Roy
Pikachu
Mewtwo
Maril
Blaziken
Mr Game and Watch
Bomberman
Mega Man
Chocobo
Gamecube Roster:
Dr Mario
Mario
Luigi
Peach
Daisy
Yoshi
Bowser
Bowser Jr
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong
Wario
Waluigi
Paper Mario
Young Link
Link
Zelda/Sheik
Gannondorf
Skull Kid
Ice Climbers
R.O.B
Kirby
King Dedede
Meta Knight
Fox
Falco
Samus
Dark Samus
Pit
Ayumi Tachibana
Captain Falcon
Ness
Ray
Saki
Mr Game and Watch
Marth
Roy
Lyn
Pikachu
Pichu
Pokemon Trainer
Jigglypuff
Mewtwo
Blaziken
Snake
Bomberman
Sonic
Mega Man
Ryu
Pac-Man
Cloud
Did an image for my old MVC2 sized "Comic Book Collective Clash", added two of HyperSomari64
's suggestions and shuffled some other things around, I already have over 56 characters more worth of "DLC" ideas, and even some suggestions from elsewhere, but here you are.
In text form
Krazy Kat & Ignatz
Popeye
Tintin
Flash Gordon
Superman
Uncle Fester (The Addams Family)
Batman
Wonder Woman
Casper the Friendly Ghost [bending the rules a bit, but I ended up hating Richie Rich after seeing the puns on his covers]
I've done takes on something similar to this a few times before, but with some more detailed research and a lot more familiarity with the involved companies at the time, here's a semi-finalised take on what I think a crossover fighting game released to promote the Xbox brand towards the end of its lifecycle (ie, 2005) would look like.
First, a small handful of notes:
There would be plans for the game to be ported to PC, but this would be unlikely to actually take place. However, it would be backwards-compatible on the Xbox 360 platform... which somewhat limits how far you can push the technology.
On this note, the game's sort of a very late competitor to Melee in some ways - given it's the first in this series, limiting the cast to 19 original characters without any clones felt like a good call. I actually considered clones, but I don't think sheer numbers would be the best way to promote the game overall.
Characters are selected mostly based on three criteria - their relevance and connection to the Xbox brand (or something else of Microsoft's), their unique visual styling compared to other characters in the cast, or in some cases, purely their moveset potential or being "unexpected" picks for the era.
Third-party candidates would be allowed, but no more than three - and only with companies that Microsoft has a decent working relationship with, as well as having a presence on the Xbox platform.
The gameplay would be more akin to a cross between a traditional beat-em-up and a platform fighter in some ways, generally with less aerial, cartoony shenenigans and being a lot more grounded. For instance, characters would only have one jump. There'd also be some character-specific mechanics that'd represent their series, which I'll explain in their section. Overall, the game's rating shouldn't go above a 12/Teen.
Anyway, enough waffling - here's the actual concept.
Firstly, the Base Roster:
Master Chief is a pretty obvious candidate for this at any timeframe, though he'd obviously be based mostly on Halo 2, which was infamously pretty much a killer app for the Xbox (and by far the console's best-selling game.) In terms of moveset, he plays mostly as you'd expect - a mix of zoning and small elements of trapping with passable, but not great, close-up prowess.
Blinx is another obvious candidate given Microsoft were very much trying to push the Blinx franchise as a rival to mascots like Mario and Sonic... even if this may have been half a decade late to the party. Nonetheless, he makes sense to include at this point. As for moveset, he's probably one of the easier ones to pick up, but he'd likely have a lot of time-related gimmicks he could make use of - like rewinding time on himself to heal, for instance.
Joanna Dark is the first Rare candidate we're going with, mostly because it'd act as great cross-promotion for the upcoming Perfect Dark Zero, but also because she's generally a well-liked character (and another female candidate with great moveset potential.) Speaking of - she'd play mostly as you'd expect, having access to many of her weapons and gadgets as well as a form of CQC you'd sort of expect from her.
Brutus is a less obvious, but still logical candidate to represent 2003's Brute Force - plus, despite not being well-known now, the game did have a decent following shortly after release. In terms of moveset, think of him as a heavier, more bestial take on Master Chief in some ways - though of course with a lot more unique flair beyond that.
The Hero is the first candidate from 2004's Fable, another franchise Microsoft was really trying to push around this time. Now, the Hero doesn't really have a name (being retroactively named "the Hero of Oakvale") so we'd just go with "The Hero" for the sake of this. Moveset-wise, he'd predominantly rely on swordsmanship mixed with magic - your typical "swords and sorcery" archetype.
Joan of Arc is a representative for Age of Empires, which is probably a bit weird at first, but makes some sense. There were considerations for Age of Empires II (where Joan is a prominent character) to be ported to the Xbox, but this fell through - and Konami only ported it to the PS2. However, the series was (at this time) owned by Microsoft, so including her feels like an unusual but still logical form of cross-promotion. Helpfully, she'd also have a pretty unique moveset that'd rely on her skills at swordsmanship and strategy.
Vince is the main playable character from Voodoo Vince, mostly picked as a second "mascot character" with a more cartoonish artstyle, but also because of interesting moveset potential within his playstyle. He'd have a gimmick where he can place a marker on an opponent and then transfer damage dealt to him over to them.
Rash is the second Rare candidate, and probably a weirder one given his lack of appearances - though, I think he's a natural fit for a game like this due to his origin as a beat-em-up character, and he's a good way of suggesting that the Xbox brand has legacy and history beyond this. He's the game's de-facto brawler, mostly relying on physical attacks which are bolstered by a couple of additional elements from his kit.
Major Natalia is a prominent side character in the MechWarrior series, which itself was a spinoff of the BattleTech universe - and helpfully, the original MechWarrior was another big release for the Xbox. She's picked over MechWarrior himself for more visual variety, plus her capacity to call in air strikes and the like. In terms of moveset, she'd have elements inspired by the series' gameplay, just on a smaller scale.
Kasumi is our first third-party character, specifically loaned here from Tecmo. Tecmo's involvement with Xbox is interesting, because it's big cross-promotion to the Japanese audience - plus, Dead or Alive 3 was a launch title for the system, and the Dead or Alive series has continued to be popular throughout this time period with the... beach volleyball spinoffs. On this note: I picked her over Ryu Hayabusa mostly because of the DoA series' more consistent presence on the Xbox platform. She'd play mostly as you'd expect, with elements of gameplay from DoA in her toolkit. Side note - as a sort of "trade", Kasumi's inclusion in this game leads to the inclusion of SPARTAN-458 in Dead or Alive 4.
And next, the Unlockable Characters:
Arbiter is the obvious candidate for a second Halo rep, given the significance of his playable role in Halo 2. He's referred to by the general term "Arbiter" as opposed to his name, Thel 'Vadam, mostly because it's far better-known. In terms of moveset, he'd use a variety of Covenant weapons like the Needler, as well as the Energy Sword, which would give him a really unique feel compared to the Chief.
Jack of Blades is another second candidate from a series, this time Fable. He felt like he'd be an interesting and fun villain to go for, and given his prominent role within Fable as well as his lasting popularity, he seems logical to include. As for moveset, he mostly fights with the scarily powerful Sword of Aeons, but can also summon a variety of minions to give him a greater degree of stage control.
Arkantos is a second Age of Empires character, this time from Age of Mythology, mostly chosen again for the sake of visual variety and cross-promotion. In terms of moveset, he'd fight with a variety of infamous weapons and tools from Greek mythology, such as Poseidon's trident, Hermes' winged shoes, Artemis' bow, and so forth.
Ryo Hazuki is our second third-party candidate, this time from SEGA - who, following their departure from the console market, released quite a lot of games for Xbox, including Shenmue II. Ryo himself would have a mostly physical playstyle based on his combat from the Shenmue series (and with some inspiration from Akira in the Virtua Fighter series), though he could also have other elements - a meter attack allowing him to run into opponents with a forklift could be a lot of fun.
Kameo is our third Rare candidate, mostly chosen again as cross-promotion for the upcoming release of Kameo: Elements of Power, as well as because the game itself had been in development for years prior to this point - so she's decently well-known within the company already. Her moveset would mostly focus on her transforming between different forms for different elemental attacks.
Edison Trent is the playable character from Freelancer, another Digital Anvil game released for the Xbox (the first in this roster being Brute Force) as well as a sequel to the PC game Starlancer. While the game didn't sell well, it recieved pretty good reviews. In terms of moveset, we'd pull a slight Fox with him as - most of the time - you don't play as Edison himself, but instead fly around in spaceships and interact with trading outposts. As such, Trent would get elements like a sci-fi blaster and jetpack combo, as well as other neat little bits of kit that'd differentiate him from characters like Natalia.
Fulgore is our last Rare candidate, mostly chosen as another historical curiosity (given that the Killer Instinct series, by this point, has been dormant for close to a decade.) Nonetheless, it'd still be likely to have fans - and Fulgore himself is a character with a unique and distinctive design. In terms of moveset, he'd pull a lot from the first two KI titles, as well as having a unique combo breaker mechanic.
Nanashi is the nameless protagonist from Phantom Dust, a Microsoft game developed specifically to appeal to Japanese markets with... limited success. Nonetheless, its unique visual styling and gameplay made it a cult classic, and it did also see a release in the United States. Overall, Nanashi's moveset can best be described as akin to that of a mage, perhaps with similarities to Robin's - but with a greater variety in magical skills.
Rayne is the last third-party candidate, being the central character of BloodRayne - a series that skyrocketed in popularity and significance at around this time to the point of even getting a film series. It also helps that Terminal Reality had a great working relationship with Microsoft even dating back to before the Xbox days, hence BloodRayne's significance on the Xbox platform. Her moveset would take a lot of cues from her games, being pretty combo-centric.
Of course, what would a game like this be without stages for these characters to fight on? Similar rules apply - every character gets a "home stage", plus three more for flavour, bringing us to a total of 22. There's no direct equivalent to Battlefield or Final Destination here, but the stages would generally be much less chaotic due to this game being more akin to a tradfighter in how they work. They would still have unique elements, however.
First up, the Base Stages:
Halo acts as Master Chief's home stage, and is a callback to the second level in Halo: Combat Evolved - actually taking place on a Halo installation. It's a simple enough stage that'd have a light skirmish with ODSTs
Hourglass Caves is Blinx's home stage, taking place within the caves on a small platform that travels downstream along them. Once the platform reaches its end, time for the level reverses to make the platform go back, though this doesn't really affect gameplay.
Datadyne Tower is Joanna Dark's home stage, notable for being an iconic part of the Perfect Dark series as well as being the site of the original game's first level. You'd fight on the rooftop, specifically.
Ferix is Brutus's home stage, being the planet on which he and the other Ferals live in Brute Force. Covered in gigantic trees and essentially being a massive forest, it'd certainly have a unique look compared to any other stage here.
Bowerstone is the Hero's home stage, being a city in the continent of Albion. I felt it'd be more interesting to go with a larger, more bustling medieval city than just the village of Oakvale from which the Hero was born.
Paris is Joan of Arc's home stage, specifically designed after the city's appearance in the 1400s to fit within her lifetime. Specifically, this would be taking place during the failed Siege of Paris in 1429, meaning it'd be a warzone of sorts.
New Orleans is Vince's home stage, and continues this game's unusual tradition of having quite a lot of real-world locations in some form or another. However, New Orleans here is based on its look in Voodoo Vince, and thus has much more of a spooky, Halloween-esque feel to it.
Turbo Tunnel is Rash's home stage, based on the level of the same name in the original release of Battletoads. It differs from that game in that you'd be on a platform designed to mimic the Battletoads' jet bikes, but you'd still be rocketing through at high speeds - and slamming right through those damn walls. There's something satisfying about that.
Dante is Major Natalia's home stage, based on the planet of the same name within MechWarrior 2: Lone Wolf. A mostly desert planet with a constant red haze to it, it's pretty decently populated. You'd be playing in a loading zone with plenty of large mechs from the BattleTech franchise visible.
Danger Zone is Kasumi's home stage, based on her consistent home stage within the Dead or Alive series. Being a sort of lift, it continually moves upward and along while views of a distant city far below can be seen. It's based on its appearance in Dead or Alive 3.
Then, the Unlockable Stages:
Threshold Gas Mine is Arbiter's home stage, based on the first level in which he's playable in Halo 2 - specifically, The Arbiter. Taking place on a Gas Mine hovering in the orbit of Threshold, you'll need to avoid some occupational hazards there, as well as the stage slowly tilting from side to side.
Witchwood Arena is Jack of Blades's home stage, based on the arena in which he first appears in Fable. It's a simple stage, deliberately so - with a layout most closely akin to Final Destination. Of course, it also features the crowds of Albion cheering you on.
Troy is Arkantos's home stage, taking place during the Siege of Troy - with you atop the Trojan Horse. There's a lot going on on the ground level, but you'll only need to worry about occasional stray arrows during actual gameplay.
Aberdeen is Ryo Hazuki's home stage, based on the first third of Shenmue II. Specifically, it's mostly based on the harbour and docklands area where you initially arrive, though other nearby areas like Beverly Hills Wharf are visible in the background.
Forgotten Forest is Kameo's home stage, loosely based on an (in-progress) level that features early on in Kameo: Elements of Power. Unlike Ferix, Forgotten Forest is characterised by a more fantastical and strange feel, plus the various creatures that pop up all around it.
New Tokyo is Edison Trent's home stage, being a distant planet you can visit in Freelancer. Freelancer's planets are all colonised by humans and loosely based on real-world locations, with New Tokyo (in the Kusari cluster) being no different. It's effectively a cyberpunk dystopia of sorts.
Industrial Warehouse is Fulgore's home stage, a rough recreation of his original stage in the first Killer Instinct. However, it'd anachronistically contain different elements from his stage in KI2 (the Museum) to help represent that game as well.
The Ruins is Nanashi's home stage, being the remnants of the world after an unspecified catastrophy in Phantom Dust. You'd fight on multiple elevated roads which you can cross between, and attacking them would make them crumble into the ground just like in the original game.
Castle Gaustadt is Rayne's home stage, being a castle retrofitted into a military base retrofitted into a vampiric training camp by the Nazis. Crawling with monsters and soldiers alike, it'd likely be a chaotic place to do battle in, but the architecture of the castle would make it undoubtedly unique. Of course, to maintain a lower age rating, certain iconography would be changed to something more generic.
Edinburgh is one of three stages that doesn't have a character to call its own. Coming from Project Gotham Racing 2 (with that series being a precursor to Forza), I think Edinburgh was one of the more interesting candidates to pull from here. It'd have music from licensed artists who featured on the in-game radio in PGR2 to represent that gameplay element.
Flight Simulator is the second fighter-less stage, obviously representing the Microsoft Flight Simulator series. You'd fight on top of a plane that would fly over clouds, though it'd sometimes dip below them to reveal different landmarks or places around the world in different weather conditions.
Minefield is the last stage in the game, being a representation of Minesweeper. It'd have a unique system where the tiles in the background can reveal mines, which explode if anything touches them. Think of this a little like SSF2's Bomberman stage.
I might do a sequel to this at some point, taking place on the 360. Not right now, though.
Superheroes Super-Bout (a platform fighter with characters from superhero genre)
Characters
Superman (DC Comics)
Batman (DC Comics)
Spider-Man (Marvel Comics)
Wolverine (Marvel Comics)
Spawn (Image Comics)
Savage Dragon (Image Comics)
Invincible (Image Comics)
Hellboy (Dark Horse Comics)
Rorschach (Watchmen)
Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Kick-Ass (Image Comics)
Billy Butcher (The Boys)
Rocketeer
Red Ranger (Power Rangers)
Judge Dredd
Blossom (The Powerpuff Girls)
Ladybug (Miraculous)
Kamen Rider Ichigo (Kamen Rider)
The Phantom
Sakura Kinomoto (Cardcaptors Sakura)
Danny Phantom
Golden Bat
Ben 10
Izuku "Deku" Midoriya (My Hero Academia)
Sailor Moon
Saitama (One Punch Man)
Rivals
Superman VS Spider-Man (both Superman and Spider-Man are iconic superheroes with their red-and-blue costumes and biggest faces from their biggest companies, both lose their parents and their nemesis is a rich man)
Batman VS Wolverine (both Batman and Wolverine are second popular superheroes who both are manly and darkly men and some stories they can be anti-heroes)
Spawn VS Hellboy (both Spawn and Hellboy are anti-heroes related on hell,Spawn was a soldier who was killed,went to hell and became a hellspawn and Hellboy is a demon who was created by humans on 1940s)
Savage Dragon VS Judge Dredd (both Savage Dragon and Judge Dredd are officers who can be considered heroes)
Rorschach VS Billy Butcher (both Rorschach and Billy Butcher are vigilantes from series who are superhero deconstruction, also The Boys was inspired on Watchmen)
Invincible VS Kick-Ass (both Invincible and Kick-Ass are teenage superheroes who likes to read comic books,but there is a contrast, Invincible have superpowers and Kick-Ass don't have superpowers)
Red Ranger VS Kamen Rider Ichigo (both Red Ranger and Kamen Rider Ichigo are superheroes from famous TV series who marks generations and they are the original ones, Red Ranger is from a Sentai team who are Power Rangers and Kamen Rider Ichigo is from a Tokusatsu series)
Leonardo VS Blossom (both Leonardo and Blossom are leaders from a team of superheroes who are their siblings and both are popularized by being cartoon characters)
The Phantom VS Golden Bat (both are considered the first superheroes who popularized the superhero genre)
Ben 10 VS Danny Phantom (both Ben 10 and Danny Phantom are teenage superheroes from 2000s cartoons and both are green-themed)
Sailor Moon VS Sakura Kinomoto (both Sailor Moon and Sakura Kinomoto are iconic magical girls created in 90s)
Saitama VS Izuku "Deku" Midoriya (both are heroes from a popular Manga/Anime franchise who is superhero-themed)
Ladybug VS Rocketeer (well, it's just New VS Old, and i wanted they in the roster but i don't have any ideas)
I've done takes on something similar to this a few times before, but with some more detailed research and a lot more familiarity with the involved companies at the time, here's a semi-finalised take on what I think a crossover fighting game released to promote the Xbox brand towards the end of its lifecycle (ie, 2005) would look like.
First, a small handful of notes:
There would be plans for the game to be ported to PC, but this would be unlikely to actually take place. However, it would be backwards-compatible on the Xbox 360 platform... which somewhat limits how far you can push the technology.
On this note, the game's sort of a very late competitor to Melee in some ways - given it's the first in this series, limiting the cast to 19 original characters without any clones felt like a good call. I actually considered clones, but I don't think sheer numbers would be the best way to promote the game overall.
Characters are selected mostly based on three criteria - their relevance and connection to the Xbox brand (or something else of Microsoft's), their unique visual styling compared to other characters in the cast, or in some cases, purely their moveset potential or being "unexpected" picks for the era.
Third-party candidates would be allowed, but no more than three - and only with companies that Microsoft has a decent working relationship with, as well as having a presence on the Xbox platform.
The gameplay would be more akin to a cross between a traditional beat-em-up and a platform fighter in some ways, generally with less aerial, cartoony shenenigans and being a lot more grounded. For instance, characters would only have one jump. There'd also be some character-specific mechanics that'd represent their series, which I'll explain in their section. Overall, the game's rating shouldn't go above a 12/Teen.
Anyway, enough waffling - here's the actual concept.
Firstly, the Base Roster:
Master Chief is a pretty obvious candidate for this at any timeframe, though he'd obviously be based mostly on Halo 2, which was infamously pretty much a killer app for the Xbox (and by far the console's best-selling game.) In terms of moveset, he plays mostly as you'd expect - a mix of zoning and small elements of trapping with passable, but not great, close-up prowess.
Blinx is another obvious candidate given Microsoft were very much trying to push the Blinx franchise as a rival to mascots like Mario and Sonic... even if this may have been half a decade late to the party. Nonetheless, he makes sense to include at this point. As for moveset, he's probably one of the easier ones to pick up, but he'd likely have a lot of time-related gimmicks he could make use of - like rewinding time on himself to heal, for instance.
Joanna Dark is the first Rare candidate we're going with, mostly because it'd act as great cross-promotion for the upcoming Perfect Dark Zero, but also because she's generally a well-liked character (and another female candidate with great moveset potential.) Speaking of - she'd play mostly as you'd expect, having access to many of her weapons and gadgets as well as a form of CQC you'd sort of expect from her.
Brutus is a less obvious, but still logical candidate to represent 2003's Brute Force - plus, despite not being well-known now, the game did have a decent following shortly after release. In terms of moveset, think of him as a heavier, more bestial take on Master Chief in some ways - though of course with a lot more unique flair beyond that.
The Hero is the first candidate from 2004's Fable, another franchise Microsoft was really trying to push around this time. Now, the Hero doesn't really have a name (being retroactively named "the Hero of Oakvale") so we'd just go with "The Hero" for the sake of this. Moveset-wise, he'd predominantly rely on swordsmanship mixed with magic - your typical "swords and sorcery" archetype.
Joan of Arc is a representative for Age of Empires, which is probably a bit weird at first, but makes some sense. There were considerations for Age of Empires II (where Joan is a prominent character) to be ported to the Xbox, but this fell through - and Konami only ported it to the PS2. However, the series was (at this time) owned by Microsoft, so including her feels like an unusual but still logical form of cross-promotion. Helpfully, she'd also have a pretty unique moveset that'd rely on her skills at swordsmanship and strategy.
Vince is the main playable character from Voodoo Vince, mostly picked as a second "mascot character" with a more cartoonish artstyle, but also because of interesting moveset potential within his playstyle. He'd have a gimmick where he can place a marker on an opponent and then transfer damage dealt to him over to them.
Rash is the second Rare candidate, and probably a weirder one given his lack of appearances - though, I think he's a natural fit for a game like this due to his origin as a beat-em-up character, and he's a good way of suggesting that the Xbox brand has legacy and history beyond this. He's the game's de-facto brawler, mostly relying on physical attacks which are bolstered by a couple of additional elements from his kit.
Major Natalia is a prominent side character in the MechWarrior series, which itself was a spinoff of the BattleTech universe - and helpfully, the original MechWarrior was another big release for the Xbox. She's picked over MechWarrior himself for more visual variety, plus her capacity to call in air strikes and the like. In terms of moveset, she'd have elements inspired by the series' gameplay, just on a smaller scale.
Kasumi is our first third-party character, specifically loaned here from Tecmo. Tecmo's involvement with Xbox is interesting, because it's big cross-promotion to the Japanese audience - plus, Dead or Alive 3 was a launch title for the system, and the Dead or Alive series has continued to be popular throughout this time period with the... beach volleyball spinoffs. On this note: I picked her over Ryu Hayabusa mostly because of the DoA series' more consistent presence on the Xbox platform. She'd play mostly as you'd expect, with elements of gameplay from DoA in her toolkit. Side note - as a sort of "trade", Kasumi's inclusion in this game leads to the inclusion of SPARTAN-458 in Dead or Alive 4.
And next, the Unlockable Characters:
Arbiter is the obvious candidate for a second Halo rep, given the significance of his playable role in Halo 2. He's referred to by the general term "Arbiter" as opposed to his name, Thel 'Vadam, mostly because it's far better-known. In terms of moveset, he'd use a variety of Covenant weapons like the Needler, as well as the Energy Sword, which would give him a really unique feel compared to the Chief.
Jack of Blades is another second candidate from a series, this time Fable. He felt like he'd be an interesting and fun villain to go for, and given his prominent role within Fable as well as his lasting popularity, he seems logical to include. As for moveset, he mostly fights with the scarily powerful Sword of Aeons, but can also summon a variety of minions to give him a greater degree of stage control.
Arkantos is a second Age of Empires character, this time from Age of Mythology, mostly chosen again for the sake of visual variety and cross-promotion. In terms of moveset, he'd fight with a variety of infamous weapons and tools from Greek mythology, such as Poseidon's trident, Hermes' winged shoes, Artemis' bow, and so forth.
Ryo Hazuki is our second third-party candidate, this time from SEGA - who, following their departure from the console market, released quite a lot of games for Xbox, including Shenmue II. Ryo himself would have a mostly physical playstyle based on his combat from the Shenmue series (and with some inspiration from Akira in the Virtua Fighter series), though he could also have other elements - a meter attack allowing him to run into opponents with a forklift could be a lot of fun.
Kameo is our third Rare candidate, mostly chosen again as cross-promotion for the upcoming release of Kameo: Elements of Power, as well as because the game itself had been in development for years prior to this point - so she's decently well-known within the company already. Her moveset would mostly focus on her transforming between different forms for different elemental attacks.
Edison Trent is the playable character from Freelancer, another Digital Anvil game released for the Xbox (the first in this roster being Brute Force) as well as a sequel to the PC game Starlancer. While the game didn't sell well, it recieved pretty good reviews. In terms of moveset, we'd pull a slight Fox with him as - most of the time - you don't play as Edison himself, but instead fly around in spaceships and interact with trading outposts. As such, Trent would get elements like a sci-fi blaster and jetpack combo, as well as other neat little bits of kit that'd differentiate him from characters like Natalia.
Fulgore is our last Rare candidate, mostly chosen as another historical curiosity (given that the Killer Instinct series, by this point, has been dormant for close to a decade.) Nonetheless, it'd still be likely to have fans - and Fulgore himself is a character with a unique and distinctive design. In terms of moveset, he'd pull a lot from the first two KI titles, as well as having a unique combo breaker mechanic.
Nanashi is the nameless protagonist from Phantom Dust, a Microsoft game developed specifically to appeal to Japanese markets with... limited success. Nonetheless, its unique visual styling and gameplay made it a cult classic, and it did also see a release in the United States. Overall, Nanashi's moveset can best be described as akin to that of a mage, perhaps with similarities to Robin's - but with a greater variety in magical skills.
Rayne is the last third-party candidate, being the central character of BloodRayne - a series that skyrocketed in popularity and significance at around this time to the point of even getting a film series. It also helps that Terminal Reality had a great working relationship with Microsoft even dating back to before the Xbox days, hence BloodRayne's significance on the Xbox platform. Her moveset would take a lot of cues from her games, being pretty combo-centric.
Of course, what would a game like this be without stages for these characters to fight on? Similar rules apply - every character gets a "home stage", plus three more for flavour, bringing us to a total of 22. There's no direct equivalent to Battlefield or Final Destination here, but the stages would generally be much less chaotic due to this game being more akin to a tradfighter in how they work. They would still have unique elements, however.
First up, the Base Stages:
Halo acts as Master Chief's home stage, and is a callback to the second level in Halo: Combat Evolved - actually taking place on a Halo installation. It's a simple enough stage that'd have a light skirmish with ODSTs
Hourglass Caves is Blinx's home stage, taking place within the caves on a small platform that travels downstream along them. Once the platform reaches its end, time for the level reverses to make the platform go back, though this doesn't really affect gameplay.
Datadyne Tower is Joanna Dark's home stage, notable for being an iconic part of the Perfect Dark series as well as being the site of the original game's first level. You'd fight on the rooftop, specifically.
Ferix is Brutus's home stage, being the planet on which he and the other Ferals live in Brute Force. Covered in gigantic trees and essentially being a massive forest, it'd certainly have a unique look compared to any other stage here.
Bowerstone is the Hero's home stage, being a city in the continent of Albion. I felt it'd be more interesting to go with a larger, more bustling medieval city than just the village of Oakvale from which the Hero was born.
Paris is Joan of Arc's home stage, specifically designed after the city's appearance in the 1400s to fit within her lifetime. Specifically, this would be taking place during the failed Siege of Paris in 1429, meaning it'd be a warzone of sorts.
New Orleans is Vince's home stage, and continues this game's unusual tradition of having quite a lot of real-world locations in some form or another. However, New Orleans here is based on its look in Voodoo Vince, and thus has much more of a spooky, Halloween-esque feel to it.
Turbo Tunnel is Rash's home stage, based on the level of the same name in the original release of Battletoads. It differs from that game in that you'd be on a platform designed to mimic the Battletoads' jet bikes, but you'd still be rocketing through at high speeds - and slamming right through those damn walls. There's something satisfying about that.
Dante is Major Natalia's home stage, based on the planet of the same name within MechWarrior 2: Lone Wolf. A mostly desert planet with a constant red haze to it, it's pretty decently populated. You'd be playing in a loading zone with plenty of large mechs from the BattleTech franchise visible.
Danger Zone is Kasumi's home stage, based on her consistent home stage within the Dead or Alive series. Being a sort of lift, it continually moves upward and along while views of a distant city far below can be seen. It's based on its appearance in Dead or Alive 3.
Then, the Unlockable Stages:
Threshold Gas Mine is Arbiter's home stage, based on the first level in which he's playable in Halo 2 - specifically, The Arbiter. Taking place on a Gas Mine hovering in the orbit of Threshold, you'll need to avoid some occupational hazards there, as well as the stage slowly tilting from side to side.
Witchwood Arena is Jack of Blades's home stage, based on the arena in which he first appears in Fable. It's a simple stage, deliberately so - with a layout most closely akin to Final Destination. Of course, it also features the crowds of Albion cheering you on.
Troy is Arkantos's home stage, taking place during the Siege of Troy - with you atop the Trojan Horse. There's a lot going on on the ground level, but you'll only need to worry about occasional stray arrows during actual gameplay.
Aberdeen is Ryo Hazuki's home stage, based on the first third of Shenmue II. Specifically, it's mostly based on the harbour and docklands area where you initially arrive, though other nearby areas like Beverly Hills Wharf are visible in the background.
Forgotten Forest is Kameo's home stage, loosely based on an (in-progress) level that features early on in Kameo: Elements of Power. Unlike Ferix, Forgotten Forest is characterised by a more fantastical and strange feel, plus the various creatures that pop up all around it.
New Tokyo is Edison Trent's home stage, being a distant planet you can visit in Freelancer. Freelancer's planets are all colonised by humans and loosely based on real-world locations, with New Tokyo (in the Kusari cluster) being no different. It's effectively a cyberpunk dystopia of sorts.
Industrial Warehouse is Fulgore's home stage, a rough recreation of his original stage in the first Killer Instinct. However, it'd anachronistically contain different elements from his stage in KI2 (the Museum) to help represent that game as well.
The Ruins is Nanashi's home stage, being the remnants of the world after an unspecified catastrophy in Phantom Dust. You'd fight on multiple elevated roads which you can cross between, and attacking them would make them crumble into the ground just like in the original game.
Castle Gaustadt is Rayne's home stage, being a castle retrofitted into a military base retrofitted into a vampiric training camp by the Nazis. Crawling with monsters and soldiers alike, it'd likely be a chaotic place to do battle in, but the architecture of the castle would make it undoubtedly unique. Of course, to maintain a lower age rating, certain iconography would be changed to something more generic.
Edinburgh is one of three stages that doesn't have a character to call its own. Coming from Project Gotham Racing 2 (with that series being a precursor to Forza), I think Edinburgh was one of the more interesting candidates to pull from here. It'd have music from licensed artists who featured on the in-game radio in PGR2 to represent that gameplay element.
Flight Simulator is the second fighter-less stage, obviously representing the Microsoft Flight Simulator series. You'd fight on top of a plane that would fly over clouds, though it'd sometimes dip below them to reveal different landmarks or places around the world in different weather conditions.
Minefield is the last stage in the game, being a representation of Minesweeper. It'd have a unique system where the tiles in the background can reveal mines, which explode if anything touches them. Think of this a little like SSF2's Bomberman stage.
I might do a sequel to this at some point, taking place on the 360. Not right now, though.
Just PowerPoint and Google Images! I typically make grids with the built-in smart shape function, then add more shapes on top to add effects like the shadows and whatnot. Though, sometimes, if there's not a good PNG available for a character, I either remove the background in PowerPoint itself or in Paint.NET.
What if there was a Yakuza/Like A Dragon fighting game?
A note is that this is the full roster with DLC included, I have a seperate poorly made paint image for the base game and DLC waves. Also Jo Amon is the boss character.
EDIT: It has come to my attention that Fonzie is owned by Paramount as opposed to Disney like I had originally envisioned. I'll try to think up a replacement for the TMNT, who have been axed in light of this.
Here it is - The Fourth Party pass I said I'd do. Went for a focus on characters who have a big role in gaming as opposed to just big names.
Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)
Did you know the Witcher originated as a book series, making Geralt a fourth-party fighter? With The Witcher III being the highest-selling licensed game of all time, Geralt is first in line to bring some eyes onto the pass. I don't know much about the Witcher, so I can't go too into detail about what Geralt would bring, but given how the Witcher and Cyberpunk share a developer, I'd imagine the latter getting a Mii Costume.
Fonzie (Happy Days)
A seemingly random pick, but the first-ever licensed game was based on the Fonz, so he has his role in gaming history. Again, not too familiar with Happy Days, but I do know it's owned by Disney, so I could see a few Mii Costumes based on Disney IPs coming over (I'd probably prioritize Scrooge McDuck and Darth Vader). Seeing as Sega developed Fonzie's game, I'd be down to give it a few extra Mii costumes.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I was originally going to make fellow Paramount character SpongeBob the first cartoony fighter in this pass, but looking at the bigger picture, I'd argue these heroes in a half-shell have had a bigger footprint on gaming, what with the wild success of their Konami arcade game and home console titles of the 80s and 90s (hence the turtles borrwing their 1987 designs). Not sure how you'd make all four of them work, admitedly. I'd make their stage a sewer or NYC's rooftops, with Shredder as a Brawler costume, April as a Gunner, and SpongeBob as a spatula-wielding Swordfighter.
Batman
Mainly here due to the wild success of the Arkham games and for being a big recognizable name (plus Multiversus synergy). Nevertheless, the Batcave would be a great stage, and there's no shortage of potential for Spirits and Mii Costumes from Warner Bros. Maybe Scorpion could get in as a Brawler.
Mr. Monopoly
If we're focusing on fighters who've had an impact on gaming, why not go with a character whose gaming legacy predates video games? Hey, tabletop games are games too, right? Admitedly, Monopoly might be light on content potential on its lonesome, but I imagine the pack working like Terry's and being a celebration of Hasbro as a whole. Optimus Prime Mii Brawler, anyone?
Goku (Dragon Ball)
C'mon. It's Goku. He had to be here somewhere. I'd imagine his content would be limited Shonen Jump, but it'd be hilarious if they threw in a Shrek Mii Costume so both of the big fourth-party characters could make it in at the same time. Plus, add Nintendo's Goku for double funny.
Lee or Rick (Walking Dead): It was either going to be a Walking Dead rep or Geralt for the "best selling licensed game" slot, but I ultimately went with Geralt.
Dungeons and Dragons rep: I probably would have included D&D over Mr. Monopoly, but I couldn't settle on any idea that wouldn't feel like an incomplete representation of the game or step on the TMNT's toes.
ET: Arguably one of the most important fourth-party figures in gaming history (though for non-optimal reasons), but I can't really imagine him getting into a fight. If a Smash were to have fourth-party content in its base game, an Assist Trophy for him would be great.
SpongeBob: Read the TMNT section again.
James Bond: Yes, GoldenEye was a heavily acclaimed N64 title, and I know he was briefly considered for Melee, but Bond's gaming legacy only really spans to that one title in the general public consciousness. Adding him would feel too... Nintendoey? Is that a word?
Scrooge McDuck: GOD, I wanted him really badly, but I wanted one rep per company, and both him and Fonzie are owned by Nintendo. While NES DuckTales is great, I gave the edge to the Fonz for being the first.
well shoot; didn't read the wikipedia page hard enough
this is actually going to be a toughie to solve; i'm going to cut the tmnt since i think fonzie is more important, but i need time to think up a replacement
well shoot; didn't read the wikipedia page hard enough
this is actually going to be a toughie to solve; i'm going to cut the tmnt since i think fonzie is more important, but i need time to think up a replacement
I know that you couldn't add anyone on the Honorable Mentions section, but i have a few candidates. (Barring James Bond and Real Life celebrities)
1. Chuck E. Cheese. Considering you already mentionen previously.
2. Inspector Gadget. DIC made some of the most memetic video game cartoons.
3. Woody Woodpecker. Because of it's partnership with Nintendo
Yeah I'm probably gonna redo the pass from scratch at some point LMAO. I'll keep tonight's pass up as a proof-of-concept and make a new post for the new pass when it's ready.
Yeah I'm probably gonna redo the pass from scratch at some point LMAO. I'll keep tonight's pass up as a proof-of-concept and make a new post for the new pass when it's ready.
Pro Tip: Since Fonzie and TMNT share the studio umbrella, this is where Scrooge McDuck can finally break out of the Honorable Mentions list. Just a thought.
Model Swap Skins
Outright replaces Mii Costumes for Ultimate DLC. There are 6 in each pack, all from the same company, with the exception of Sora, who uses indie game characters because Disney. Each would come with 3 recolours (4 alts total). Powers, animations and proportions are not changed, just like with Mii Costumes (so be ready for lots of awkward and OOC!)
Joker
Tails (Fox McCloud)
Knuckles (Captain Falcon)
Death Egg Robot (Bowser)
Axel Stone (Ryu)
AiAi (Diddy Kong)
Joe Musashi (Sheik)
Hero
Frog (Young Link)
Bub & Bob (Ice Climbers)
Space Invader (Cabinet design) (Ganondorf)
Lara Croft Classic (Zero Suit Samus)
Gex (Fox)
Geno (Mega Man)
Banjo & Kazooie
Master Chief (Snake)
Arbiter (Cloud)
Cortana (Halo) (Mewtwo)
Hero of Oakvale (Ike)
Marcus Fenix (Snake)
Windows Logo (Pac-Man)
Terry
Iori (Lucario)
Marco Rossi (Snake)
Nakoruru (Lucina)
King of Dinosaurs (Incineroar)
Geese Howard (Ken)
Franco Bash (Little Mac)
Byleth
Tingle (Luigi)
Mipha (Lucina)
Tetra (Toon Link)
Saria (Young Link)
Rex (Xenoblade) (Roy)
Medusa (Palutena)
Min Min
Toad/Toadette (Villager)
Paula (Ness)
Callie (Inkling)
Marie (Inkling)
Hitmonchan (Little Mac)
Machoke (Incineroar)
Steve
Pig and Parrot (Minecraft) (Duck Hunt)
Snow Golem (ROB)
Battletoads (Captain Falcon)
Voodoo Vince (Dr. Mario)
Pirate (Sea of Thieves) (Link)
Mountain Gorilla (Zoo Tycoon) (Original model rip) (DK) (This would've been SkiFree if MS owned the rights)
Sephiroth
Tifa (Captain Falcon)
Aerith (Palutena)
Black Mage (Ness)
White Mage (Palutena)
Tidus (Cloud)
Squall (Cloud)
Pyra/Mythra
Waluigi (Zero Suit Samus)
Isaac (Roy)
Waddle Dee (Gains a bandana whenever he picks up a ranged item) (Jigglypuff)
Ashley (Lucas)
Dixie Kong (Diddy Kong)
Karate Joe (Ryu)
Kazuya
Mappy (Mario)
Mewkies (Ice Climbers)
Taizo Hori (Squid form is disembodied face like Pooka & Fygar) (Inkling)
Ghost (Pac-Man) (in the mech from Arrangement) (Bowser Jr.)
