A while ago, the Smashboards moderating and news staff teams got together to speculate which character could be Player #5 for the Fighter's Pass and gathered our picks into an article. It seems we all got it wrong as Byleth of Fire Emblem Three Houses was unveiled. With Fighter’s Pass Vol. 2 well underway, we have six more characters to speculate about. However, we decided to switch gears and focus on a different topic: more Echo Fighters!
In this article, moderating and news teams will offer particular interesting choices we would like to see make the transition from no-show tofull clone ….. Echo!
Smashboards News Staff
Masked Man
@Thirdkoopa
While there are a lot of Echo Fighters I'd want in Smash, no character excites me as much as the Masked Man from Mother 3. While Mother doesn't really need another character, it's the closest bone Nintendo can throw before a Mother 3 remake. This Echo is a bit out there, since I was imagining him taking properties from other characters - Particularly Marth, Ness, Lucas, Samus, and the only one I haven't figured out where to get is the jet pack. He'd be an echo in the same vein as Chrom, except with more moves borrowed from other characters. I imagine that he'd play like Marth, but with more mobility and range in exchange for producing less damage. He would be a character pretty reliant on combo's and would probably be listed as a Lucas Echo. I know it's a bit of a stretch, but having the Masked Man as an Echo is a lot better than having no Masked Man at all. Plus, we could get some more Mother 3 tracaks. It's about time for a remix of Master Porky's Theme.
Princess Hilda
@Sari
I can already hear you groaning at the idea of another Triforce user variant getting in, but when it comes to potential Zelda echoes I think Hilda would be a great addition considering how well-received A Link Between Worlds was. I won’t spoil too much of ALBW, though I will say by the end of the game I thought Hilda was a really well written character. Since Hilda is essentially Zelda from an alternate world, she’d play like Zelda and could possibly use her staff for a few attacks like how Chrom and Ken have their own unique moves (maybe even borrowing some of Palutena’s normals). Although Hilda is currently a spirit, it is worth noting that “Toon Zelda” can be found in the files of Brawl as an unused/planned character so perhaps Sakurai had an interest in cloning Zelda’s moveset at one point. Of course you can just say that they’d add Toon Zelda instead, however Hilda has an advantage in that her design/body size are almost an exact copy of Ultimate’s Zelda and that for some reason there is no palette swap for Zelda based on Hilda. Perhaps it’s a bit of a stretch, but if it means the possibility of hearing more of ALBW’s phenomenal music tracks in Smash then I’m completely down for Hilda.
Shadow the Hedgehog
@ArCain
I’d say most of us were expecting Shadow as a playable character the moment echo fighters were announced. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise only has a single rep in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so an extra echo fighter taken from the franchise would be appreciated by everyone. And seeing how some of Sonic’s moves and specials can feel wasted (I’m still not sure what makes his Down B and Side B two different moves), giving him an echo with more unique attacks would be perfect. Shadow has a treasure trove of abilities, courtesy of his Chaos Powers. He has Chaos Spears that he could use as a projectile, the ability to warp space which could be used in his grabs and throws, and the ability to warp around for a teleport Up B. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Sonic games, so seeing him be relegated to an Assist Trophy in this game still hurts. I’m convinced that he’s a perfect fit for an echo fighter, and that, like Dark Samus before him, he deserves to be freed from the shackles of an Assist Trophy.
Proto Man
@Fenriraga
Initially, I thought there would be no way Proto Man could make it as an echo, considering he’s a part of Mega Man’s Final Smash. However, since Chrom managed to discover a way to clone himself so that he could still help Robin in their Final Smash, I’m sure Proto Man could manage somehow. Not like he’s a stranger to having an imposter of him running around.
Joking aside, the great thing about Proto Man is that a lot of his potential moveset has already been made by the Smash Team. Along with Palutena and the Mii Fighters, Mega Man was one of the only characters in Super Smash Bros. For Wii U/3DS to have custom moves that weren’t… uninspired. Rather, all of his custom specials replaced his kit with weapons and tools from other games in the series, giving him tons of utility. Just give a few of them to Proto Man, replace Rush with Beat, maybe give him his shield when jumping to block some projectiles in exchange for weaker buster shots, and boom, you’ve got some blues to round out your rock.
Really, we just need that iconic whistle when he enters the fight more than anything. Also, scarves will never not be cool.
Priam
@Amiibo Doctor
Sakurai thoroughly enjoys bringing unique and interesting characters to the Smash roster. As of this writing, the roster includes an Italian plumber who has never touched a faucet, a master stealth operative with notably-depreciated glutes and a Pterosaur who works with pirates in space. The video game world is rife with creative adaptations of storytelling themes!
Priam maximizes that creativity within the boundaries of echo fighters. While many fans are tired of Fire Emblem protagonists being added into Smash, Priam is significantly more important than any old Marth or Lucina. Priam wields Ragnell and bears the legacy of the greatest swordsman of all time - his ancestor Ike. He is the dessert of Fire Emblem Awakening, being a secret character only recruitable towards the end of the game, and his existence fills in one of the largest mysteries of Fire Emblem lore - but no spoilers!. I think this tremendous importance and aura of mystery qualifies him to be the perfect echo of Ike, but with a handful of unique Smash characteristics to differentiate him from his forefathers.
In terms of functionality, Priam would have to be lighter and faster than Ike, much like Young Link’s relationship to Link. We’ll speed up Priam a bit, and remove some weight due to his more immense strength and improved armor. The final change would stem from his sweetspots. Ike has no sweetspots, with the power of his attacks being uniform throughout the hitbox. It would make sense, then, for Priam to not have any sweetspots at all, but instead for many of his tilt and aerial attacks to be sex kicks - strong at first, but weak after the initial hitbox. This would preserve the original fighter of Ike in Priam’s moveset, but allow Priam to be a bit more combo-based.
All of these new characteristics would make for an ideal Echo fighter of the Radiant Hero Ike.
Dry Bowser
@UtopianPoyzin
Even for people who aren’t familiar with this character, it’s pretty clear who Dry Bowser would be an echo fighter of. From my perspective, Dry Bowser would be a fine echo fighter candidate, and makes more sense as an echo fighter than as an alternate costume. Back in the days of Project M, Dry Bowser was one of the different alternate costumes that somebody could select for Bowser, but this skeletal body wasn’t just a random addition. Dry Bowser first appearance was in New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS, during Mario’s final battle against Bowser. This may be considered a spoiler, but New Super Mario Bros. released in 2006, so it shouldn’t come to that much of a surprise if the ending was revealed almost 14 years ago. (Fourteen years already… wow…) After Mario dunks Bowser in the lava, Dry Bowser re-emerges to do battle with the plumber. And as a result of this intense conflict… Mario decides to take this pile of fire-breathing turtle bones out for some go-kart racing and some javelin throwing at the Olympics. One thing is for sure: Mario is not one to hold grudges with his former enemies.
Now, it wouldn’t seem like there would be many differences between Bowser and Dry Bowser. After all, they must have been somewhat similar if Dry Bowser was once an alternate costume. However, echo fighters shouldn’t be completely different; if they were, then what would the point of the fighter being an echo in the first place? Now, the first major difference is that Bowser breathes red fire, but Dry Bowser has been known to breathe blue fire. We know that this difference is major enough to split Richter Belmont from Simon Belmont, but the list doesn’t stop here. Dry Bowser’s character description during its appearance in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympics Games states the following:
“This bony transformation grants him the agility of lightweight competitors while maintaining his heavyweight power.”
It is canonically proven that Dry Bowser has just as much power as Bowser, but is faster on the ground, if ever so slightly. It also proves that Dry Bowser also is lighter than Bowser, but this much is obvious after noticing Dry Bowser’s apparent lack of turtle flesh. However, this could be really important for players who are fans of Bowser’s moveset but not his agility. Bowser is the heaviest fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with a weight value of 135. Dry Bowser would still be heavy of course, but it’s weight wouldn’t be as large as Bowser. Dry Bowser’s weight would be 120, or somewhere in the ballpark of that. In context, this would make Dry Bowser just heavier than Charizard and Incineroar, but still lighter than Ganondorf. This change would come with a slightly faster walking speed and running speed, while the rest of his attributes would remain the same. It is worth noting that all of the other echo fighters have identical weights, walking speeds, and running speeds in comparison to their source fighters, so it is understandable if the attributes are left the same. In this scenario, which is the more likely scenario in my opinion, the only changes made to Dry Bowser are the frame data of his attacks, slightly different animations for movement and attacks, minor hitbox adjustments across the board, and the natural replacement of red fire with blue fire.
Justin Bailey Samus
@Octorockandroll
Okay, so the name could use some work, but with Metroid Prime 4 being delayed we deserve another way to get our Samus fix. And what better way than riffing on Zero Suit Samus with a brand new Echo Fighter inspired by the iconic blue onesie’s predecessor?
Popularized in the west through the famous Justin Bailey code, this hot pink leotard was what the Metroid heroine wore beneath her suit in the first game. By entering the code, players would start the game as an undressed Samus with the wave beam and high jump boots already equipped, which would be great ways to change her stun gun and verticality. Not that Zero Suit Samus’ jump needs to be higher by any means, but you have to admit it would be sweet if it were. She also has the screw attack and a slightly smaller health pool, which could provide even more inspired changes to the Smash Bros. interpretation if needed.
She’s powerful, nostalgic, full of good concepts and rocking a hot pink 80s as hell bodysuit. This spin on our favorite bounty hunter is the perfect choice for an Echo.
Donkey Kong Jr
@pupNapoleon
If I had one choice for an echo fighter, who would it be? Without question, it would be a character from the Donkey Kong series. Sure, I want Impa, Octoling, Piplup...and if the only way to get Dixie Kong is as an echo, I would want that too.
Donkey Kong is the first video game made by Nintendo. Donkey Kong is a franchise that has had many iterations and virtually no appearances in Smash Bros. We have been glorified with the inclusion of King K.Rool, and I believe Dixie is coming. To me, the perfect representation of Nintendo's first family includes DK, Diddy, K.Rool, Dixie, and my top echo choice, Donkey Kong JR.
Junior is a classic fighter, something we have not gotten much of in Smash Ultimate, but known to almost anyone that knows arcade gaming. He is the actualized fighter to represent the origins of Nintendo as an arcade system. Donkey Kong Jr. is, in short, a forefather to the foundations of a Nintendo as the company we know today. There was a time that we got Donkey Kong Jr. In Mario Kart and Mario Tennis, but not even Donkey Kong.
I see Donkey Kong Jr. Working just like Donkey Kong, only being smaller, and faster. His body type would be physically identical, only shrunken. I believe that one key difference of moveset for Donkey Kong Jr. would be having a barrel throw. This is iconic to the original series, and as faithful even in the Country series. Not having a barrel throw is blasphemy! An added move could even be a vine swing. Let's hope to see more classic and impactful characters!
Smashboards Moderating Staff
Zack Fair
Venus of the Desert Bloom
Final Fantasy VII is one of my most favorite Final Fantasy games. While I understand Zack Fair is a one-shot character who appeared in a series of spinoff sequels, his overall design and character resonated with me both as an early gamer and into adulthood. It’s hard to explain why but I always felt Zack was far cooler and more awesome than Cloud. Zack’s abilities are one that allows him to copy the attacks and techniques of those around him. It’s called the Digital Mind Wave which is the best technique name ever, in my opinion. So technically, it wouldn’t be strange for him to use Cloud’s attacks and Limit Breaks. And for real, we need more Final Fantasy content and, while I would absolutely kill for Sephy, I can settle for Zacky.
Big Boss
@NonSpecificGuy
The Metal Gear franchise made a mark on Smash Bros history when Snake made his debut in Brawl as Smash's very first 3rd-Party character. Snake set in motion the slew of legendary characters we've gotten since including the likes of Sonic, Mega Man, PAC-MAN, Cloud, and Simon. It only seems right for Metal Gear to get an echo fighter and who better than the Hero-Villain that set the entire plot of Metal Gear in motion? Big Boss would control almost assuredly identical to Snake with only his Fulton replacing the Cipher and his gear reflecting older weaponry due to his Cold War origins.
Johto Trainer
@Mic_128
Look, Pokémon Red, Blue and/or Green were the games that started it all. They introduced a handful of monsters that would become icons, larger than Mickey Mouse. The games were a lot of fun, but were far from perfect. Pokémon Gold and Silver however, were superior in every way. I could go and list all the ways this game was better than than the first games (New pokéballs! Held items! An entire new map as well as Kanto! Trains! Radios!) but that would take up a lot of space. One of the things was just that everything looked cool. The pokémon looked cool. The trainers looked cool. The world looked cool.
The pokémon choices here I think work pretty well, with a little tweaking. Totodile would make a great squirtle swap, his body not too dissimilar to the tiny turtle. The only thing that could be awkward is his forward-B, but that could easily be changed to him sliding forward on his belly like a crocodile. It could even do more damage (since teeth) at the cost of less knockback.
Bayleaf would similarly work pretty well as Ivysaur. Both are quadrupeds, both can use vines, both use razorleaf. While it doesn’t have the bulb on it’s back for attacks like up-smash, that could just be easily adjusted to using it’s head instead. And while it doesn’t have the bulb, it could still use the leaves around it’s neck for attacks like Ivy’s neutral air.
Now, it’s pretty hard to out-cool Charizard and, well, Typhlosion doesn’t win that one. That doesn’t mean it can’t still make a good swap. Admittedly, this would probably need more time and work to convert for two big reasons, but stay with me here. Firstly, all the specials could be swapped in easy enough. Diving forward, breathing fire, leaping up into the air - none of these need the wings that Charizard brings along. But how would the rest of his wing-based attacks work? Well he does have a mane of fire, conveniently not far from where the wings of a dragon would sprout. Let me be clear however, I’m not suggesting he has wings made of fire. No. Instead, I suggest we use what he’s known for - what he is named after - explosions.
“It has a secret, devastating move. It rubs its blazing fur together to cause huge explosions.” -Pokedex data from numerous games
Use bursts of fire and magma instead of wings. It fits perfectly! The only place where this could be a problem is Charizard’s extra jump, but that could be added with just making explosions at his feet. Or heck, even just cutting it completely and increasing the size of his normal jumps. Chrom having second character’s recovery move shows that Sakurai isn’t setting a hard-and-fast rule that each echo must be identical.
Also, they better have Kris/Crystal as one of the colours. I’m no fan of Lyra’s design at all.
Jeanne
@Megadoomer
Bayonetta getting into Smash was a dream-come-true moment for me, even though it might have turned into something of a nightmare for the competitive scene. Bayonetta 2 was one of the reasons why I got a Wii U to begin with, and Bayonetta was one of the characters that I voted for in the Smash Ballot even though I figured that she wouldn’t realistically get in.
Much like Ken from Street Fighter, Jeanne seems like a natural fit as an echo fighter for Bayonetta. She already plays almost identically to her fellow Umbran Witch in the Bayonetta games with only a few slight differences. Specifically, her Wicked Weaves - the giant limbs that Bayonetta summons for Smash attacks - are stronger, but she takes more damage and the timing for her Witch Time is much tighter.
Ms. Pac-Man
@---
Predating both Luigi & Ken, one might call Ms. Pac-Man the true original echo-fighter; having been created as a clone by Namco’s American arcade distributor: Midway, after having grown impatient at waiting for a sequel. Despite her game’s legally questionable creation, Ms. Pac-Man came to overtake the true Namco-developed follow ups to the original Pac-Man in terms of success and overall legacy within Pac-Man franchise.
Already having made a cameo appearance in the Pac-Land stage in the previous game, it was kind of surprising to see Ms. Pac-Man be neglected for a trophy then or a spirit now in Ultimate. It’s difficult to say why she has been overlooked, though it could be the result of continued animosity of her creation despite her rights now being entirely held by Bandai Namco. Naturally including Ms. Pac-Man as a playable character would mean she would have to be taken out of the background not unlike King Dedede or Link on certain stages.
Already a carbon copy of her husband in terms of gameplay, presumably as an Echo Fighter the main change to a theoretical Ms. Pac-Man moveset would be the Bonus Fruit neutral special. Unlike Pac-Man which featured eight types of Bonus Fruits, Ms. Pac-Man only featured seven types: Cherry, Strawberry, Orange, Pretzel, Apple, Pear, and Banana. In addition to a reduced charge time for the move, the Bonus Fruits could have different properties such as the Banana causing an opponent to trip. Cosmetically, they could also change Clyde (Orange) on her Down Smash to Sue who has been colored Purple in certain entries in the franchise. Certain classic Bandai Namco characters could also be switched out for her Namco-Roulette Up-Taunt, such as featuring other female protagonists: Wonder Momo, Kissy (Baraduke), or KOS-MOS.
Paper Mario
staindgrey
The paper version of Nintendo's mascot seemed to me like the easiest shoo-in in Ultimate and Smash for Wii U. And yet it hasn't come to pass. Why?Probably because Sakurai has very strict representation rules that must be adhered to or else fan theories would be proven incorrect. Or, you know. Any viable explanation during the course of development.
But if we're unable to give the man a unique moveset befitting his history of five stellar games (and also Sticker Star), we can plug his beautifully mustached visage over Mr. Game & Watch to mirror his unique visually-2D character model, extreme light weight, and frame-by-frame aesthetic movement. While his uniqueness might be hampered by the restriction of a moveset tailored to early 80's handheld LCD games, we can still replace objects in Mr. Game & Watch's arsenal with references to the various Paper Mario games, including tossing hammers for neutral B, holding back Koops for his Bair, etc. But I would probably make two major changes to make the moveset work: replace his upB with a lift from Parakarry, and replace his sideB with a drop of his hammer, which grows in strength the longer it's held-- and finishes with a vibrant splash of color if reaching the symbolic "9".
Truly, the star of Thousand Year Door deserves his own unique moveset, but honestly, I’d rather have an echo fighter than no fighter at all.
Author’s Note: What did you think of these Echo choices? We don’t know if Echo characters will be DLC but it’s fun to speculate! Let us know what Echo fighters you want to see or if you liked or didn’t like our choices!
In this article, moderating and news teams will offer particular interesting choices we would like to see make the transition from no-show to
Smashboards News Staff
Masked Man
@Thirdkoopa
While there are a lot of Echo Fighters I'd want in Smash, no character excites me as much as the Masked Man from Mother 3. While Mother doesn't really need another character, it's the closest bone Nintendo can throw before a Mother 3 remake. This Echo is a bit out there, since I was imagining him taking properties from other characters - Particularly Marth, Ness, Lucas, Samus, and the only one I haven't figured out where to get is the jet pack. He'd be an echo in the same vein as Chrom, except with more moves borrowed from other characters. I imagine that he'd play like Marth, but with more mobility and range in exchange for producing less damage. He would be a character pretty reliant on combo's and would probably be listed as a Lucas Echo. I know it's a bit of a stretch, but having the Masked Man as an Echo is a lot better than having no Masked Man at all. Plus, we could get some more Mother 3 tracaks. It's about time for a remix of Master Porky's Theme.
Princess Hilda
@Sari
I can already hear you groaning at the idea of another Triforce user variant getting in, but when it comes to potential Zelda echoes I think Hilda would be a great addition considering how well-received A Link Between Worlds was. I won’t spoil too much of ALBW, though I will say by the end of the game I thought Hilda was a really well written character. Since Hilda is essentially Zelda from an alternate world, she’d play like Zelda and could possibly use her staff for a few attacks like how Chrom and Ken have their own unique moves (maybe even borrowing some of Palutena’s normals). Although Hilda is currently a spirit, it is worth noting that “Toon Zelda” can be found in the files of Brawl as an unused/planned character so perhaps Sakurai had an interest in cloning Zelda’s moveset at one point. Of course you can just say that they’d add Toon Zelda instead, however Hilda has an advantage in that her design/body size are almost an exact copy of Ultimate’s Zelda and that for some reason there is no palette swap for Zelda based on Hilda. Perhaps it’s a bit of a stretch, but if it means the possibility of hearing more of ALBW’s phenomenal music tracks in Smash then I’m completely down for Hilda.
Shadow the Hedgehog
@ArCain
I’d say most of us were expecting Shadow as a playable character the moment echo fighters were announced. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise only has a single rep in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so an extra echo fighter taken from the franchise would be appreciated by everyone. And seeing how some of Sonic’s moves and specials can feel wasted (I’m still not sure what makes his Down B and Side B two different moves), giving him an echo with more unique attacks would be perfect. Shadow has a treasure trove of abilities, courtesy of his Chaos Powers. He has Chaos Spears that he could use as a projectile, the ability to warp space which could be used in his grabs and throws, and the ability to warp around for a teleport Up B. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Sonic games, so seeing him be relegated to an Assist Trophy in this game still hurts. I’m convinced that he’s a perfect fit for an echo fighter, and that, like Dark Samus before him, he deserves to be freed from the shackles of an Assist Trophy.
Proto Man
@Fenriraga
Initially, I thought there would be no way Proto Man could make it as an echo, considering he’s a part of Mega Man’s Final Smash. However, since Chrom managed to discover a way to clone himself so that he could still help Robin in their Final Smash, I’m sure Proto Man could manage somehow. Not like he’s a stranger to having an imposter of him running around.
Joking aside, the great thing about Proto Man is that a lot of his potential moveset has already been made by the Smash Team. Along with Palutena and the Mii Fighters, Mega Man was one of the only characters in Super Smash Bros. For Wii U/3DS to have custom moves that weren’t… uninspired. Rather, all of his custom specials replaced his kit with weapons and tools from other games in the series, giving him tons of utility. Just give a few of them to Proto Man, replace Rush with Beat, maybe give him his shield when jumping to block some projectiles in exchange for weaker buster shots, and boom, you’ve got some blues to round out your rock.
Really, we just need that iconic whistle when he enters the fight more than anything. Also, scarves will never not be cool.
Priam
@Amiibo Doctor
Sakurai thoroughly enjoys bringing unique and interesting characters to the Smash roster. As of this writing, the roster includes an Italian plumber who has never touched a faucet, a master stealth operative with notably-depreciated glutes and a Pterosaur who works with pirates in space. The video game world is rife with creative adaptations of storytelling themes!
Priam maximizes that creativity within the boundaries of echo fighters. While many fans are tired of Fire Emblem protagonists being added into Smash, Priam is significantly more important than any old Marth or Lucina. Priam wields Ragnell and bears the legacy of the greatest swordsman of all time - his ancestor Ike. He is the dessert of Fire Emblem Awakening, being a secret character only recruitable towards the end of the game, and his existence fills in one of the largest mysteries of Fire Emblem lore - but no spoilers!. I think this tremendous importance and aura of mystery qualifies him to be the perfect echo of Ike, but with a handful of unique Smash characteristics to differentiate him from his forefathers.
In terms of functionality, Priam would have to be lighter and faster than Ike, much like Young Link’s relationship to Link. We’ll speed up Priam a bit, and remove some weight due to his more immense strength and improved armor. The final change would stem from his sweetspots. Ike has no sweetspots, with the power of his attacks being uniform throughout the hitbox. It would make sense, then, for Priam to not have any sweetspots at all, but instead for many of his tilt and aerial attacks to be sex kicks - strong at first, but weak after the initial hitbox. This would preserve the original fighter of Ike in Priam’s moveset, but allow Priam to be a bit more combo-based.
All of these new characteristics would make for an ideal Echo fighter of the Radiant Hero Ike.
Dry Bowser
@UtopianPoyzin
Even for people who aren’t familiar with this character, it’s pretty clear who Dry Bowser would be an echo fighter of. From my perspective, Dry Bowser would be a fine echo fighter candidate, and makes more sense as an echo fighter than as an alternate costume. Back in the days of Project M, Dry Bowser was one of the different alternate costumes that somebody could select for Bowser, but this skeletal body wasn’t just a random addition. Dry Bowser first appearance was in New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS, during Mario’s final battle against Bowser. This may be considered a spoiler, but New Super Mario Bros. released in 2006, so it shouldn’t come to that much of a surprise if the ending was revealed almost 14 years ago. (Fourteen years already… wow…) After Mario dunks Bowser in the lava, Dry Bowser re-emerges to do battle with the plumber. And as a result of this intense conflict… Mario decides to take this pile of fire-breathing turtle bones out for some go-kart racing and some javelin throwing at the Olympics. One thing is for sure: Mario is not one to hold grudges with his former enemies.
Now, it wouldn’t seem like there would be many differences between Bowser and Dry Bowser. After all, they must have been somewhat similar if Dry Bowser was once an alternate costume. However, echo fighters shouldn’t be completely different; if they were, then what would the point of the fighter being an echo in the first place? Now, the first major difference is that Bowser breathes red fire, but Dry Bowser has been known to breathe blue fire. We know that this difference is major enough to split Richter Belmont from Simon Belmont, but the list doesn’t stop here. Dry Bowser’s character description during its appearance in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympics Games states the following:
“This bony transformation grants him the agility of lightweight competitors while maintaining his heavyweight power.”
It is canonically proven that Dry Bowser has just as much power as Bowser, but is faster on the ground, if ever so slightly. It also proves that Dry Bowser also is lighter than Bowser, but this much is obvious after noticing Dry Bowser’s apparent lack of turtle flesh. However, this could be really important for players who are fans of Bowser’s moveset but not his agility. Bowser is the heaviest fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with a weight value of 135. Dry Bowser would still be heavy of course, but it’s weight wouldn’t be as large as Bowser. Dry Bowser’s weight would be 120, or somewhere in the ballpark of that. In context, this would make Dry Bowser just heavier than Charizard and Incineroar, but still lighter than Ganondorf. This change would come with a slightly faster walking speed and running speed, while the rest of his attributes would remain the same. It is worth noting that all of the other echo fighters have identical weights, walking speeds, and running speeds in comparison to their source fighters, so it is understandable if the attributes are left the same. In this scenario, which is the more likely scenario in my opinion, the only changes made to Dry Bowser are the frame data of his attacks, slightly different animations for movement and attacks, minor hitbox adjustments across the board, and the natural replacement of red fire with blue fire.
Justin Bailey Samus
@Octorockandroll
Okay, so the name could use some work, but with Metroid Prime 4 being delayed we deserve another way to get our Samus fix. And what better way than riffing on Zero Suit Samus with a brand new Echo Fighter inspired by the iconic blue onesie’s predecessor?
Popularized in the west through the famous Justin Bailey code, this hot pink leotard was what the Metroid heroine wore beneath her suit in the first game. By entering the code, players would start the game as an undressed Samus with the wave beam and high jump boots already equipped, which would be great ways to change her stun gun and verticality. Not that Zero Suit Samus’ jump needs to be higher by any means, but you have to admit it would be sweet if it were. She also has the screw attack and a slightly smaller health pool, which could provide even more inspired changes to the Smash Bros. interpretation if needed.
She’s powerful, nostalgic, full of good concepts and rocking a hot pink 80s as hell bodysuit. This spin on our favorite bounty hunter is the perfect choice for an Echo.
Donkey Kong Jr
@pupNapoleon
If I had one choice for an echo fighter, who would it be? Without question, it would be a character from the Donkey Kong series. Sure, I want Impa, Octoling, Piplup...and if the only way to get Dixie Kong is as an echo, I would want that too.
Donkey Kong is the first video game made by Nintendo. Donkey Kong is a franchise that has had many iterations and virtually no appearances in Smash Bros. We have been glorified with the inclusion of King K.Rool, and I believe Dixie is coming. To me, the perfect representation of Nintendo's first family includes DK, Diddy, K.Rool, Dixie, and my top echo choice, Donkey Kong JR.
Junior is a classic fighter, something we have not gotten much of in Smash Ultimate, but known to almost anyone that knows arcade gaming. He is the actualized fighter to represent the origins of Nintendo as an arcade system. Donkey Kong Jr. is, in short, a forefather to the foundations of a Nintendo as the company we know today. There was a time that we got Donkey Kong Jr. In Mario Kart and Mario Tennis, but not even Donkey Kong.
I see Donkey Kong Jr. Working just like Donkey Kong, only being smaller, and faster. His body type would be physically identical, only shrunken. I believe that one key difference of moveset for Donkey Kong Jr. would be having a barrel throw. This is iconic to the original series, and as faithful even in the Country series. Not having a barrel throw is blasphemy! An added move could even be a vine swing. Let's hope to see more classic and impactful characters!
Smashboards Moderating Staff
Zack Fair
Venus of the Desert Bloom
Final Fantasy VII is one of my most favorite Final Fantasy games. While I understand Zack Fair is a one-shot character who appeared in a series of spinoff sequels, his overall design and character resonated with me both as an early gamer and into adulthood. It’s hard to explain why but I always felt Zack was far cooler and more awesome than Cloud. Zack’s abilities are one that allows him to copy the attacks and techniques of those around him. It’s called the Digital Mind Wave which is the best technique name ever, in my opinion. So technically, it wouldn’t be strange for him to use Cloud’s attacks and Limit Breaks. And for real, we need more Final Fantasy content and, while I would absolutely kill for Sephy, I can settle for Zacky.
Big Boss
@NonSpecificGuy
The Metal Gear franchise made a mark on Smash Bros history when Snake made his debut in Brawl as Smash's very first 3rd-Party character. Snake set in motion the slew of legendary characters we've gotten since including the likes of Sonic, Mega Man, PAC-MAN, Cloud, and Simon. It only seems right for Metal Gear to get an echo fighter and who better than the Hero-Villain that set the entire plot of Metal Gear in motion? Big Boss would control almost assuredly identical to Snake with only his Fulton replacing the Cipher and his gear reflecting older weaponry due to his Cold War origins.
Johto Trainer
@Mic_128
Look, Pokémon Red, Blue and/or Green were the games that started it all. They introduced a handful of monsters that would become icons, larger than Mickey Mouse. The games were a lot of fun, but were far from perfect. Pokémon Gold and Silver however, were superior in every way. I could go and list all the ways this game was better than than the first games (New pokéballs! Held items! An entire new map as well as Kanto! Trains! Radios!) but that would take up a lot of space. One of the things was just that everything looked cool. The pokémon looked cool. The trainers looked cool. The world looked cool.
The pokémon choices here I think work pretty well, with a little tweaking. Totodile would make a great squirtle swap, his body not too dissimilar to the tiny turtle. The only thing that could be awkward is his forward-B, but that could easily be changed to him sliding forward on his belly like a crocodile. It could even do more damage (since teeth) at the cost of less knockback.
Bayleaf would similarly work pretty well as Ivysaur. Both are quadrupeds, both can use vines, both use razorleaf. While it doesn’t have the bulb on it’s back for attacks like up-smash, that could just be easily adjusted to using it’s head instead. And while it doesn’t have the bulb, it could still use the leaves around it’s neck for attacks like Ivy’s neutral air.
Now, it’s pretty hard to out-cool Charizard and, well, Typhlosion doesn’t win that one. That doesn’t mean it can’t still make a good swap. Admittedly, this would probably need more time and work to convert for two big reasons, but stay with me here. Firstly, all the specials could be swapped in easy enough. Diving forward, breathing fire, leaping up into the air - none of these need the wings that Charizard brings along. But how would the rest of his wing-based attacks work? Well he does have a mane of fire, conveniently not far from where the wings of a dragon would sprout. Let me be clear however, I’m not suggesting he has wings made of fire. No. Instead, I suggest we use what he’s known for - what he is named after - explosions.
“It has a secret, devastating move. It rubs its blazing fur together to cause huge explosions.” -Pokedex data from numerous games
Use bursts of fire and magma instead of wings. It fits perfectly! The only place where this could be a problem is Charizard’s extra jump, but that could be added with just making explosions at his feet. Or heck, even just cutting it completely and increasing the size of his normal jumps. Chrom having second character’s recovery move shows that Sakurai isn’t setting a hard-and-fast rule that each echo must be identical.
Also, they better have Kris/Crystal as one of the colours. I’m no fan of Lyra’s design at all.
Jeanne
@Megadoomer
Bayonetta getting into Smash was a dream-come-true moment for me, even though it might have turned into something of a nightmare for the competitive scene. Bayonetta 2 was one of the reasons why I got a Wii U to begin with, and Bayonetta was one of the characters that I voted for in the Smash Ballot even though I figured that she wouldn’t realistically get in.
Much like Ken from Street Fighter, Jeanne seems like a natural fit as an echo fighter for Bayonetta. She already plays almost identically to her fellow Umbran Witch in the Bayonetta games with only a few slight differences. Specifically, her Wicked Weaves - the giant limbs that Bayonetta summons for Smash attacks - are stronger, but she takes more damage and the timing for her Witch Time is much tighter.
Ms. Pac-Man
@---
Predating both Luigi & Ken, one might call Ms. Pac-Man the true original echo-fighter; having been created as a clone by Namco’s American arcade distributor: Midway, after having grown impatient at waiting for a sequel. Despite her game’s legally questionable creation, Ms. Pac-Man came to overtake the true Namco-developed follow ups to the original Pac-Man in terms of success and overall legacy within Pac-Man franchise.
Already having made a cameo appearance in the Pac-Land stage in the previous game, it was kind of surprising to see Ms. Pac-Man be neglected for a trophy then or a spirit now in Ultimate. It’s difficult to say why she has been overlooked, though it could be the result of continued animosity of her creation despite her rights now being entirely held by Bandai Namco. Naturally including Ms. Pac-Man as a playable character would mean she would have to be taken out of the background not unlike King Dedede or Link on certain stages.
Already a carbon copy of her husband in terms of gameplay, presumably as an Echo Fighter the main change to a theoretical Ms. Pac-Man moveset would be the Bonus Fruit neutral special. Unlike Pac-Man which featured eight types of Bonus Fruits, Ms. Pac-Man only featured seven types: Cherry, Strawberry, Orange, Pretzel, Apple, Pear, and Banana. In addition to a reduced charge time for the move, the Bonus Fruits could have different properties such as the Banana causing an opponent to trip. Cosmetically, they could also change Clyde (Orange) on her Down Smash to Sue who has been colored Purple in certain entries in the franchise. Certain classic Bandai Namco characters could also be switched out for her Namco-Roulette Up-Taunt, such as featuring other female protagonists: Wonder Momo, Kissy (Baraduke), or KOS-MOS.
Paper Mario
staindgrey
The paper version of Nintendo's mascot seemed to me like the easiest shoo-in in Ultimate and Smash for Wii U. And yet it hasn't come to pass. Why?
But if we're unable to give the man a unique moveset befitting his history of five stellar games (and also Sticker Star), we can plug his beautifully mustached visage over Mr. Game & Watch to mirror his unique visually-2D character model, extreme light weight, and frame-by-frame aesthetic movement. While his uniqueness might be hampered by the restriction of a moveset tailored to early 80's handheld LCD games, we can still replace objects in Mr. Game & Watch's arsenal with references to the various Paper Mario games, including tossing hammers for neutral B, holding back Koops for his Bair, etc. But I would probably make two major changes to make the moveset work: replace his upB with a lift from Parakarry, and replace his sideB with a drop of his hammer, which grows in strength the longer it's held-- and finishes with a vibrant splash of color if reaching the symbolic "9".
Truly, the star of Thousand Year Door deserves his own unique moveset, but honestly, I’d rather have an echo fighter than no fighter at all.
Author’s Note: What did you think of these Echo choices? We don’t know if Echo characters will be DLC but it’s fun to speculate! Let us know what Echo fighters you want to see or if you liked or didn’t like our choices!
Last edited:
. A bit of finagling and I think it could work.
