Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[SMAASH! Puppy]

My biggest issue with Three Hopes is you spend so much time micromanaging at your base and not nearly as much time actually fighting. I tried playing through with my brother and he got really bored just watching me do everything at the base when he just wanted to play. We got to the last chapter of Edelgarde’s story but dropped it after that. I was still enjoying it for the most part but I moved onto other games.

This was my problem with the game as well. It's a problem in Fire Emblem: Three Houses (likely because of how you end up spending like an hour asking literally everyone if this random thing they dropped was theirs, and somehow all of them say no so now you're wracking your brain to think of who the heck you missed and...), but at least it's a strategy game to it's core. When the main gameplay is an action game it just feels like a roadblock to fun.

 

[NotGenerico]

Something to note that I'm not sure was already said and I'm too lazy to check.


View attachment 400998

Bandai Namco is also pre-occupied with Air Riders.

Huh, this is actually very interesting. If anyone else remembers the job listings posted back in 2023, both Studio 2 and Studio S were looking for people to join their teams. In particular, Studio 2 was seemingly developing a 3D Action Game, while Studio S was working on a 2D Action Game. By the way, the few people who are confirmed to be members of Studio S all worked on Smash before as shown by this old Famiboards post:

Nintendo First Party Software Development |ST| Nintendo Party Superstars

small correction: Donkey Kong. Not Donkey Kong Country. "Donkey Kong" is getting a new game in a few months (Mario vs DK remake, which in 2024 is basically a new game like how Mario RPG is a new game to everyone but a few middle aged nerds like those who post here [points at self] who played the...

famiboards.com

Seems like we have the answer to what Studio 2 was working on. Kirby Air Riders. Meanwhile, Studio S is still unaccounted for...

 

[RileyXY1]

Huh, this is actually very interesting. If anyone else remembers the job listings posted back in 2023, both Studio 2 and Studio S were looking for people to join their teams. In particular, Studio 2 was seemingly developing a 3D Action Game, while Studio S was working on a 2D Action Game. By the way, the few people who are confirmed to be members of Studio S all worked on Smash before as shown by this old Famiboards post:

Nintendo First Party Software Development |ST| Nintendo Party Superstars

small correction: Donkey Kong. Not Donkey Kong Country. "Donkey Kong" is getting a new game in a few months (Mario vs DK remake, which in 2024 is basically a new game like how Mario RPG is a new game to everyone but a few middle aged nerds like those who post here [points at self] who played the...

famiboards.com

Seems like we have the answer to what Studio 2 was working on. Kirby Air Riders. Meanwhile, Studio S is still unaccounted for...

Based on this it's possible that Studio S is actually working on the next 2D Metroid.

 

[PersonAngelo53]

I think we are being to pessimistic here. Guys studio S that Sakurai made is still a thing. We really even got the info that they where making a 2d action platformer which lets be real here is definitely smash more than likely. I wouldn’t even be surprise this new smash game has been worked on by the side of the new Kirby air riders game. Let’s also remember that a Kirby air rider game anyway would not take that much resources or time to make compared to let’s say a fully new Kid Icarus game or other projects Sakurai could have taken to work on.

Call me to optimistic or whatever but I wouldn’t even be surprise if Nintendo is just saving the new smash announcement for the summer direct or for some time later this year. In conclusion, let’s chill out guys i seriously still think there is more then enough hope left for things to go well new smash wise. Even in worst case scenario depending on who you talk to they just make smash ultimate a switch 2 edition with new content for the forever future and more updates. It be alright guys!

 

[Lionfranky]

Reach 100 fighters milestone and end with Master Chief "Finish the Fight!"
That's how you top Ultimate.

 

[Gengar84]

I think we are being to pessimistic here. Guys studio S that Sakurai made is still a thing. We really even got the info that they where making a 2d action platformer which lets be real here is definitely smash more than likely. I wouldn’t even be surprise this new smash game has been worked on by the side of the new Kirby air riders game. Let’s also remember that a Kirby air rider game anyway would not take that much resources or time to make compared to let’s say a fully new Kid Icarus game or other projects Sakurai could have taken to work on.

Call me to optimistic or whatever but I wouldn’t even be surprise if Nintendo is just saving the new smash announcement for the summer direct or for some time later this year. In conclusion, let’s chill out guys i seriously still think there is more then enough hope left for things to go well new smash wise. Even in worst case scenario depending on who you talk to they just make smash ultimate a switch 2 edition with new content for the forever future and more updates. It be alright guys!

Yeah, that’s definitely a possibility. I do still think we could see Smash in the next few years. I’m just trying to keep an open mind and not get my expectations up too much. I think I’m just in a negative space right now thanks to the price increase and world events. If the games ever start selling for reasonable prices, I might be open to buying a Switch 2 but I’m going to hold off until then.

As for the Direct, I thought the gameplay of the new DK game actually looked like a ton of fun and some of the enemy designs are cool but I absolutely hate what they did to DK himself. The new DK doesn’t even remotely feel like the same character to me. He lost pretty much all his cool factor in favor of pure goofiness. I was also disappointed in what DK64 did to Diddy but this is a whole other level. I was still going to pick the game up despite that because it genuinely looks fun but the price was the last straw for me. If the console and game prices drop in the future I think I’ll still get it. I’m just afraid what this means for DK in Smash. It’s one of my all time favorite Nintendo series and it sucks to see it lose so much of what I loved about it.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Yeah, all I’m saying is that it’s a possibility, not that it’s definitely over. I think it would be wrong to say “Smash makes money so it’s guaranteed to go on forever.” Sure, it would be logical to keep making the games and they very well could, I just don’t think it’s a guarantee. That’s all.

That is true. A game that sells well isn’t guaranteed to be on every system. Tomodachi is a perfect example because it skipped Wii, Wii U and Switch 1 despite both of its games doing very well.

But Smash isn’t just “a game that sells well”, it’s a game that sells systems. It’s a lot harder to argue that Nintendo should put one of its own killer apps in retirement, imo.

Fixed

You’re technically right, but I used the game I did due to being able to change mid-race, something Diddy Kong Racing cannot do.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

I have a feeling that after playing Donkey Kong Bonanza, Donkey Kong in Smash is going to feel very wanting. Everything seems to flow in that game, and he has some new moves to boot:

• Roll is once again jump cancelable.
• Hand Slap in the air becomes a clap.
• Dive Punch seems to be his answer to Ground Pound.
• Punch Up...can probably stay in this game, his current up tilt and up smash are more visually interesting as fun as a "raise the roof" move would be fun on DK.
• He can pick up terrain and swing it around.
  • He can also jump off of the rocks he picks up.
  • He can even slide around on them like they're skateboards.
• And last but not least. He can speeen.

 

[PlasmaDam]

As for the Next smash game not being directed by Sakurai. I wouldn't mind if they changed things up. But to Me Sakurai is the smash guy A smash Game without him at all would be very bizarre to me Despite all of Sakurai failings I feel like he improves smash alot for the better

 

[Gengar84]

Yeah. The doom & gloom taking place here because Smash wasn't announced in the very first Direct for a new console is ridiculous.

Fixed.

First, I’m not trying to doom and gloom. I’m just saying that I think it’s possible that Ultimate could have been the last game. People seem to be interpreting that as me saying that Smash is gone forever and it’s guaranteed never to come back. I’m just trying to keep my expectations in check.

Second, this is an opinion I’ve had since Ultimate released. I’ve even shared that opinion here before a few times. To me, Ultimate always felt like they were attempting to make the perfect standoff for the series. Since it’s going to be nearly impossible to out-Ultimate Ultimate, I think it’s very possible that the next game is going to be radically different. I don’t think Smash is gone forever but I am thinking that there’s going to be a big change in direction, whatever that might mean.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

First, I’m not trying to doom and gloom. I’m just saying that I think it’s possible that Ultimate could have been the last game. People seem to be interpreting that as me saying that Smash is gone forever and it’s guaranteed never to come back.

I mean, how else are we supposed to interpret “last game”, Gengar?

 

[Gengar84]

I mean, how else are we supposed to interpret “last game”, Gengar?

Exactly what it means. I think you missed the “possible” part.

 

[RileyXY1]

That is true. A game that sells well isn’t guaranteed to be on every system. Tomodachi is a perfect example because it skipped Wii, Wii U and Switch 1 despite both of its games doing very well.

But Smash isn’t just “a game that sells well”, it’s a game that sells systems. It’s a lot harder to argue that Nintendo should put one of its own killer apps in retirement, imo.

Smash is not Earthbound. The reason why Nintendo let Itoi finish Earthbound is because Earthbound was never a huge system seller, so there was no need to continuously pump new games out. Meanwhile Smash is a massive system seller and Ultimate was one of the Switch's best selling games. Even if Sakurai didn't want to make Smash games anymore they would just replace him with a new director.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Yeah, that’s definitely a possibility. I do still think we could see Smash in the next few years. I’m just trying to keep an open mind and not get my expectations up too much. I think I’m just in a negative space right now thanks to the price increase and world events. If the games ever start selling for reasonable prices, I might be open to buying a Switch 2 but I’m going to hold off until then.

As for the Direct, I thought the gameplay of the new DK game actually looked like a ton of fun and some of the enemy designs are cool but I absolutely hate what they did to DK himself. The new DK doesn’t even remotely feel like the same character to me. He lost pretty much all his cool factor in favor of pure goofiness. I was also disappointed in what DK64 did to Diddy but this is a whole other level. I was still going to pick the game up despite that because it genuinely looks fun but the price was the last straw for me. If the console and game prices drop in the future I think I’ll still get it. I’m just afraid what this means for DK in Smash. It’s one of my all time favorite Nintendo series and it sucks to see it lose so much of what I loved about it.

One thing that I found out about the pricing is that the $90 physical Mario Kart World release might actually not be a thing, and was just the result of news outlets being news outlets. I didn't check myself, but according to Beatemups, there's no store that has it listed for $90, just $79.99, which is still super expensive, but the physical release isn't costing more it seems.

The other thing is that I'm pretty sure Donkey Kong Bonanza is $69.99 like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, so that might be more the norm when it comes to Nintendo's big AAA titles, which was something we knew about already, and IIRC their wording on the $70 explanation implied there will still be $60, or at the very least, smaller $30 games. We won't know for sure until later (to my knowledge, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond does not have a listed price), but there is room for hope there I think.


Another thing Beatemups speculated on is the possibility of $80 Mario Kart being an investment for free updates, which could be good in theory, but we've gotten burned with the free update model before so even if it did end up happening, I'd still be cautious about it.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Exactly what it means. I think you missed the “possible” part.

Adding the word “possible” doesn’t mean we will interpret it differently.

It means you’re saying there’s a non-zero chance of it being the last game rather than a “guarantee”, which does admittedly add enough nuance to prevent your opinion from being utterly crazy.

But it won’t automatically change the meaning of “last game” in your sentences.

 

[Gengar84]

Adding the word “possible” doesn’t mean we will interpret it differently.

It means you’re saying there’s a non-zero chance of it being the last game rather than a “guarantee”, which does admittedly add enough nuance to prevent your opinion from being utterly crazy.

But it won’t automatically change the meaning of “last game” in your sentences.

I never said it did. What I was saying is that people are saying it’s crazy to even acknowledge the possibility that Smash might not go on forever. Nothing ever lasts forever. To be fair, I do think it’s more likely than not that Smash will last quite a bit longer and we’ll get more games. I just think it’s utterly crazy to assume that it will never end under any circumstances.

So yeah, I do think there’s a non-zero chance that Ultimate was our last Smash game but it’s still a relatively small chance. It’s just a gut feeling but I’d put it at around a 20% chance that it was intended to be the last game. Even if that’s true, they can always change their minds down the line if there’s enough demand for it. It just means we’d likely get Ultimate: Switch 2 Edition this generation rather than Smash 6 in the worst case.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Smash is not Earthbound. The reason why Nintendo let Itoi finish Earthbound is because Earthbound was never a huge system seller, so there was no need to continuously pump new games out. Meanwhile Smash is a massive system seller and Ultimate was one of the Switch's best selling games. Even if Sakurai didn't want to make Smash games anymore they would just replace him with a new director.

What are you talking about, Riley?

Mother was ****ing massive in Japan. And it’s still doing well because it keeps getting new official merch there. It may not be a massive system seller, but the fact that Nintendo still keeps the franchise alive in some way shows that they know it’s a big deal.

It may not be a huge success worldwide, but it’s by no means something they’d lay dormant if Itoi wasn’t like “yeah, I’m done”

I never said it did. What I was saying is that people are saying it’s crazy to even acknowledge the possibility that Smash might not go on forever. Nothing ever lasts forever. To be fair, I do think it’s more likely than not that Smash will last quite a bit longer and we’ll get more games. I just think it’s utterly crazy to assume that it will never end under any circumstances.

So yeah, I do think there’s a non-zero chance that Ultimate was our last Smash game but it’s still a relatively small chance. It’s just a gut feeling but I’d put it at around a 20% chance that it was intended to be the last game. Even if that’s true, they can always change their minds down the line if there’s enough demand for it. It just means we’d likely get Ultimate: Switch 2 Edition this generation rather than Smash 6 in the worst case.

And that’s a very fair take. It’s true that nothing goes on forever, but I do think it’s also fair that people wouldn’t think that way when it comes to killer apps.

Stuff like Mario, Zelda, Pokemon are technically things that cannot last forever because nothing ever does. But it would be ridiculous to think a whole console generation would skip on those because they’re just such big pillars of Nintendo’s success.

I think Smash is one of those. And given that it’s consistently been one of the best-selling games of any console it’s touched, it’s fair to assume Nintendo thinks the same way.

 

[Gengar84]

What are you talking about, Riley?

Mother was ****ing massive in Japan. And it’s still doing well because it keeps getting new official merch there. It may not be a massive system seller, but the fact that Nintendo still keeps the franchise alive in some way shows that they know it’s a big deal.

It may not be a huge success worldwide, but it’s by no means something they’d lay dormant if Itoi wasn’t like “yeah, I’m done”



And that’s a very fair take. It’s true that nothing goes on forever, but I do think it’s also fair that people wouldn’t think that way when it comes to killer apps.

Stuff like Mario, Zelda, Pokemon are technically things that cannot last forever because nothing ever does. But it would be ridiculous to think a whole console generation would skip on those because they’re just such big pillars of Nintendo’s success.

I think Smash is one of those. And given that it’s consistently been one of the best-selling games of any console it’s touched, it’s fair to assume Nintendo thinks the same way.

You’d have thought the same about Mario Kart. I know circumstances were different because the Wii U was a huge failure but the fact is that the Switch never got its own Mario Kart despite being one of Nintendo’s biggest sellers. They could have easily made 8 Deluxe early on and Mario Kart 9 a few years later on the Switch but they didn’t.

 

[Dukefire]

For now, Nintendo seems to have their hands full to give Switch 2 a good first impression hense from the direct yesterday. So, games like Smash Bros is temporary on the backburner.

Besides, we still need to sort the info for Switch 2's arrival on June 5th.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

You’d have thought the same about Mario Kart. I know circumstances were different because the Wii U was a huge failure but the fact is that the Switch never got its own Mario Kart despite being one of Nintendo’s biggest sellers. They could have easily made 8 Deluxe early on and Mario Kart 9 a few years later on the Switch but they didn’t.

Perhaps they had their hands full with a certain mobile game?

 

[Gengar84]

Perhaps they had their hands full with a certain mobile game?

Perhaps but that doesn’t change the fact that there wasn’t a brand new Switch Mario Kart. That’s exactly the same logic as “Perhaps Sakurai has his hands full with Kirby Air Riders .”

 

[CosmicEternity44]

Perhaps but that doesn’t change the fact that there wasn’t a brand new Switch Mario Kart. That’s exactly the same logic as “Perhaps Sakurai has his hands full with Kirby Air Riders .”

So, Sakurai does not necessarily have his hands full? May I ask how?

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

I think the deal here is that the information is incomplete. The Mario Kart dev pipeline for the Switch era was ARMS, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart Tour, and likely a simultaneous development of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass and Mario Kart World. Why they just stuck with a port is unknown (it might have been to work on Mario Kart Tour but we don't know for sure), but the devs were always doing something.

All we know of Sakurai right now is that he's working on Kirby Air Riders. His next project could be literally anything, but that includes Super Smash Bros., and given how big a franchise that is and how often he works on it, it sounds like a likely scenario. We don't actually know though.

 

[~ Valkyrie ~]

Although not much about the game is known so it could still be possible or at least for the unlockable characters.

I sure hope so.

I have a feeling that after playing Donkey Kong Bonanza, Donkey Kong in Smash is going to feel very wanting. Everything seems to flow in that game, and he has some new moves to boot:

• Roll is once again jump cancelable.
• Hand Slap in the air becomes a clap.
• Dive Punch seems to be his answer to Ground Pound.
• Punch Up...can probably stay in this game, his current up tilt and up smash are more visually interesting as fun as a "raise the roof" move would be fun on DK.
• He can pick up terrain and swing it around.
  • He can also jump off of the rocks he picks up.
  • He can even slide around on them like they're skateboards.
• And last but not least. He can speeen.

So the Roll Cancel Jumping is in!

Very happily surprised, Odyssey Team has been very loyal to intricacies of DKC's moves 3D DK this certainly is - dare I say even more than DK64 has been?

 

[dezeray112]

I think this one only applies to the Japanese specific domestic console, AKA the cheaper option but it can only play Japanese region games, with an option to buy a region-free one for more money if you want.

None of the others have that distinction so I feel like only that domestic one is region locked.

Well this was what I found from the Nintendo of Japan FAQ section through Google Translate:

This is why I am inclined to believe that the Japanese/Domestic version is region locked only and not the multi-language version.

Plus:

 

[fogbadge]

So, Sakurai does not necessarily have his hands full? May I ask how?

I would think being in semi retirement would mean not having his hands full but I don’t think that’s what gengar was meaning

 

[Thegameandwatch]

“shamelessly rips off All-Stars Racing Transformed’s Diddy Kong Racing's plane and boat modes (which are very cool, so I’m glad to see them) while also featuring stuff like grind rails and wall riding.”

Fixed.

One fact about DKR, it is the only game in the top 10 best selling N64 games to never be rereleased in its original form (Smash 64 was on the Wii VC). It was remade on the DS but that wasn't on the Wii U VC either. Although the N64 version could rerelease eventually on Nintendo Switch Online.

I assume it wasn't released on VC unlike DK64 because the N64 version of DKR was essentially an original game staring Diddy Kong to the point that Rare owned most of the original characters in that game and they did the published unlike DK64 for example. The game is still owned by Nintendo however.

Based on this it's possible that Studio S is actually working on the next 2D Metroid.

It’s probably still going to be MercurySteam like with Dread and Samus Returns

 

[Gengar84]

I would think being in semi retirement would mean not having his hands full but I don’t think that’s what gengar was meaning

Right, what I meant is you can come up with any number of excuses why a thing didn’t happen but the fact is it didn’t happen. The reasoning doesn’t change that fact. Who’s to say Sakurai doesn’t want to make Kid Icarus Uprising 2 next or something else? All I’m saying is that Smash isn’t a guarantee. He could make Smash but he might not. I don’t think that’s so unreasonable.

 

[CosmicEternity44]

Right, what I meant is you can come up with any number of excuses why a thing didn’t happen but the fact is it didn’t happen. The reasoning doesn’t change that fact. Who’s to say Sakurai doesn’t want to make Kid Icarus Uprising 2 next or something else? All I’m saying is that Smash isn’t a guarantee. He could make Smash but he might not. I don’t think that’s so unreasonable.

I should have known. Still, thanks for explaining. I say you’re right. A new Smash Brothers is not really guaranteed.

 

[fogbadge]

Right, what I meant is you can come up with any number of excuses why a thing didn’t happen but the fact is it didn’t happen. The reasoning doesn’t change that fact. Who’s to say Sakurai doesn’t want to make Kid Icarus Uprising 2 next or something else? All I’m saying is that Smash isn’t a guarantee. He could make Smash but he might not. I don’t think that’s so unreasonable.

we’ll find out sooner or later. for now we should just try and enjoy the new additions to speculation

 

[Dukefire]

The smash bros request is still strong as Kirby Air Riders did fool us for the first half (For me, I thought initially it was something mario related prior to Kirby's appearance.). The animation's design is like how Smash Bros was presented. So, Sakurai does know the hype still exist, but he went ahead to design something else for the time being.

 

[BonafideFella]

sakurai's youtube channel seems to designate air riders has been in development since 2022 -- i could see smash not being a factor until at LEAST 2028 if he's to be involved at all , taking past dev cycles into accoutn
and honestly all the better , air ride is a fantastic little game and compartmentalizing sakurai's design philosophy usually leads to rlly great ideas
my question would be , especially within studio s , who COULD be the next director for the next smash game if not him? i'd imagine somebody at the helm would be bandai namco blood, somebody on staff since sm4sh
surely there must be someone but my journalistic integrity is failing any specific names.

 

[pitchfulprocessing]

The Chosen Undead has been a relatively common name tossed around here, but Elden Ring's success has been absolutely meteoric, and with it being a big third-party game for the Switch 2's launch, it's definitely something worth considering. The question is, who would be added? The Tarnished is the obvious option, but to my knowledge, there's a wide range of builds you can pull off in Elden Ring and not much in the way of a "default/canon" incarnation, and that might make settling on a moveset tricky. The image of a knight in armor who dodges and parries is still pretty strong for representing soulslikes, but it's still worth noting.

I've also heard that ER has a lot of beloved boss fights, with Radahn and Malenia being especially popular. Similarly, Ranni is a very popular NPC who (I believe) has actual combat capabilities and an important place in the story and the lore. Out of them all, I've seen Malenia tossed around the most; I believe she's marketed enough to be something of a mascot for the game, and is considered one of the most dificult and iconic fights in the game. That said, I'm an outsider to the series so I can't give much input on this. So to everyone who's actually played Elden Ring, who would you use for a Smash rep? Who's depicted the most in the marketing? Fill me in on the details.

Ranni in lore is a very capable magician, though we don't see her fight in-game. The closest would be that under specific circumstances in her quest line she'll one-shot you and kill you, and the Renalla fight is entirely an illusion created by Ranni, she's basically a magical construct Ranni makes. Because of that I think it would be fairly easy to interpret a moveset for her, and you could fill out her moveset with other Glintstone sorceries and it wouldn't be weird at all.

That said I do think the Tarnished would be the way to go for an Elden Ring character. I can see the appeal in doing Malenia, but the core gameplay of the Soulsborne games is one of their most iconic elements and is extremely influential. The Tarnished conceptually has like 20 different movesets that could all not share a single move and all would make sense, but just the core element of "stamina-based dodgerolling patience and punish fighter" would feel distinctly FromSoft and already set the Tarnished apart. If you're including a Soulsborne character, I think it would be sort of a shame to not represent the gameplay that makes the games so memorable, and it lends itself to Smash's general design philosophy best.

 

[Gengar84]

I am curious if another developer would be able to live up to Sakurai if they took over. Other platform fighters have struggled quite a bit and never really lived up to Smash. That’s not to say it’s impossible, I just don’t know who that developer would be.

 

[BonafideFella]

I am curious if another developer would be able to live up to Sakurai if they took over. Other platform fighters have struggled quite a bit and never really lived up to Smash. That’s not to say it’s impossible, I just don’t know who that developer would be.

this is a lot of noodling but here was some candidates my friends and i came up with

kouhei ikeda {never worked on smash but directed tekken 7 and producing tekken 8 - seeing as that game is still in active development i doubt this greatly but makes sense}

takashi nakagawa {collaborator with nintendo often , solely in programming n programming management though - still you never know who could be made out to have some directorial prowess — this goes for any of the programming staff on the non-HAL smash games}

yusuke hashimoto {director for bayonetta 2 and star fox zero - perhaps this is somebody nintendo higher-ups would vouch for?}

forgive me , im not too tuned in as to who else could develop if its even within the realm of predictability

 

[NotGenerico]

Ranni in lore is a very capable magician, though we don't see her fight in-game. The closest would be that under specific circumstances in her quest line she'll one-shot you and kill you, and the Renalla fight is entirely an illusion created by Ranni, she's basically a magical construct Ranni makes. Because of that I think it would be fairly easy to interpret a moveset for her, and you could fill out her moveset with other Glintstone sorceries and it wouldn't be weird at all.

That said I do think the Tarnished would be the way to go for an Elden Ring character. I can see the appeal in doing Malenia, but the core gameplay of the Soulsborne games is one of their most iconic elements and is extremely influential. The Tarnished conceptually has like 20 different movesets that could all not share a single move and all would make sense, but just the core element of "stamina-based dodgerolling patience and punish fighter" would feel distinctly FromSoft and already set the Tarnished apart. If you're including a Soulsborne character, I think it would be sort of a shame to not represent the gameplay that makes the games so memorable, and it lends itself to Smash's general design philosophy best.

Something I mentioned before is that I'd like for the Tarnished's moveset to include the Dark Moon Greatsword. A version of that sword appears in almost every Fromsoft game, so I think it'd be neat if it was included in some way in Smash. It's also obtained in Ranni's questline, which last time I checked, leads into the most popular ending according to Steam. Give the Tarnished some Cold sorceries and they could have an interesting gimmick of building up Frostbite in their opponents, causing massive damage if it's allowed to build up.

 

[BrawlX10]

I used to say "no way!" at the thought that Sakurai won't direct a Smash 6. But honestly guys, i think it's looking like a real posibility that Smash 6 has a new director, it might even be developed in-house by Nintendo, if it's not Team S developing it.
I saw a tweet (not sure if has been posted here) that said Namco is also working on Kirby Air Riders, i'm really starting to think that Ultimate was Sakurai last smash game and he might pass the torch now.

 

[fogbadge]

I used to say "no way!" at the thought that Sakurai won't direct a Smash 6. But honestly guys, i think it's looking like a real posibility that Smash 6 has a new director, it might even be developed in-house by Nintendo, if it's not Team S developing it.
I saw a tweet (not sure if has been posted here) that said Namco is also working on Kirby Air Riders, i'm really starting to think that Ultimate was Sakurai last smash game and he might pass the torch now.

ok but we don’t even know if smash is in development yet

 

[BonafideFella]

this is a lot of noodling but here was some candidates my friends and i came up with

kouhei ikeda {never worked on smash but directed tekken 7 and producing tekken 8 - seeing as that game is still in active development i doubt this greatly but makes sense}

takashi nakagawa {collaborator with nintendo often , solely in programming n programming management though - still you never know who could be made out to have some directorial prowess — this goes for any of the programming staff on the non-HAL smash games}

yusuke hashimoto {director for bayonetta 2 and star fox zero - perhaps this is somebody nintendo higher-ups would vouch for?}

forgive me , im not too tuned in as to who else could develop if its even within the realm of predictability

genuinely hashimoto’s pedigree inspires a lot of confidence but he was likely doing planning work for street fighter 6 when studio s started hiring for presumably the next smash game —
he’s probably still my fave future candidate

 

[Gengar84]

So what do you think happens if Smash gets a new developer and the game falls well below expectations as a result? What would that mean for the series’ future? Hope the next Smash isn’t the best one yet but the genre hasn’t had a ton of success lately outside of Smash itself.

As for the roster, I feel like the later development window opens the door to a lot of more recent characters. Maybe Elma actually has a chance now. Ryu Hayabusa is looking even more likely since the new games could actually help his chances in the main game. At the same time, I think it probably hurts characters like Officer Howard from Astral Chain since the game hasn’t really gotten anything recently.

Here’s a thought: Does a new developer mean that Sakurai’s rule of needing to originate from a game no longer applies? Since it was his own rule, the next developer might not be under any obligation to follow it if Sakurai has moved onto other things.